LA Galaxy vs San Diego FC: MLS Match Preview and Predictions

Image credits: MLS

The 2025 MLS Regular Season Home Opener between the LA Galaxy and San Diego FC is set to take place on February 23, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. PT at Dignity Health Sports Park. This match marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams, with San Diego FC being the league's newest franchise. The Galaxy will be looking to defend their sixth MLS Cup title, while San Diego FC will be seeking to make a strong debut in the league.

San Diego FC features a talented roster, including U.S. national team standout Luca de la Torre and Mexican international Hirving "Chucky" Lozano. The team's head coach, Mikey Varas, hopes to implement an aggressive style of play to help the club compete immediately in the MLS Western Conference. The Galaxy, on the other hand, will be without superstar attacking talents Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil due to injury, but have strengthened their roster in the offseason with the addition of striker Christian Ramirez from Columbus Crew SC.

The match is expected to be a highly competitive and emotional encounter, with both teams looking to make a statement in their first match of the season. Fans can expect a high-intensity game with plenty of scoring opportunities. The Galaxy Express will be offering free non-stop shuttles to and from Dignity Health Sports Park for every LA Galaxy home match, including this one. The Galaxy Team Store will also be open on game day, offering a wide range of team merchandise. Additionally, the concession stands will be open, offering a variety of food and drink options, and fans will be able to order concessions through the LA Galaxy App and have them ready for pick-up at designated concession stands.

Here are the predicted lineups for the match:

• LA Galaxy: John McCarthy, Miki Yamane, Maya Yoshida, Emiro Garcés, John Nelson, Edwin Cerrillo, Lucas Sanabria, Gabriel Pec, Marco Reus, Diego Fagúndez, Christian Ramirez
• San Diego FC: CJ Dos Santos, Willy Kumado, Andrés Reyes, Paddy McNair, Franco Negri, Jeppe Tverskov, Luca de la Torre, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer, Marcus Ingvartsen, Chucky Lozano

The match will be airing live on MLS Season Pass, and fans can also follow the action on social media using the hashtag #LAGvSD. With the excitement building up for this match, it's sure to be an unforgettable experience for fans of both teams.

In terms of team statistics, the LA Galaxy led the Western Conference with 69 regular season goals last season, while San Diego FC went 1-2 in exhibition games earlier this month during the Coachella Valley Invitational. The Galaxy have not won their season-opening match since 2022, and only one of the six previous MLS expansion teams won its inaugural match. San Diego FC will be looking to make history and become the second team to achieve this feat.