LA Galaxy vs. San Diego FC Predicted Lineups: MLS | OneFootball

San Diego FC are all set to kick off their first-ever MLS match on Sunday when they take on the reigning MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy at Snapdragon Stadium.

San Diego, led by head coach Mikey Varas, are the 30th team in MLS and enter the league in its 30th season. Former Mexico international midfielder Chucky Lozano and current USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre will lead the group into the first match, which will be an emotional and rivalry-filled day in California.

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Outside of their two stars, look for former New York Red Bulls defender Andrés Reyes to play a key role. Anders Dreyer, a 26-year-old winger who stood out in the Belgian top flight last season, is also looking to leave his mark on the match.

The expansion side might also be catching the Galaxy at a weak point. Head coach Greg Vanney will be without superstar attacking talents Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil due to injury, and his championship roster has since lost Mark Delgado, Gastón Brugman and Dejan Joveljić.

Despite the departures, the Galaxy strengthened in the offseason, adding striker Christian Ramirez from Columbus Crew SC, Matheus Nascimento (on loan from Botafogo), Lucas Sanabria and Mathias Jørgensen.

LA led the Western Conference with 69 regular season goals last season but finished second in the table behind LAFC. They’ve also not won their season-opening match since 2022.

Here’s how the newest MLS side and one of the oldest could line up on Sunday.

San Diego FC Predicted Lineup vs LA Galaxy (4-1-2-3)

GK: CJ Dos Santos—San Diego FC has gone with inexperience in net, with former Inter Miami third keeper CJ Dos Santos set to make his debut after three appearances with Miami’s first team.

RB: Willy Kumado—The 22-year-old Ghanaian right back comes from a stint in the Danish top division.

CB: Andrés Reyes—Reyes arrives as a key center-back addition after playing a pivotal role with the Eastern Conference champion New York Red Bulls in 2024.

CB: Paddy McNair—The former Premier League defender joins San Diego after a spell with West Brom in the EFL Championship.

LB: Franco Negri—Negri also comes in from Inter Miami, where he had five goal contributions in 32 appearances.

CDM: Jeppe Tverskov—The 31-year-old defensive midfielder will play his first competitive match for a non-Danish club on Sunday.

CM: Luca de la Torre—A USMNT midfielder, de la Torre arrives on loan from Celta Vigo.

CM: Onni Valakari—Finland’s Valakari also arrives on loan, joining from Cypriot side Pafos FC.

RW: Anders Dreyer—The 26-year-old Denmark international stood out in preseason.

ST: Marcus Ingvartsen—Joining from sister club FC Nordsjælland, he’s a towering striker who has scored 80 goals in 274 professional appearances.

LW: Chucky Lozano—The former Mexico international was the club’s first-ever signing.

LA Galaxy Predicted Lineup vs San Diego FC (4-2-3-1)

GK: John McCarthy—The 32-year-old MLS veteran returns after playing 32 regular season matches in 2024.

RB: Miki Yamane—The 31-year-old Japan international begins the second year of a three-year deal.

CB: Maya Yoshida—The former Japan international was critical to LA’s playoff stinginess.

CB: Emiro Garcés—After joining in the summer of 2024, Garcés played in five playoff games with the Galaxy.

LB: John Nelson—After winning MLS Cup, Nelson enters his second season with the Galaxy. He’s played for four MLS clubs but has only played two seasons at the same place once.

CDM: Edwin Cerrillo—Formerly of FC Dallas, the 24-year-old proved to be one of the best ball-winners in MLS in 2024.

CDM: Lucas Sanabria—A U-22 Initiative player, he joined from Uruguayan giants Nacional.

RM: Gabriel Pec—One of LA’s key attackers in 2024, Pec scored 19 goals in the regular season and playoffs.

CAM: Marco Reus —The Borussia Dortmund legend returns for his first full MLS season after winning his first league title.

LM: Diego Fagúndez—With 392 MLS appearances, Fagúndez remains a key versatile piece for the Galaxy.

ST: Christian Ramirez—A cash-for-player transfer, Ramirez joins the Galaxy from Columbus Crew SC, where he scored nine goals in 2024.