February 25 – Season 30 of Major League Soccer (MLS) provided plenty of shock results, with none bigger than the newest franchise in the league, San Diego FC (SDFC), beating defending MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy on their home turf.
Just six hundred and forty-seven days since they became the 30th club to join the league, the upstarts from the southern-most major city in California gave notice that they are for real behind a brace from Danish international Anders Dreyer.
“We said from the beginning that we’re here to win,” head coach Mikey Varas said after the club’s debut on Sunday Night Soccer.
“The tone was set from day one. This is just a step in the direction of where we want to go. We want to have a winning mentality in this club. We want to do things at the highest level.
“We said from the beginning that the most important thing is that the boys showed conviction for what we’ve been working on all pre-season.
“They showed the quality that they have,” Varas added. “I think they did a fantastic thing today. It’s not easy what they did. They made the football come to life on the field. I’m so proud of the conviction that they showed.”
Prior to kickoff, the Galaxy unveiled their record-breaking sixth Championship banner, however, SDFC were intent on being party-poopers.
To add to the momentous occasion, they beat a Galaxy team that was unbeaten at Dignity Health Sports Park for the entirety of the 2024 season. For their last home loss, you have to go back to October 21st, 2023.
In attendance was MLS commissioner Don Garber who was delighted to see a generous amount of SDFC fans who filled four sections of the upper deck.
“There are many things that have taken a long time to achieve. Getting San Diego into the league has been a long-term goal and objective,” Garber said before the game.
“Our league has to constantly remind ourselves we are new, better to get it right than done fast and ensure when it does happen that you are clicking on all cylinders.”