Playing with a full roster

When a team chooses to reduce its own effectiveness it will not win. It seems obvious to say, but for San Diego FC this truism is ignored. As an organization they are in a dramatic slide. Predicted to be one of the giants in a season of giants, SDFC chose mediocrity through decisions that are only their fault.

One element of the choice to nerf the roster is the refusal to move on from the Chucky Lozano situation. Not playing the Designated Player is a choice fueled by personality conflict. The refusal of Mohamed Mansour and the ownership group to buy him out seems to be penny-pinching at best, vindictive at worst. Chucky's 9 goals and 8 assists were his best season since Serie A's Covid-impacted 2020-21 season. Rather than replace that talent with someone who can participate in the organization, the roster is stagnant, waiting for a flip from 2-4 to 3-3 to lose a million in GAM for the year just to have a chance, further wasting one of the limited roster construction options MLS roster rules offer.

If that was San Diego's only case of self-harm they might at least be a middling side. Instead they are weak, with broken souls.

Their last win was March 11 in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Two players from SDFC were sent off. That started a streak of indiscipline hard to rival in soccer.

Five more times in the 9 winless matches San Diego would play down a man. Starting centerbacks were the most common to see red, with one holding three already and the other with two.

Like Seattle, San Diego is nowhere near the top in terms of fouls committed per game. Unlike Sounders, SDFC is absolutely horrid at seeing red – four to zero in league play.

Reds were part of the failures of the 2025 Sounders, but in 2026 the men most known for their hotheadedness include a now vice captain and a now-demure third forward.

Facing a team with subtle instigators Paul Rothrock and Nouhou, along with Jordan Morris' ability to draw tactical yellows, San Diego is likely to return to the path of strategic reduction yet again.

A red every other game 15 matches into the season is unconscionable. Maybe Mikey Varas will figure out how to get his team focused on not harming themselves. Until they do they'll not be able to figure out how to dominate their opponents.