If there’s one thing LAFC are good at, other than the actual football on the pitch, it’s acquiring rivals off of it. It often feels like every club in the league has it out for the Los Angeles side, and recently, it feels like every expansion side that arrives in the MLS, comes for the kings right out the gate, whether it be Austin FC in their early days, or Nashville when they arrived and spent five minutes in the Western Conference, and now, we have another team coming into the league, looking towards Los Angeles for the smoke, but this time, it feels far more natural. San Diego FC, the newest club in the MLS, look to write their chapter in the ongoing sports rivalry between sunny San Diego, and the cultural hub of Los Angeles.
24 Hours. ⏳
🆚 @SanDiegoFC
🖥️ @appletv with #MLSSeasonPass
🎧 @espnlosangeles#LAFC | @trulyseltzer pic.twitter.com/ieFXnXlGYN— LAFC (@LAFC) March 29, 2025
San Diego have hit the ground running in the MLS, through five matches the expansion side has a 2-2-1 (W-D-L) record with their lone loss coming their last time out against Austin FC. The SoCal side opened up their season against that other Los Angeles team and were able to hand the defending champions a loss to start the new year. Now, San Diego look to make it an early season sweep of the Los Angeles teams with a win tonight. Former LAFC forward Tomas Angel has been a big help in service for the upstart side, while Anders Dreyer has been their goal scorer this season. Mexican International Hirving Lozano has been dealing with an injury recently, but there is a chance we see him return at home.
LAFC come into this match riding the high of their win last time out, when they were on the road against the struggling Sporting KC side. A professional 0-2 win saw they snap a three-match losing streak, and now they look to get a streak going in the other direction with another win on the road tonight. “They [San Diego FC] are a team that are full of confidence and momentum” said LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo when speaking to media ahead of the match tonight. “Looks like team that’s also trying to prove something. Those are always the right ingredients for success, and they’ve been successful so far.”
Earlier this season we talked about how the team’s win over New York City FC checked off the last of the MLS competitors that LAFC had yet to beat, that they have played. Now, LAFC have the chance to make that officially, official with a win over San Diego in their first-ever meeting. The team will also be happy to see the return of Denis Bouanga, who missed the last match while out representing Gabon on International Duty.
How To Watch
Tonight’s match is set for a 7:45pm PT kickoff from Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA. The match will be broadcast live and can be seen on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Those looking to listen on radio can find the match on 710AM ESPN, with Spanish broadcasting on 980AM LA Mera Mera.
Thoughts on the start of another rivalry for LAFC? Leave a comment below!