Preview: San Diego FC vs St. Louis City SC

St. Louis City SC have gone down in San Diego MLS history books last year when they played in the inaugural opening home match on March 1st, 2025. Exactly 365 days later, the reds make a return to the same ground where they tied San Diego FC the first time around.

Here at SDFC Nation, you'll find all the information you need ahead of the Week 2 matchup on Sunday.

Match Information

Teams: San Diego FC vs St. Louis City SC
Referees: Drew Fischer (Ref), Michael Barwegen (AR1), Lyes Arfa (AR2), Victor Rivas (4th), Jose Carlos Rivero (VAR), Jonathan Johnson (AVAR)
Odds: SD (-160), Draw (+310), STL (+330)
Date: March 1st, 2026
Time: 6:15pm, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
TV: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV (Free), FS1
Radio: AM 760
Radio Commentary: Adrian Garcia Marquez, Darren Smith
Forecast: 74º/57º. 64º at kickoff. Sunny. 6 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 75% humidity.

Head-to-Head

St. Louis City SC

The Numbers

St. Louis City SC Overview

St. Louis City SC comes into this matchup still in the early stages of a reset. After finishing 13th in the Western Conference last season with 32 points and missing the playoffs, the club made big changes in personnel. What followed was a full organizational reset with hopes of getting back to their 2023 debut season form.

The 2025 campaign never truly found stability. Head coach Olof Mellberg was dismissed after just 15 matches, and by late summer the club had also parted ways with sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.

Corey Wray was brought in as chief soccer officer to reshape the sporting vision, while Yoann Damet takes over as a young, 35-year-old head coach after serving under Wilfried Nancy in Columbus.

The roster saw notable additions as well, including defender Mamadou Fall, midfielder Daniel Edelman, and fullback Rafael Santos. Dante Polvara adds versatility across midfield and the back line.

Meanwhile, longtime striker and all-time leading scorer Joao Klauss was transferred to the LA Galaxy, leaving a void up top and signaling a shift in attacking identity.

St. Louis began its 2026 season with a 1-1 draw against Charlotte FC. They controlled much of the match and created steady pressure, forcing 10 saves from Charlotte’s goalkeeper, with Marcel Hartel scoring in the second half. However, they couldn’t hold the lead, conceding an equalizer and settling for a point. St. Louis were tied with NY Red Bulls as the top teams in shots taken, something SDFC will need to try and control on Sunday.

In many ways, this St. Louis side is still taking shape. The structure looks more organized, the midfield brings energy, and defensively they are building toward consistency. But as they head into this matchup with San Diego, they remain a team searching for rhythm in a new era.

Predicted Lineup

San Diego FC

The Numbers

San Diego FC Overview

A start to the season could not have gone better for the boys in the Chrome and Azul. An emphatic win over a, let's be honest, bad Montreal team showed the fans that SDFC picked up right where they left off.

Only slightly better.

San Diego FC played some of the best soccer they've played to date last Saturday night. The Right to Dream style was on full display as CF Montreal played into the trap. The neighbors from the North pressed with numbers and SDFC took full advantage by playing the ball up into massive space that was left as a result of the press.

To score five goals is not easy. It will be hard to repeat a performance like that. Still, head coach Mikey Varas is hopeful.

"Yeah, it's what we're really trying to instill in the culture of the club," Varas mentioned when asked about the relentlessness of the club and keeping the foot on the gas even when the team is up by multiple goals.

"That when we have one, we want two. When we have two, we want three, and so on and so on. And that goes for when you're winning or you're losing, it doesn't matter. Just that hunger to want more and that starts in the training environment, and these guys, they have so much respect for the training environment. You know, when you have a locker room full, full of people who are 100% committed to the cause and to doing the work these, these moments are possible."

St. Louis City will prove to be a more difficult opponent than Montreal, even in their re-build year. Joao Klauss is gone but many pieces are in place to get this team back to their 2023 form. The barrage of shots STL had against Charlotte was not a fluke. This is an offensive-minded team that SDFC will have to deal with in the back.

The question will be is if STL decide to go after the game and press San Diego's possession. Do they risk falling into the same trap that Montreal fell into or do they take a more cautious route by playing a defensive game and relying on counter attacks?

Tactically, SDFC didn't change much. Pedro Soma was replaced by Onni Valakari in the left mid, who scored a wonderful goal. Keiran Sargent started in the wing back position over Wilson Eisner, who is dealing with an injury. Expect more of the same lineup on Sunday, perhaps with a twist in the wing back position. Oscar Verhoeven saw minutes last match and seemed perfectly fit as he finished out the match in hopes of impressing enough to earn his starting spot back.

Sunday will offer a clearer indication of whether San Diego FC’s opening match was simply a strong start — or the standard set this season.

Fan Predictions