San Diego FC just proved they’re not MLS rookies anymore | OneFootball

For 30 seasons now, Major League Soccer has done just fine. With a growing fan base, the emergence of powerhouses and juggernauts in the league, MLS is thriving.

Original teams like the LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew have won a championship in the past ten years, and newer teams, like their rival, LAFC, and Toronto FC, have also won.

San Diego FC made a big splash in MLS from the jump. With a 2-0 victory on the road against the defending champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy, they started big and ended the weekend in first place in the Western Conference standings.

As was the case with top teams, standing pat isn't alway the wisest decision. San Diego FC made a pair of roster moves before Thursday's transfer window closed for a second time this year.

Blackburn Rovers v Blackpool - Carabao Cup Second Round | Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

What Leo Duru brings to first-place San Diego FC

The 20-year-old from Manchester, England, joins his first MLS club and he couldn't have picked a better one. Duru has been added to San Diego FC's roster that already features a potential MVP winner in Anders Dreyer.

Dreyer scored both goals in the season opener against the Galaxy. Since then, he hasn't slowed down, as he has 13 goals and 15 assists on the year in MLS entering this weekend.

Duru, on loan from the Blackburn Rovers, is a right back defender. The terms of the loan allow San Diego FC to extend his stay past December until June 2026.

Real Salt Lake v FC Cincinnati | Chris Gardner/GettyImages

Who else did San Diego FC add this month?

Corey Baird essentially gets trade from one viable playoff team to another. He joins the MLS Western Conference front runners at a cost of $50,000.

Baird is 29 years old and is a California native from Escondido. The winger has better success with team out West. He played for Real Salt Lake from 2018 to 2020 and scored 15 times in 83 appearances with them.

When with the Houston Dynamo, Baird found the back of the net 10 times in 64 matches between 2021-2023. He joined FC Cincinnati last year and enjoyed 40 games across all competitions for them.

San Diego FC v Nashville SC | Denis Poroy/GettyImages

What's next for San Diego FC before the MLS Western Conference Playoffs?

San Diego FC has a solid hold on first place in the MLS Western Conference standings. They have a record of 16-4-7 (52 points), three more wins than the next closest teams, Minnesota United and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Next up for San Diego is another Western Conference team that was busy this month in the Portland Timbers. With championship aspirations from both teams, another major win over a team like the Timbers could further separate the newcomers from the rest of MLS.

This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. San Diego FC will be the guest of the Timbers in Portland to end the 2025 MLS regular season.