My first year…2025
It was Sunday, February 23, 2025. My wife and I were tuned in to the inagrual game of San Diego FC. The game was broadcasted on Apple TV MLS Season Pass which we got for free when we became season ticket holders for the very first San Diego-based Major League Soccer Team. I remember staring at the players wondering who they were, where they used to play, and whether this team was any good. We were quickly introduced to Anders Dreyer who scored 2 of his first of eventual 19 goals in the 2025 season. A player who undoubtedly captured our hearts instantly.
As the season progressed through the months, so many memorable moments unfolded before the eyes of the ever growing fans. The team carried the nickname based on the colors they wear, Azul y Chrome. San Diego FC was a hit! Fans flocked to Snapdragon stadium game after game. Captured every single pass from Jeppe Tverskov, every single save by CJ Dos Santos, every darting run by the popular mexican national player Hirving Chucky Lozano, and every goal and assists by the Danish star, el Paletero, Anders Dreyer. Shirts and scarves were sold out from the team stores and merchandise booths. More kids started playing football in their local parks, and the city had a new sports team to anchor their hearts and dreams to.
Since the introduction of San Diego FC, the 18 cities that make up our beloved county were referred to as the “18 threads”. The 18 cities and diverse communities symbolically woven into one. The collective identity of our culture which is bonded by the beautiful game. Walk the streets of Chula Vista, the beaches in Encinitas, the towns of La Mesa and El Cajon, the vibrant scenes of North Park, and the quiet towns in Poway or San Marcos, and you will see the Azul y Chrome flag flown, or the colors worn by their fans young and old. It was like San Diego County reinvented itself. We felt togetherness like a magical spell was cast upon us and gave us an unwavering joy in our hearts.
My wife and I are one of the thousands who became the first season ticket holders for the team. These first season ticket holders were called “Founding Members”. It’s a nice touch that made us feel even more part of the team’s history. But we weren’t the first historical fans of this team. There were the supporter groups. A Union of dedicated fans who champion the voice, flags, and colors every game. Sitting on the North End of Snapdragon Stadium, they are referred to collectively as “La Frontera SD”. These people concocted the songs that echoed through the night during all games at home…and away. The main theme song’s mantra-like lyrics strikes a nerve in the very soul of every fan: “WE ARE SAN DIEGO FOOTBALL CLUB! OLE, OLE, AZUL Y CHROME”! The very chant baptizes each fan into the team spirit as if we were suiting up ourselves to take the pitch. Every game the chants got louder, and louder. The stadium became a giant bullhorn as if we were announcing to the whole world that San Diego is here! And we are ready to play the world’s game.
Every kickoff, every foul, every referee call for or against our beloved team was met with 25 to 35 thousand voices reacting to the moment in unison. Every goal was celebrated with radiant joy! It was the entire San Diego community sharing every moment as if we became one entity. No longer were we separated by the freeways and townships. No longer were their 18 cities that made up the county. It was ONE San Diego. The barriers of our heritage and roots no longer segregated us. There were no rich, no poor, no young or old, no race, and no religious groups. There was only one group with one attribute. We were San Diegans; proud, festive, and passionate.
The 2025 season was like a dream come true. A season full of ups and downs, entertainment, surprises, triumphs, and short-comings. The team made it all the way to the Western Conference finals. But like a good book, the conclusion did not give us the final glory. We lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps who went on to face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami for the 2025 Audi MLS Cup. And although the first season ended early, it solidified the unity of our beloved home. We became ONE. One united fan group that is eager and ready to get back on the saddle and ride our sophomore season of 2026. Our expectations are high, but we fear no fall.
Although San Diegans are passionate sports fans, we have been scarred by winless streaks and trophy-less shelves with Major sports teams. And all though the Padres have carried that sports passion through the years, we still have yet to claim a World Series.
Soccer is not considered a top sport in the United States, even though it is the most popular sport in the entire world. The largest league in the US is Major League Soccer. It has grown through the years since 1995 and our team became the 30th team in the 30-year anniversary of the league’s inception. The league draws an average of 20,000 fans to a live game, but unfortunately, not a top TV rating especially since the league decided to go behind a pay wall on Apple TV.
Soccer is different for San Diegans. To start with, San Diego is situated right at the southwestern most border of the United States which is shared with Mexico. Our latino community has always carried a passion for football following the Mexican league, Liga MX. Also, San Diego is a destination sought out by many worldwide for its amazing year-round climate and has brought people from around the world who follow other leagues like the English Premier League, The Bundesliga of Germany, Seria A of Italy, or La Liga of Spain. As I stated earlier, this is the most popular sport in the world.
Although we are new to the MLS, San Diego does have a winning soccer team. And unlike the Padres, this team does have trophies shining on their shelves. The San Diego Sockers. A Major Arena Soccer League team that has won many championships. Although the popularity of Indoor Soccer pails in comparison to other so-called “big 4” leagues, a humble few fans still celebrate them year round.
Yes, we San Diegans have a special place in our hearts for soccer. Since the final whistle blew ending our championship run, we cannot wait for the 2026 season to start. It is like a crescendo in waiting as the orchestra of chants starts from a faint distance. The echoing songs approach slowly day-by-day and will eventually be that roar we remember all too well. The roar made from thousands of San Diego FC fans gathered once again.
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025. San Diego FC just signed a new forward by the name of Lewis Morgan from the New York Red Bulls, and will be joining our team for the 2026 season. Many players who were on loan have signed more lengthy contracts. Some unfortunately will not be returning. But this is the game we all know too well. They are now roughly 7 weeks away from playing their first ever CONCACAF Champions Cup against Liga MX powerhouse, Pumas UNAM at our beloved Snapdragon Stadium. As I go through the social media feeds of various San Diego FC Fans, the buzz has grown and intensified with excitement and eagerness. Opinions of optimism and cautious point of views battle it out online as the days unfold closer and closer to the inevitable kick off of the San Diego FC’s sophomore season.
I have often wondered who these people in San Diego are. Those who were soaked and bathed in the same fanaticism that I am a part of. Through every game and event hosted by the team, I was delighted to meet so many people from all four corners of our county. You could not over-use the word “Diverse” even if you tried. And through this journey, I found an importance to celebrate them. The fans. The first fans of San Diego FC. The historical first season witnesses that will grow this love beyond generations after we are gone. I want to capture their stories, their passion, and their experience. A moment captured in time. I decided to dust off my podcast gear that I tucked away in my closet with a new purpose. A purpose to preserve this amazing moment. To preserve the first Founding Members, the first La Frontera SD Members, the first of the 18 threads who passionately keep the people engaged even when there is no game to be played. The stories of the players and staff will be captured by more capable professionals than myself. But I intend to mint in our hallowed grounds the stories of the voices in the stands, in the watch parties, or in their living rooms watching on their TV’s or devices.
From blue collar to business owners, from barrios to suburbia, from city to rural towns, I want to hear their stories of how they have woven themselves within the 18 threads and how they celebrate San Diego FC. This vibrant and diverse county will offer so much variety of stories that l’m certain we will not run out of things to talk about.
Even though season 1 is in the rearview mirror, the journey to uncover the passion is still in its beginning. As I ponder this podcast’s endeavor, the songs and chants are becoming less faint and are steadily increasing in volume. I imagine the same goes for all the fans of San Diego FC.
December 18, 2025. It is only a week away till Christmas. San Diego has traded for a defender, Kieran Sargeant from Houston Dynamo for a third round pick in the MLS Super Draft. Along with him we selected from the super draft Martin Luala, a midfielder from Grand Canyon University, Remi Agunbiade, a forward from the University of Akron, and Kyle Durham, a goalkeeper from the University of Connecticut.
As I scan through Media outlets and Social Media, I am watching history unfold once more. Who among these new signings will become the next Anders Dreyer, or the next Manu Duah. Too early to tell. But I am certain that there are many among us in San Diego who are eager for that first whistle to be blown. Many of us are eager to get to Snapdragon stadium once more. Many of us are already chanting the songs in our heads.
