Familiar faces are coming to town this weekend as San Diego FC takes on Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon stadium. This is only the first time SDFC is playing against a side which they have played before. Both teams are coming off of two straight losses and looking to get back on track. Let’s get into it and break down the matchup to understand why a win is of utmost importance for San Diego FC.
Homefield Advantage
Saturday promises to bring a packed house to Snapdragon stadium as it is the first home game with an earlier kickoff. The official SDFC media channels have specifically focused on bringing families out to check out the exciting action. The atmosphere will be rocking and the supporters will be ready. The question is: will the team?
“Fans being loud and drowning out the opponent when things are going good but also when things are going bad, being loud and lifting up the team: it’s just a massive homefield advantage.” Said Mikey Varas when asked on the difference between playing in front of a home crowd and away. SDFC is coming off of two very poor performances on the road. Performances that are sure to be forgotten as the club turns a new leaf and starts their two-game stint at home.
A big key to success will be to come back to what worked when SDFC were winning games and shutting out their opponents. One of the keys to doing that will be to go back to a familiar starting lineup. The team needs to start strong and play the style they are comfortable with in front of a raucous home crowd. On top of that, having the next men up ready and hungry to make a difference off the bench. Varas mentioned that everyone on the team will need to play a big role throughout the season and step up as they are called upon because that is how successful teams get far during a long and tenuous season.
One of those players in particular has been Hamady Diop. After a shaky appearance off the bench against the Colorado Rapids, where he made a mistake of being out of position and not tracking back in time that led to a goal, Diop played a strong 47 minutes in the loss to Charlotte. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if he gets the starting role in the left back position. Otherwise, it should be fairly similar when it comes to the lineup.
Truth Prevails
A controversial red card was rescinded a few days ago by an independent panel as they unanimously voted against a one-game suspension for RSL star midfielder Diego Luna. Last week’s match against Toronto FC saw Luna get sent off of allegedly kicking at a defender as he was getting up off the ground. It was determined that Diego’s kicking motion was justified as the defender had his legs wrapped around Diego’s ankle. The news is definitely distasteful as Luna is not only the top playmaker on the team but he is also the leading goal scorer. San Diego was able to deal with him in Utah but not before his passes led to a handful of opportunities and the single goal that RSL was able to score.
Real Salt Lake could welcome a new addition to the lineup on Saturday as 25-year-old forward William Agada is poised to make his Claret-and-Cobalt debut following his midweek transfer from Sporting Kansas City. The Nigerian international, set to wear the No. 9 shirt, brings a proven track record into his eighth professional season, having tallied 65 goals in 212 career appearances. Since arriving in the United States, Agada has notched 24 goals in 77 matches across all competitions with Sporting KC.
Keys to the Game
When asked about his gameplan heading into this weekend, Mikey Varas told the press, “They’re going to press us with numbers” and “They play with a really big shape so they’re difficult to get pressure on. So, the most important thing is to know what kind of game we’re going to play and prepare ourselves mentally, physically, technically to make sure we’re up for it.”
Both teams dominate possession and rank in the top five for the statistic. The previous meeting in Utah featured a closely contested battle for possession, with San Diego holding a slight edge at 53% to Real Salt Lake’s 47%. Surely, a big key to winning this Saturday will be winning the possession battle. Real Salt Lake created several promising opportunities to punish San Diego’s defensive lapses but were ultimately unable to convert. Since that Matchday 3 encounter, San Diego FC has shown notable growth, suggesting a more organized back line and a clearer tactical approach can be expected this time around. It is crucial for San Diego FC to avoid a third consecutive defeat and regain their footing, both to restore confidence and to reaffirm their potential as a legitimate contender capable of making a deep postseason run.
Will San Diego be better on the ball and less predictable when playing out of the back? That will be a big thing to watch out for in this match as the team has shown recent struggles offensive tactics. Varas will undoubtedly get his wing backs to join in on the attack as well as go back to creating pressure by pressing high and making his team work as hard as they could to keep the unbeaten streak at home alive and prevent head coach Pablo Mastroeni from earning his 100th overall coaching victory. The matchup presents a great opportunity for both teams to get back on track as it is surely going to be a fun battle to watch.
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