Jan 9, 2025; Miami Seashore, Florida, USA; San Diego FC Hirving Lozano fields questions through the Main League Soccer Media Day on the Miami Seashore Conference Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Jeff Swinger-Imagn Photographs San Diego FC may have no time to ease into their inaugural MLS marketing campaign.
The enlargement crew will open in opposition to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the defending MLS Cup champions, on Sunday afternoon in Carson, Calif.
The league newcomers will get to see the Galaxy unfurl their league-record sixth championship banner following a considerably stunning run to the title final season.
Los Angeles will not be at full energy, as star midfielder Riqui Puig is sidelined long run following knee surgical procedure and ahead Joseph Paintsil is out with a quad harm. However little drop-off is anticipated from the Galaxy.
Veteran Marco Reus would be the focus of the Galaxy’s offense, and winger Gabriel Pec is ready to take an enormous leap ahead this season. The Galaxy additionally added ahead Christian Ramirez in a commerce with the Columbus Crew, ahead Matheus Nascimento on mortgage from Brazilian facet Botafogo and Mathias Jorgensen, a Danish middle again who has performed for quite a few groups in Europe, most not too long ago for Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht.
The midfield might be anchored by Edwin Cerrillo, one of many league’s greatest defensive-minded gamers on the place.
“I believed it was an excellent two weeks for us,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney mentioned concerning the crew’s preseason camp and match. “An enormous a part of it was getting guys’ legs below them and health and attending to combine some guys into our system. We combined in guys, and guys had been capable of adapt within video games. I do know guys are able to get began.”
San Diego FC function the skills of Mexican nationwide crew legend Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Anders Dreyer, a Danish winger who was Jorgensen’s teammate at Anderlecht final season.
The brand new membership additionally consists of winger Luca de la Torre, a San Diego native who has performed on the U.S. males’s nationwide crew, and Paddy McNair, a Northern Eire worldwide middle again who has performed for Manchester United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough in England.
Positive, there are questions — and loads of them — about San Diego FC, as there are with any enlargement crew. However coach Mikey Varas likes his crew and the progress it has made to date.
“We’re targeted on three buckets: ensuring that we’re wholesome and match as an enlargement roster that is rising; be certain that the sport mannequin type of performs is obvious; after which be certain that we develop a combating crew spirit amongst the crew,” Varas mentioned.
“I feel we have had a really profitable preseason by way of maximizing each second that we have had collectively and doing these three issues.”
–Discipline Stage Media
