San Diego FC Hits the Road Again to Face Red-Hot Charlotte FC
Photo by San Diego Futbol
San Diego FC is traveling for the second week in a row, this time to face Eastern Conference second-place Charlotte FC. This is shaping up to be San Diego’s biggest test of the season, as Charlotte is off to a hot start. It has the potential to be one of the best matches in MLS this weekend.
San Diego struggled last weekend on the road against Colorado—whether it was due to the altitude or the possibility that teams are starting to figure them out is still unclear. It’s early in the season, but Head Coach Mikey Varas told the media that he was proud of how the team stuck to their playstyle. He emphasized that they won’t use the altitude or long travel days as an excuse. At the end of the day, every team has to deal with those challenges.
Today, San Diego FC faces its toughest challenge yet. Charlotte has been strong this season and made a splash in the transfer window by acquiring Wilfried Zaha. We'll find out later today if he’ll be in the starting lineup, as he missed last weekend’s match due to injury.
If San Diego FC has shown us one thing, it’s that they live and die by the “Right to Dream” playstyle. Personally, I believe in adapting to each opponent, but Varas has made it clear: the team must first implement their style before improvising. The way I see it, San Diego FC is still a baby learning how to walk—you can’t expect a baby to start running and jumping right away, right?
Even though this is San Diego’s toughest match so far, I think they’re going to surprise everyone again. I believe Varas knows what he’s doing, and I’m predicting a 2-1 win for San Diego. This could also mark Milan Iloski’s debut as a starter, and I believe he’ll find the back of the net.
Starting XI Prediction
Here’s how I think Mikey Varas will line up the team today:
Alejandro Villasenor’s Predicted Starting Xl
I believe Varas has finally figured out who his must-starts are each week, and I think we all know who they are by now. The backline will likely stay the same. Despite a few mistakes last week, I think Mikey sticks with it—these are the players who have proven themselves the most defensively. Luca Bombino is still not ready but could return from injury next week.
The midfield is set in stone. That’s as simple as it gets with San Diego FC. All three midfielders have already scored this season and consistently make a positive impact.
The attacking trio sees some slight changes. The two DP signings, Lozano and Dreyer, keep their spots in the Starting XI—they’ve been phenomenal so far. That said, Dreyer needs to find the net soon, even though he still leads the club in goals.
Last week, I mentioned that the clock is ticking for Onni Valakari. While he’s been impressive overall, he hasn’t contributed much in the last two matches. And based on Varas’ own words, you need to play at a “good to elite” level to stay a starter. I think Escondido’s golden boy, Milan Iloski, gets the start today. I asked Varas how Iloski was adapting, and he said the transition from FCN—who play the same exact style—has been smooth.
Make sure to stay tuned with San Diego Futbol after the game for the post-match press conference. For all things soccer in San Diego, follow @sandiego.futbol on all social media platforms.