San Diego FC set an incredibly high standard in their inaugural season. Now, with season two set to get underway Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium against CF Montreal, the trick is to not take a step back but rather continue to build on what the club has already started.
"Now it's a new season. Now we start all over again and we have to prepare," forward Anders Dreyer said following training on Thursday at the Sharp Healthcare Performance Center in El Cajon.
Sporting a new look with short hair, Dreyer is excited about his second MLS season, but knows new challenges await on the horizon for SDFC.
"It's going to be tough," added Dreyer, last year's breakout MLS star. "A second year for any team is always tough. Teams are preparing a little bit more for what's ahead when they're playing against us."
The message from head coach Mikey Varas and other team leaders is clear — there can be no let up for SDFC in 2026.
"When you do something special, or almost special, it can be a natural reaction for people to relax...that was hard, wow...and that's just something we won't accept," Varas said.
"We need to not only take the same steps we took last year in our preparation, but we need to take those steps even better."
Team captain Jeppe Tverskov echoed that sentiment.
"We can't allow ourselves to drop right now. We need to maintain the same standards, and that goes here, that goes in the gym, that goes however we've gone with ourselves around the pitch and on the pitch," Tverskov added.
After weeks of training and two CONCACAF Champions League matches, the first MLS test comes Saturday against Montreal. Varas announced 19-year-old San Diego native and Del Norte High graduate Duran Ferree will make his first MLS start in goal as CJ dos Santos continues his recovery from injury and Pablo Sisniega serves a one-game red card suspension.
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