Summer Break

San Diego FC has officially made it to the World Cup break. After battling through injuries, red cards, and a grueling schedule amplified by the Champions Cup, San Diego desperately needed this recess.

Questions still remain regarding how this club will compete moving forward, who will be brought in to elevate the squad, and whether the front office can find a trade partner for Hirving Lozano. All of those questions will be answered this summer, but first, let’s take a look back.

A Couple of Weeks Overdue

This recap should have been turned in weeks ago but here it is now….

The Whitecaps were utterly dominant. Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead by halftime courtesy of a Brian White brace. Notably, this marks the second time Brian White has scored a brace against SDFC since their last meeting back in the Western Conference Final.

David Vazquez managed to score and cut the deficit to 2-1, but Vancouver quickly pulled away with two more goals to stretch the lead to 4-1. Bryan Zamble scored a late goal in stoppage time, bringing the final score to 4-2. Interestingly, San Diego has scored two goals via substitutes this season, and both have come from Zamble.

Nonetheless, the Whitecaps completely controlled this match, racking up 21 shots (12 on target) and 38 touches in the box. Meanwhile, San Diego struggled to create, finishing with just 11 shots (3 on target) and 13 touches in the box. Brian White was involved in all four goals, and San Diego simply had no answer for him or the rest of the Whitecaps’ attack.

It was a very disappointing effort by San Diego FC for a final match heading into the World Cup break. To make matters worse, San Diego FC received yet another red card in this match. They are now tied for the league lead with 5 red cards. As a result, Luca Bombino will be suspended and unavailable for the next match against the Colorado Rapids on July 22nd.

The First Half of the Season

San Diego played 15 league matches prior to the World Cup break, alongside 4 additional matches due to their Champions Cup run. In league play, San Diego sits at 4-5-6 with 17 points and a +3 goal differential, placing them 10th in the conference and right on the cusp of a playoff spot. For comparison, through 15 league matches last season, the club was 8-3-4 with 27 points and a +10 goal differential.

Grade Book: Proficient

The silver lining is that the attack has improved, scoring more goals at this point in the season than they did last year. SDFC has found the back of the net 30 times compared to last year’s 27. Eleven of those goals have come from striker Marcus Ingvartsen. Both Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer have accumulated 13 goal contributions each, making them the second-most productive tandem in MLS. Speaking of Dreyer, his 13 contributions are just one ahead of his pace last year, when he recorded 12 in 15 matches. Dreyer has remained incredibly consistent and has clearly found a reliable target on the end of his passes, as 4 of his 7 assists have been served directly to Ingvartsen. Overall, this remains a potent attacking unit, tied for 6th in goals scored (30) and ranking 10th in the league with a 23.82 xG.

Needs Homework

The downside is that this team has conceded 10 more goals than they did last season. San Diego has given up the 11th-most goals in the league (27) and currently surrenders the second-highest xG against at 31.69. Furthermore, San Diego is tied for 6th in set-piece goals conceded with 7, and they lead the league in errors leading to a goal with seven. The team also holds an atrocious 0-2-5 record when the opponent scores first and has dropped a league-high 9 points after the 75th minute. Those nine dropped points represent the exact difference between where they are now and 4th place in the conference.

What is causing this defensive decline? It is easy to point the finger at the discipline issues. Four out of SDFC’s five red cards have been handed out to the backline. Chris McVey has missed two matches, Manu Duah has missed one, and Luca Bombino is set to miss the upcoming game. These suspensions, combined with the extra Champions Cup fixtures, have put an immense strain on the center-back position.

Osvald Søe had to step into the lineup for 6 matches to provide depth, but he did not look great. Last season, SDFC started Chris McVey and Paddy McNair together in 14 of their first 15 matches. When McNair was unavailable for a match against Austin FC, Ian Pilcher had to start, and there was a notable drop-off in backline security during that game.

We are seeing that same drop-off with Søe. With Paddy McNair, you had a defender who won 68% of his ground duels and 62% of his aerial duels. In Soe’s very limited minutes this year, he has won just 25% of his ground duels and 33% of his aerial duels. Pilcher, on the other hand, held his own on the ground at 59% and actually bested McNair in the air, winning 71% of his aerial duels.

There has also been a noticeable decline in McVey’s individual production. In 2025, McVey won 52% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial duels; this year, those numbers have dipped to 47% on the ground and 44% in the air. It is vital for center backs to win their individual one-on-one matchups, as they serve as the final line of defense before an opponent reaches the goalkeeper. Winning aerial duels is equally critical during set pieces to clear danger before an attacking player can convert a goal-scoring opportunity.

Summer Transfer Window

The key date to remember is July 13th, when the summer transfer window officially opens and deals can become official. It appears Mikey Varas and company will be prioritizing a top-tier left winger, a dynamic attacking midfielder, and additional defensive reinforcement.

The roster shuffling has already begun with the announcement that recently acquired goalkeeper Jacob Jackson has been loaned out to USL Championship side Monterey Bay FC. This move leaves San Diego with two open spots on their 20-man senior roster. San Diego will likely free up an additional roster spot and a Designated Player (DP) slot via the impending transfer or release of Hirving Lozano.

However, the club will also need to free up international slots to facilitate incoming talent. Currently, eight players occupy international slots: Anders Dreyer, Manu Duah, Wily Kumado, Amahl Pellegrino, Osvald Soe, Jeppe Tverskov, Onni Valakari, and Bryan Zamble.

SDFC could theoretically trade some General Allocation Money (GAM) to acquire more international slots, but that could be a wasteful use of resources. Alternatively, some of the core players who recently signed long-term extensions—such as Dreyer, Tverskov, or Valakari—could secure green cards to be converted to domestic players, freeing up international slots naturally. Another realistic path would be releasing or loaning out players like Kumado, Soe, or Zamble. If the front office intends to bring in multiple international signings, opening up these slots is mandatory.

I could also see the club targeting domestic U.S. players looking to transfer into MLS from overseas leagues. Whatever path they choose to bring in veteran leadership, San Diego sits on roughly $4 million in GAM to spend this summer. Bringing in three veteran players at the maximum senior roster budget charge would consume roughly $2.4 million, leaving the club with a healthy $1.6 million in GAM to spare.

Rumors

Rumor has it that San Diego FC is heavily scouting one of the brightest talents in the Danish Superliga. Aral Şimşir is a 23-year-old attacking midfielder currently playing for FC Midtjylland. Şimşir completely lit up the league last season, racking up 9 goals and 15 assists to lead the entire competition in total goal contributions (24). Over his young career, he has already amassed 22 goals and 36 assists.

Interestingly, Şimşir shares some history with Anders Dreyer, as their time at Midtjylland overlapped for a couple of seasons between 2019 and 2022. Securing a player who is already familiar with Dreyer and understands a similar tactical system would be a massive coup.

That said, securing Şimşir’s services will be a massive long shot for Tyler Heaps. He is a highly coveted young player who is currently being pursued aggressively by Lille—a side that will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season. While competing with European teams will make this a tough transfer battle to win, it is incredibly encouraging to see SDFC setting its sights on elite talent in Europe.

The Danish top flight is a league SDFC should know inside and out, given that their sister club, FC Nordsjælland, competes there. SDFC should have an extensive scouting database on players in the Danish league, giving them a distinct advantage in knowing exactly who fits the culture and system in San Diego.