By Karen Pearlman
Oct. 23, 2025 (San Diego) -- It's been quite a start for the San Diego Football Club.
In its inaugural Major League Soccer season, the team is headed to the playoffs.
San Diego FC will host its first playoff match Sunday, Oct. 26, at Snapdragon Stadium when the team faces the Portland Timbers in Game 1 of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-Three series.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with coverage available on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
The stellar first-season expansion team, led by head coach Mikey Varas, finished atop the Western Conference with 63 points and 19 wins — both new records for a first-year MLS team. San Diego FC's dominant run earned them the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The team scored 64 goals and conceded 41, resulting in a goal differential of +23.
Key contributors this season have included midfielder Anders Dreyer, who led the team with 19 goals and 18 assists in 34 matches. Forward Milan Iloski added 10 goals in just 14 appearances, while Hirving “Chucky” Lozano contributed nine goals and nine assists in 27 matches.
Midfield support came from Jeppe Tverskov (two goals, 11 assists) and Onni Valakari (four goals, 11 assists), both of whom played in all 34 regular season matches. Defender Christopher McVey anchored the back line with 32 starts and a stellar passing accuracy of 93 percent.
Looking back and moving forward
San Diego enters the match riding high after a 4-0 rout of Portland in their regular season finale just last week -- a performance Varas told various media outlets was “really mature” and “consistent throughout.” The team’s attacking firepower is spearheaded by Anders Dreyer, a Newcomer of the Year candidate who has emerged as a breakout star.
Game 2 is scheduled for Nov. 1, with a potential Game 3 on Nov. 9 if needed. Game 2 will be at 6:30 p.m. at Providence Park in Portland, and Game 3 back in San Diego if needed. The winner of the series will advance to face either Minnesota United FC or the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Semifinals.
If any match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, it will go straight to penalty kicks — no extra time will be played.
Fans arriving early to Sunday's match will receive a commemorative playoff scarf, courtesy of Sharp HealthCare, as the club looks to turn Snapdragon into a fortress for the postseason.
MTS options to get to the game
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is ramping up San Diego Trolley service for fans heading to Snapdragon.
MTS Green Line Trolleys offer fans a fast, convenient, and affordable way to get to the match and back home post-event, with service that takes riders directly to the stadium’s doorstep.
Fans are encouraged to skip traffic and parking hassles and ride the Trolley to be part of the electric playoff atmosphere.
For pre-event Green Line service, Trolleys depart all stations every 15 minutes or better, with additional trips added between 4:15 and 6:30 p.m. from downtown San Diego.
Post-event, Trolleys depart the Stadium Station every 15 minutes or better in both directions, with additional trips added as needed until 9:20 p.m. or until crowds diminish.
In celebration of the club’s historic debut season, MTS has partnered with San Diego FC to release limited-edition PRONTO cards. MTS will have a booth set up in the Trolley Plaza one hour prior to kickoff where fans can pick up a free limited-edition PRONTO card while supplies last.
The collectible cards are also available at the MTS Transit Store and select Trolley station ticket machines for $2.
An order-by-phone option is also available through PRONTO Support at 619-595-5636. Full details are available here.
Fans can park at one of MTS’ free Park & Ride lots throughout the Trolley system. The most convenient locations are the Old Town Transit Center (400+ free parking spots); Caltrans District 11 (300+ additional free parking spots); Morena/Linda Vista (200 spaces, most parking available off Friars Road);
Grossmont Transit Center (220 free parking spots); El Cajon Transit Center (400+ free parking spots); and Amaya Drive (230 free parking spots)
Fans now have the option to simply tap a credit card or other contactless payment options, such as a smartphone or smartwatch, on a station validator to pay for a one-way ride ($2.50, valid for two hours). This allows fans to bypass the ticket machine and speed up boarding times.
Fans can download the PRONTO app in advance and load at least $5, which covers a round-trip fare for adult riders. All riders must tap or scan on Trolley platform validators to activate their pass prior to boarding.
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