It’s not the ending San Diego FC envisioned, yet there’s plenty for the expansion team to take pride in.
Understandably, that was the crux of head coach Mikey Varas’ post-game press conference after his side bowed out of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference Final on Saturday night with a 3-1 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
“Nobody can take away this season that these guys did,” Varas said. “Nobody can ever take that away from them. And I think they made a city, made the whole region dream.
“We were one step away from MLS Cup, and 12 months ago, we were all introducing ourselves.”
Planting roots
Back in January, when SDFC gathered for preseason, pundits widely pegged the newcomers for a long and challenging inaugural season in MLS.
Those predictions were blown out of the water.
San Diego set expansion-club records for points (63) and wins (19) in the regular season, led by MLS All-Stars Anders Dreyer, Chucky Lozano and Jeppe Tverskov alongside a relatively youthful and lower-profile squad.
Playing a bold, possession-based style, San Diego repeatedly turned heads when playing before raucous crowds at Snapdragon Stadium or on the road.
“I hope that everybody remembers that we went for it, we went for it with a clear identity, trying to be a reflection of the community, trying to make San Diego proud,” Varas said.
“We fought to the last second in every match we were ever in, and we always took accountability and never shied away from when we weren't good enough. I hope they also remember that we all just met each other 12 months ago, and that we put a tremendous foundation together to build something sustainable into the future.”
Moving forward
Can San Diego turn their sensational introduction into long-term success? St. Louis CITY SC going from the West No. 1 seed in their expansion campaign (2023) to missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons (2024-25) provides a cautionary tale.
But something special unfolded this year in America's Finest City, with Dreyer often the star attraction. The 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year and Danish international tallied 38 goal contributions (19g/19a) in the regular season, before delivering another 4g/2a in five playoff games.
“It was a great season for me and my teammates, the staff, the leadership. It was a very good season,” said Lozano, the club's first-ever Designated Player and a World Cup veteran with Mexico.
“We always definitely want to win and be champions. This time around, it wasn't for us. But everyone should walk away with their head high and very happy on the season that we made.”
More to come
If all went as San Diego planned, they'd soon travel cross-country – and not Vancouver – for next Saturday’s MLS Cup 2025 presented matchup at Eastern Conference champions Inter Miami CF (2:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV; FOX, FOX Deportes; TSN, RDS). The playbill would likely be Lionel Messi vs. Dreyer, instead of Messi vs. Thomas Müller.
But the margins are often razor-thin on the biggest stages, and San Diego vow they’ll learn from this experience.
“It's been a fairytale season for all of us, all of us in the club, but also everybody around the club,” said Tverskov. “Everything has been kind of magical, and you see the end and dream.
"It means we've been doing a lot of things right, but it's also 11 months, and then you're one step away from the goal. So, it's tough. I think we can be proud of a lot of things we've done, and I think we've built something also for the coming seasons.”
