San Diego FC goes to Estadio Azteca on Thursday night to face Club América in a Leagues Cup match that lands in the middle of a short pause in the MLS regular season. The next three games do not count in the standings, but this one gives San Diego FC a chance to measure itself against one of Liga MX's strongest clubs in one of the sport's most recognizable settings.
The match matters because San Diego FC needs more than a night out in Mexico City. The club is 5-7-6 and has gone 1-1-1 since returning from the World Cup break, scoring two goals in those three matches. That is the backdrop to a trip that begins with Club América, which is 2-0-1 to start its season, and continues after Thursday with home games against Tijuana Xolos on Sunday night and Club Puebla on Wednesday.
Mikey Varas said the group is building rhythm little by little, every day, and making improvements that should help over the long run. He also called it good experience to face one of the top Liga MX teams and said it was a huge honor to play in Azteca, where there have been many historic moments for a historic club in a historic venue. The stadium, which Gianni Infantino has called the cathedral of world football, has hosted two World Cup finals and will stage this year’s World Cup opening ceremonies.
That history is part of the attraction. So is the test itself. San Diego FC has already played in Mexico twice this year and was outscored 5-0 in those matches, a warning that the trip south has not brought easy results. Anibal Godoy said the altitude in Mexico City is difficult, but he believes the team is ready to compete, and he added that América is a strong Concacaf side, so San Diego FC has to go there and play its game.
Varas has also been direct about the bigger picture. San Diego FC is still trying to climb back to respectability in its second year, and he hopes the team can move from 13th place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference standings into a playoff spot over the coming months. The Leagues Cup does not change those standings, but what happens at Azteca could shape whether this stretch feels like a detour or the start of something more useful.
