Where we left off last year
2025 season: 63 points, 1st in the Western Conference, 4th in MLS
If you want to argue about the greatest MLS expansion team ever, you can only make a case for two teams: the 1998 Chicago Fire, who won MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup right off the bat, and 2025 San Diego FC.
Last year’s San Diego squad set the expansion record for both points and points per game, becoming the most dominant first-year outfit in MLS regular season history. They made a deep postseason run, too, before falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference final. The year wasn’t without drama, of course. We’ll get to that in the next section. But with a clear tactical vision set out by the Right To Dream network and the club’s own sporting staff and top-tier execution of that vision from a group of better-than-expected players, 2025 was nothing short of an incredible success for San Diego FC.
Joseph Lowery
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Lewis Morgan, FW: If Morgan stays healthy (which is a big, gigantic ‘if’ given that he’s missed almost the entirety of two of the last three seasons), he’ll be a smash-hit in San Diego. The 29-year-old’s ability to attack one-v-one and run in behind is a perfect fit for a team that created pseudo-transition looks with their deep buildup better than any team in MLS last year. If he doesn’t stay healthy, then at least San Diego didn’t have to spend all that much to get him from the Red Bulls, who are still eating part of the forward’s budget charge. There’s nothing not to like about this move.
- Wilson Eisner, RB: A data-standout from MLS Next Pro, the 23-year-old looked right at home in San Diego’s starting lineup in the club’s two-legged victory over Pumas in Concacaf Champions Cup play to start the year. He joined San Diego FC off waivers. This club simply adds talent through every possible means.
