As the clock wound down on August 23, 2025, San Diego FC had one factor on their thoughts: clinching the postseason for his or her new hometown. It wasn’t an evening of dramatic late targets or last-second strikes—it was a gentle, managed run towards the Portland Timbers. Snapdragon Stadium roared with the hopes of 35,000 locals, who’d spent years ready for a championship staff to name their very own.
When the referee blew the whistle on the finish of the sport, the scoreboard remained at a draw, 0-0. But historical past had been made nonetheless—SDFC turned the primary staff in the league to lock up a 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth, securing their place with six matches nonetheless to play in their inaugural season.
A month later, after nabbing a Wild Card spot, the Padres punched their ticket to the postseason with catcher Freddy Fermin delivering an RBI single in the eleventh inning. The 5–4 walk-off win over the Milwaukee Brewers marked the staff’s fourth postseason look in six seasons (and the second straight season that San Diego reached October baseball). This was a brand new staff, the sort the franchise hadn’t seen in a long time.
Finally, in October, the Wave FC reminded us why it solely took them a matter of months to construct a record-breaking NSWL fanbase. In the primary 18 minutes of the sport, the staff struck three targets (the quickest trio of targets in membership historical past) and continued the momentum all through the sport towards the Chicago Stars. Their 6–1 victory that night time landed them in the postseason.
If final 12 months’s playoffs run didn’t persuade you that San Diego is a sports activities city as soon as once more, you weren’t paying shut sufficient consideration. Now, with the 2026 baseball and soccer seasons kicking off, we break down what to count on from the Padres, San Diego FC, and the Wave FC this 12 months and ask their coaches to give us an insider’s sneak peek.
San Diego Padres
Freddy Fermin practically did it. Down to the final out of the wildcard playoff collection—the final likelihood for the Padres’ 2025 season—he put a cost right into a fly ball that made all of Wrigley Field maintain its breath. Of course, the potential sport winner fell into the glove of the Cubs’ middle fielder. Season over. So shut. Less than two weeks later, supervisor Mike Shildt introduced the stress was getting to him and retired.
To many followers, Fermin’s flyball felt like a metaphor. The late Peter Seidler had put a cost into the franchise, investing in the staff like no Padres proprietor ever had. The Padres’ lease settlement with Petco Park runs by way of 2033. But each season, the staff falls simply brief. With a 2027 lockout looming, was 2025 the ultimate 12 months of the Padres’ window to lastly carry a World Series championship to the town? Or does it stay open for 2026?
There’s nonetheless huge, all-star expertise on the staff—Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatís Jr., Mason Miller, Michael King, Joe Musgrove, Adrian Morejon, Nick Pivetta (who shocked everybody by changing into a respectable ace final 12 months). After just a few down years, Xander Bogaerts confirmed flashes of the elite expertise that impressed his hefty contract.
Everyone is aware of normal supervisor AJ Preller is a maverick who loves to make blockbuster strikes. But to fill the managerial position, he solely had to make a name down to the bullpen to Craig Stammen—a former Padres aid pitcher who’d been working as a particular assistant, mentoring gamers.
“If I said it was going to be easy, I’d be lying to myself,” Stammen admits. “My whole life there have been different things that prepared me for what I’m about to do. Obviously playing gave me a lot of experience, and the special assistant role gave me a lot of knowledge of what it’s like behind the curtain—what the front office is thinking about, what the coaches are all trying to accomplish during the season. I feel like I got a taste of a little bit of everything.”
As supervisor, Stammen goes to be main guys who used to be his teammates. Much like when a colleague will get promoted above you at work, there’s uncertainty round how staff dynamics will shift. But Stammen believes it’s going to be a constructive.
“At this point, I haven’t had to make very many tough decisions with those guys, but there may come a time during the season where that may happen,” he says. “If it does, I just have to be very up front and honest and be the same person I’ve always been. We’ll do our best to keep our friendship [what it is] and use that to our advantage as much as we can.”
Stammen has a fame as a peaceful, supportive chief who can join with gamers. And the transfer for an inner rent is sensible with such a turbulent offseason (they misplaced headlining gamers Dylan Cease, Luis Arráez, and Robert Suárez, and retirement rumors swirl round Yu Darvish). Bringing continuity, he’s anyone the Padres suppose can preserve the clubhouse regular and targeted. “There’s a trust level between AJ Preller, [Assistant General Manager] Josh Stein, and me,” he says. “They’ve seen my leadership qualities up close and personal.”
One of the most important strengths of the staff stays the pitching. “Great pitchers make a manager look really good,” Stammen says.
Then, there’s the followers. The Padres bought out 72 of 81 video games final season, making them number-two in attendance behind solely the Dodgers. Petco Park is a layer of hell for opposing groups. “When the fans show up to the ballpark,” Stammen says, “they’re helping our ball club win a baseball game. Without our homefield advantage, it would be very difficult to get to the playoffs and accomplish our goals.”
Those staff targets? “To reach our potential,” Stammen confirms. “We clearly have a staff we predict can compete for a division championship and compete in the National League and have an opportunity to carry one thing to San Diego that’s by no means occurred earlier than. But you may’t take into consideration that stuff proper now. Right now, we’ve simply bought to have the option to deal with reaching our potential.
San Diego Fútbol Club
It’s arduous to think about a dreamier kickoff to the MLS period in San Diego. In their debut 12 months, San Diego FC broke a number of league data for an growth staff—most factors (63), most wins (19), quickest to clinch a playoff berth. They received the Western Conference and got here one victory away from the MLS Cup.
Near perfection. Now, can they comply with it up?
The greatest headline getting into 12 months two is the top of “Chuckymania.” Mexican nationwide star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was supposed to be the face of the franchise, but it surely didn’t pan out. After he skilled some accidents and well-documented inner conflicts with the coach and staff, SDFC determined to half methods with their authentic headliner.
Instead, the staff invested in the imaginative and prescient of coach Mikey Varas, extending his contract by a number of years.
“They could see that the project was moving in the right direction,” Varas says. “When I was signed [last year], there had to be some question marks. I hadn’t been in this role before. Fortunately, everyone saw the alignment was 100 percent in sync. Our visions and values align. It’s where I’m supposed to be.” Any questions had been answered when the franchise burst out of the gates profitable.
In 2026, “it’s about asking ourselves individually and collectively: Now what?” Varas says. The reply shapes this 12 months’s imaginative and prescient.
With their celebrity departing and ahead Marcus Ingvartsen coming off an injury-plagued season, the membership needs individuals who have a degree to show—and, simply as vital, gamers and workers who push staff chemistry. “We really do believe our collective is our superpower,” Varas provides. “That means having people who care about understanding how to play better with and for their teammates.”
Building off final 12 months’s roster, the staff snatched up versatile ahead/ winger Lewis Morgan off waivers in December. The transfer will add front-line depth to complement their different star ahead Anders Dreyer, who was given a assured contract extension by way of the 2028–2029 season—deservedly so, since he scored 19 targets and was named 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year. On a planet with out Lionel Messi, Anders Dreyer would arguably be the reigning league MVP.
“We’re also really excited about [developing] guys that started with us at ground zero and seeing what kind of steps they take,” Varas says. “The Luca Bombino who was playing for us last year can’t be the Luca Bombino who shows up this season. He’s got to be a better version of himself. There’s freshness coming from all different angles.” Bombino was additionally awarded a contract extension by way of the 2028–2029 season.
And now that the staff isn’t shocking anyone with their urgent fashion of play, being ignored by different golf equipment will now not be a bonus going into this season. “That’s okay,” Varas says. “We like that kind of challenge.”
There’s already a powerful buzz coming from followers, supporters, workers, and gamers for 2026. When a staff will get inside putting distance of the MLS Cup (they misplaced 3-1 to Vancouver in the Western Conference last), the viewers solely will get hungrier to odor extra Snapdragon fireworks.
Wave FC
In the ultimate sport of final 12 months’s common season, the San Diego Wave held their destiny in their very own fingers: win or watch the playoffs from dwelling. They responded, blowing away Chicago FC 6-0 and setting a membership file for targets in a single sport.
The offensive hangover got here fast—they misplaced 1-0 in the primary spherical to Portland. But our rose-tinted glasses are squarely on, so, so far as we’re involved, simply being again in the playoffs after lacking out in 2024 was a very good signal for a staff that has been one of many nation’s greatest tales in girls’s sports activities since its inception 4 years in the past.
“I think there were a lot of learnings during the season,” says head coach Jonas Eidevall, who’s starting his second 12 months main the Wave. “There were parts of last season that were really successful. I think we established an identity and a way of playing that was clear and a good fit for the club and the players: [We’re] creative. We want to express that on the pitch.”
During the offseason, December was a risky month for the Wave. They began it off by capturing gold on the World Sevens event. On the event’s reduced-size pitch, they outscored the opposite groups 14-3. With midfielders taking part in ahead early and burners taking part in huge, velocity was the attacking software that overwhelmed their opponents’ defenses.
More importantly, it allowed the staff to step into an unknown collectively. Instead of 11 gamers per aspect, there have been simply seven. The format encourages a high-tempo fashion of play the place each possession is threatening. “It helped us understand what we need to learn, change, and adapt [for regular-season play],” Eidevall says. “We did that well in the Sevens tournament, and that’s a mindset we can keep on going with in the season.”
Shortly following the staff’s victory in Sevens, offseason strikes began. Roster shakeups all the time trigger some damaged hearts—however followers had been significantly shocked when the staff abruptly introduced in late December that goalkeeper and captain Kailen Sheridan’s contract could be terminated. (Along with Kristen McNabb, Sheridan was considered one of simply two remaining gamers from the franchise’s authentic staff.) As of press time, the Wave hasn’t introduced who will take the captain’s reins from Sheridan.
With the staff’s esteemed back-line chief out, the Wave signed goalkeeper Leah Freeman to a one-year contract. Last 12 months, Freeman spent her rookie season with Bay FC after a adorned collegiate profession taking part in for each University of Oregon and Duke. While at Oregon, she earned Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2022. At Duke, she nabbed the identical Atlantic Coast Conference honor in 2024.
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Among returning members, “one player who was making a good impact for us already with limited time with the team was Dudinha,” Eidevall says. “I’m really excited to see what she can do in the league here with a full preseason.” The Brazilian ahead netted 5 targets in simply 12 video games. In uncommon firm with former Wave legends Alex Morgan and Jaedyn Shaw, Dudinha matched a membership file by scoring in three consecutive video games final fall.
Even with the lack of a face of the franchise like Sheridan, “going into the season, both expectations and the know-how of what it takes to achieve what we want to achieve is much clearer,” Eidevall says. “We laid the foundation last season, which we now need to build upon. Players we’re bringing in can be picked to fit into that [creative] identity.”
