San Diego FC 2026 Season Preview

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Hooligan Soccer

·11 February 2026

San Diego FC 2026 Season Preview

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ San Diego FC preview for the 2026 MLS Season with Tony Sanchez from “SanDiego.Futbol”. You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

San Diego FC had their inaugural season in 2026, and finished 1st in the Western Conference with a 19-6-9 record. They lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the conference final, falling just one win short of an MLS Cup appearance.

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The team was particularly good on the road, with a 12-2-4 record. Of their contributors, Anders Dreyer came as a huge surprise. He has 36 total goal contributions, and won MLS’s Newcomer of the Year Award.

Overall, the season was short of a trophy but brought SDFC, a team pundits didn’t even know how to rank, onto the map as a contender.

Transactions

San Diego had some good depth leave the squad this offseason. With expansion teams, it isn’t uncommon to see a bunch of outgoing moves. SDFC said goodbye to Luca de la Torre, Franco Negri, Bruseth, and Paddy McNair.

Coach Mikey Varas then dropped a bomb during the preseason. While Hirving Lozano is still on the squad, Varas said that Lozano is not part of the club’s plans moving forward.

We still won’t know if that means a transfer out of the club, or if SDFC will bench him to start the season.

Incoming players include fullbacks Luca Bombino (left), Kieran Sargeant, Oscar Verhoeven, and Wilson Eisner. Two of those, Bombino and Verhoeven, appear to be day one starters.

SDFC also brought in winger Lewis Morgan, who when healthy could be a game changing type player. He missed most of the past two seasons with the New York Red Bulls.

Depth Chart

San Diego FC should play an attacking 4-3-3 this season. In the attack, Amahl Pelligrino should have first shot at winning the left wing vacancy left by Hirving Lozano. Dreyer, an MLS best-11 caliber player returns on right wing, and Markus Ingvartsen will be the striker. Ingvartsen was hurt and missed much of 2026, but Mikey Varas has assured the club that he is healthy heading into 2026.

In midfield, Onni Valakari and Jeppe Tverskov (above) are elite level starters, with Anibal Godoy rounding out the trio. Godoy is 36 years old, and while still performing well, could see rotation with Pedro Some or Bryce Duke.

At defense, Christopher McVey and Manu Duah are the starting CBs, with Luca Bombino and Oscar Verhoeven as fullbacks. CJ Dos Santos (below) will return as goalkeeper when he is fully healed from a late injury in 2025. Pablo Sisniega is a good shot-stopper, and will fill in well when called on.

Questions

Which player, outside our projected starting 11, has the best chance to win a job? Pedro Soma. He is only 19 but could transition into Anibal Godoy’s role.
What are some realistic expectations for 2026? SDFC should make the playoffs. We’d love to see more, but in MLS it is all about being in it to win it.
What are some storylines to follow throughout the 2026 season? Hirving Lozano. Does he get a transfer out? Does he stay on the bench? If the left wing position needs upgrading, does it put pressure on Mikey Varas to bring him back in?
What styles does this team match up well against? San Diego will play well against aggressive teams, as is reflected in their stellar away record. They do better when teams try to attack instead of sitting back.
What styles does this team match up poorly against? They match up poorly against teams that are okay not having possession. The Minnesota United type of teams would have an advantage.
What player improves the most in 2026? Onni Valakari. He played so many positions last year, and played well without “specializing.” This season, he has a defined role that he should grow into.
Which player regresses in 2026? Amahl Pellegrino. He subbed for Hirving Lozano admirably last year in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he turns 35 this year and hadn’t won a starting job through much of his career. He couldn’t even break into a very bad SJ Quakes team in 2024-2025.

Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!

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