AWith San Diego FC prepare for their first playoff appearance this Sunday, they do so with the title of record they deserve. The expansion club finished first in the Western Conference and set records for most wins (19) and points (63) in a single season for an MLS expansion team. As a result, they will be at home for the rest of the playoffs and will host the MLS Cup if they get there and face anyone other than Inter Miami, Cincinnati or the Philadelphia Supporters' Shield winners.
Now they're aiming for more history – becoming the first expansion team to win. MLS Cup since 1998, when the Chicago Fire won it against DC United.
“It’s always been a goal for me,” Hirving “Chucky” Lozano told the Guardian. The 30-year-old Mexico international arrived in San Diego as the club's first designated player. after a superb career at PSV and Napoli. He also made headlines this week after he was cut from the team for the trip to Portland on Decision Day, a decision that head coach Mikey Varas chalked up to internal issues.
Lozano later apologized on social media, alluding to a concept Varas raised in an interview with the Guardian before the suspension was reported.
“We believe that our collectivity is our superpower,” Varas said. “We tell ourselves a lot that we are here to win, but How we win and who we win With matters. And this is what we feel in the deepest part of our DNA. [We’re] a team that is relentless, that doesn't give up and doesn't stop playing the way they want. And then a team that has a fighting team spirit, you know, is always in touch.”
For San Diego, winning isn't just a result of 90 minutes, it's a personality trait that comes with daily lessons. To do this, you not only need stars like Lozano, but also great players who don't make as many headlines; like veteran Panamanian anchor Anibal Godoy, San Diego native and USMNT player Luca de la Torre (on loan from Celta Vigo) and Anders Dreyer, a 27-year-old Dane who joined the club from Anderlecht and is enjoying his first MLS campaign. In his first season, Dreyer scored 38 goals (19g/19a), thus becoming the player with the most goals (17) and away goals (27) in league history. On Thursday, he was named a finalist for the MLS MVP Award.
However, the roster as a whole has been shaped by San Diego's meticulous philosophy of analytics and homegrown talent. The key strategy, through data and other means, is not just to find the right players, but to shape them.
“Our academy will be the heart of this club, and our homegrown players will ideally be the heart of this club,” says Tyler Heaps, the club's general manager and sporting director. At 34, he is the youngest in the league to hold the position. “I hope this will make my job a lot easier in the future because we have to have the talent and development opportunities for these players and then we will give them the opportunity to play in the first team.”
Heaps cites examples of young players who are already getting significant minutes for San Diego, such as first-round draft picks Manu Dua and Ian Pilcher, as well as 19-year-old left back Luca Bombino, who came on loan from LAFC and had a great campaign.
“Our style of play is also geared towards younger players,” says Heaps. “It takes into account some of the things that we do with our defensive shape, some of the things that we do in our training environment to ensure that those decisions are a lot easier and clearer for our players so that they can play on instinct and everything else that they are taught to do from a young age.”
San Diego FC's education – on and off the field – is built on their core vision: the Right to Dream Soccer Academy. Founded in Ghana in 1999 by Tom Vernon, the academy has produced more than 100 professional players, including Tottenham Hotspur and Ghanaian Mohammed Kudus, as well as Ivorian Simon Adingru, who joined Sunderland from Brighton last summer. The academy plays a vital role in regions such as Denmark, which has FC Nordsjælland and Masar in Egypt, and has become the driving force behind San Diego FC. The club's state-of-the-art academic complex opened last month on 28 acres of Sicuan tribal land in El Cajon, about 16 miles east of San Diego. It is the league's first integrated school and academy, opening at middle school age for both boys and girls, with each student-athlete receiving a five-year scholarship regardless of academic performance. This is a first for MLS and North America.
after promoting the newsletter
Heaps was recruited and appointed by Mohamed Mansour, founding partner and chairman of San Diego, who also owns Right to Dream through his family office Man Capital in the UK. Heaps worked in Monaco from 2021 to 2023 before joining Right to Dream as head of recruitment and analytics.
“[Our vision] It's about character development, holistic development, player development, staff development. That’s why I’m here,” Heaps says.
The academy's players largely hail from San Diego and Tijuana, meccas for young Mexican talent. In San Diego, where more than 30% of the population is Hispanic/Latino and the majority is Mexican-American, a cross-border recruiting strategy is vital from both a football and cultural standpoint.
“[The American/Mexican recruitment] is critical to the development of our players, but also to our club because it reflects the essence of this entire region, which is this unique and deep cross-border connection,” says Tom Penn, CEO of San Diego FC, who also co-founded LAFC back in 2014 and served as president. “[San Diego] It's a truly unique culture that is truly Southern California but different from Los Angeles…it has a unique rhythm and quality of life. And everyone is grateful for that, they embrace the diversity of cultures here, and then there is real civic pride and a sports team can unite this whole community around that pride.”
Varas, who has a personal connection to San Diego as he met his wife Jessica here, agrees.
“I just know San Diego very well. I know how creative it is, how diverse it is, but also how hard-working and competitive it is. They love their region, they love their community, and whether you were born and raised here or you were a transplant like me and you found your way here, you fall in love with this place and then you make huge sacrifices to stay here.”
For Lozano, who was born in Mexico City and moved to Pachuca when he was 11, border culture is not what he grew up with. But he feels at home in San Diego and also sees the enormous benefits of being part of a club that represents two very close cultures. “I think [the area] This is so important because it can attract a lot of players because there is so much talent in both the US and Mexico, so applying this combination will be beautiful and attractive.”
But, in his opinion, the recipe for success requires results. Firstly, it was the regular season. Now comes the second goal: winning the MLS Cup.
“I think – and I believe – that we can do this. We're on the right track,” Lozano said. “I always thought we could achieve important things from the beginning. [to this club] Because of the project and everything that surrounds it, the property and everything, it's beautiful, and all of those things made me want to come to San Diego, and that's why I decided to come here.”
-
Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and presenter specializing in soccer and sports content that also appeals to U.S. Hispanic and younger audiences. He previously worked for ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and returns to The Guardian as a contributor.
