Can Mexican and American internationals bring more MLS Cup titles to California?
Ben Steiner | Feb 6, 2025
San Diego FC are inching closer to their first-ever MLS regular season match against reigning MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy on Feb. 22
In the thick of their preseason, the pieces have all started to gel for the league’s 30th clubs as they approach kickoff. With 25 players signed and more to come, the club unveiled its new state-of-the-art training facility on Wednesday while continuing to prepare for the inaugural campaign.
While several MLS veterans have signed, among internationals and those from the Expansion Draft, one name still stands out: Hirving “Chucky” Lozano.
The Mexican international was the first Designated Player signing for San Diego and comes to MLS after a long European spell with PSV. He scored his first goal for San Diego in preseason against USL side Phoenix Rising FC and will lead the team in the final stage of their preseason at the Coachella Valley Invitational from Feb. 8-15.
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The Designated Players: Chucky Lozano, Anders Dreyer
Lozano will be the key piece for San Diego. After an emotional exit from PSV, he’s hit the ground running in preseason. Still just 29, he’ll take up the left wing in head coach Mikey Varas’s likely 4-3-3 system.
He’s also come to California in full fitness after playing 12 games with PSV in 2024-25 before heading to San Diego, netting five goals and two assists. His PSV career spanned 124 games, and he hit the back of the net 51 times.
Lozano, who has 70 caps with the Mexican national team, is joined by DP winger Anders Dreyer, who left Belgian side Anderlecht for the MLS expansion club.
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With three caps with Denmark’s national team, Dreyer comes to MLS on a reported nearly $5 million fee and will occupy a DP spot through at least 2027.
His latest stop saw him suit up for Anderlecht, and his nearly 300-game professional career has spanned over eight clubs from the Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, Scotland, and England. Add USA to the list, and he’s a valuable addition on the opposite wing to Lozano.
Luca de la Torre brings USMNT talent
While not a Designated Player, US Men’s National Team regular Luca de la Torre finds his way to the West Coast, with the 26-year-old joining on loan from La Liga side Celta Vigo. His deal goes through 2026, with a purchase option should he impress.
A native of San Diego, he played with the San Diego Surf youth program before embarking on a European career that has seen him make 150 professional appearances with Celta Vigo, Dutch side Heracles Almelo, and Premier League club Fulham FC.
He is likely a key midfielder, and his versatility and experience allow San Diego to start more smoothly than some past expansion teams. Expect him to fill one of the three midfield spots, with MLS veteran and Panama international Aníbal Godoy likely taking up one of the others.
Support for DPs in attack
Lozano, de la Torre and Dreyer will lead the attack, but they’re joined by Marcus Ingvartsen, a sizable Danish striker, MLS veteran Emmanuel Boateng, Alex Mighten, a young pacey forward, and Tomas Angel, who was acquired from LAFC.
None are surefire bets to be an outright striker. Still, Ingvartsen is intriguing, given the 29-year-old’s stature and resume, having scored goals inconsistently in top-flight stints in Germany, Belgium and Denmark.
Recently, he came off eight goals in 19 games this season with FC Nordsjaelland.
Andres Reyes anchors a strong backline
Attackers often sell the tickets, but the defenders are just as critical. That’s where San Diego has done well, adding proven MLS defender Andres Reyes for $800,000 in GAM from the New York Red Bulls.
Reyes, who was supposed to start the MLS Cup Final against the LA Galaxy but had to be subbed out at the minute, has proven critical for RBNY with strong positional awareness and physical factors against the league’s skillful attackers.
His defensive partner will come through trial and error, but former Manchester United and Northern Ireland center-back and right-back Paddy McNair will likely start there. Should McNair shift wide, former D.C. United center back Christopher McVey could be an option to start.
How fast for Right to Dream?
San Diego FC has strong ties to Denmark as part of the Right to Dream program. Their sister club is Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland, and San Diego’s current roster already features three players from Denmark.
The club will open up a fully funded, free residential program, as well as a school and football academy as part of the Right to Dream Program in San Diego, with hopes of consistently developing young talent through the subsequent eras of their club.
Expect lots of movement between FC Nordsjaelland and San Diego FC over the next several years as the San Diego program gets off the ground. Once it does, California’s newest MLS club might become the development model for American soccer players.
San Diego FC 2025 Inaugural roster
|
Player |
Country |
|---|---|
|
GK – CJ dos Santos |
USA |
|
GK – Duran Ferree |
USA |
|
GK – Jacob Jackson |
USA |
|
GK – Pablo Sisniega |
Mexico |
|
D – Hamady Diop |
Senegal |
|
D – Paddy McNair |
Northern Ireland |
|
D – Cristopher McVey |
Sweden/USA |
|
D – Franco Negri |
Argentina |
|
D – Ian Pilcher |
USA |
|
D – Andrés Reyes |
Colombia |
|
D/M – Jasper Löffelsend |
Germany |
|
M – Alejandro Alvarado Jr. |
USA |
|
M – Heine Gikling Bruseth |
Norway |
|
M – Luca de la Torre |
USA |
|
M – Manu Duah |
Ghana |
|
M – Aníbal Godoy |
Panama |
|
M – Jeppe Tverskov |
Denmark |
|
M – Onni Valakari |
Finland |
|
F – Tomás Ángel |
Colombia |
|
F – Emmanuel Boateng |
Ghana |
|
F – Anders Dreyer |
Denmark |
|
F – Anders Dreyer |
Denmark |
|
F – Hirving “Chucky” Lozano |
Mexico |
|
F – Alex Mighten |
USA/England |
|
F – Anisse Saidi |
USA/Tunisia |