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San Diego FC finally got back in the win column, earning a 1-0 victory over St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday afternoon. While the three points won't change the fact that SDFC has been eliminated from playoff contention, the performance offered a few positives, including opportunities for younger players and a much-needed confidence boost heading into the offseason.
With one game remaining, San Diego now turns its attention to Saturday's regular-season finale against Sporting Kansas City at Snapdragon Stadium.
A Much-Needed Win and an Opportunity for the Younger Players
Coming off a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps that officially eliminated San Diego from playoff contention, there wasn't much left to play for in the standings against St. Louis. With that in mind, head coach Mikey Varas made several changes to the starting lineup, giving younger players Bryan Zamblé, Pedro Soma, and Alejandro Alvarado Jr. an opportunity to start.
The changes paid off.
In the 39th minute, San Diego found its breakthrough on a quick counterattack. Alvarado played a perfectly weighted pass forward to Anders Dreyer, who took advantage of St. Louis goalkeeper Ben Lundt being off his line and chipped the ball into the back of the net.
It was Dreyer's 15th goal of the season, bringing his total to 28 goal contributions (15 goals and 13 assists). Alvarado and Marcus Ingvartsen picked up the assists.
San Diego didn't necessarily dominate the match, finishing with 13 shots and just three on target compared to St. Louis' 16 shots and seven on target. However, Pablo Sisniega came up with six saves to preserve the clean sheet and secure all three points.
Perhaps just as important as the result was seeing some of the younger players get meaningful minutes. Alvarado, in particular, made a strong case for a bigger role moving forward, contributing an assist and showing confidence in the midfield. Zamblé and Soma also got valuable starting experience.
Following the match, Varas spoke about what motivated the team despite having nothing left to play for in the standings.
"We start winning next season right now," Varas said, explaining that the team still had a responsibility to represent the city, compete for the fans, and play for personal pride.
That message was reflected in the performance. San Diego snapped an 11-match winless streak, earning its first league victory since the summer.
A Second Season That Fell Well Short of Expectations
Despite the victory, there is no getting around the disappointment of San Diego FC's 2026 campaign.
Following an incredible inaugural season that saw the club finish first in the Western Conference and reach the Western Conference Final, expectations were understandably much higher heading into year two.
Instead, SDFC finds itself sitting 13th in the Western Conference with 38 points and a 9-13-11 record. The club has scored 57 goals but conceded 62, highlighting some of the defensive issues that have followed the team throughout the season.
Finishing outside the top 10 is a significant step backward for a club that looked like one of the best teams in MLS just a year ago.
There are certainly multiple reasons for the decline. Injuries, inconsistent performances, defensive mistakes, and an inability to put together a sustained run of positive results all played a part. But the biggest disappointment is that San Diego never really found the consistency that made it so successful in 2025.
The club's commitment to developing young talent through the Right to Dream philosophy is something worth supporting. However, development and competing for results cannot be treated as separate priorities. There needs to be a balance between giving young players opportunities and putting the best possible team on the field.
The offseason will be an important test for Sporting Director Tyler Heaps and Varas. San Diego doesn't necessarily need to abandon its identity, but it does need to recognize where things went wrong and make the necessary adjustments. Another season of relying on the same formula without addressing the team's weaknesses would be a difficult sell to the supporters.
Sporting Kansas City Comes to Snapdragon for the Season Finale
San Diego gets one final opportunity to give its supporters something to celebrate when it hosts Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, November 7, at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT.
Sporting Kansas City has had an even more difficult season, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference in 15th place with just 23 points. With a 6-22-5 record, SKC has struggled on both sides of the ball, conceding 81 goals through 33 matches.
However, Saturday isn't completely meaningless for the visitors. Sporting Kansas City still has a chance to avoid finishing last in the overall MLS standings, depending on its result against San Diego and Montreal's result against Vancouver.
For SDFC, this is another opportunity to evaluate the roster and potentially give younger players more responsibility. After seeing Alvarado, Soma, and Zamblé start against St. Louis, it wouldn't be surprising to see Varas continue experimenting with his lineup.
The biggest question is whether San Diego can carry some of the momentum from its St. Louis victory into the final match. A win would give the club back-to-back victories to close the season and provide a slightly more positive feeling heading into a very important offseason.
Nobody is going to forget how disappointing this season was because of one or two late victories. But the players still have a responsibility to the fans who have supported them throughout the year.
The playoffs are out of reach, but there is still something to play for: pride, momentum, and showing that this team is ready to get back to where it belongs.
