If there was any doubt about the local appetite for an MLS franchise, San Diego FC’s brand announcement event on Friday proved why the Southern California market was the ideal choice.
Hours before the event’s 7:30 p.m. start time, long lines of supporters — around 8,000, according to Tom Penn, the club’s chief executive — snaked around Snapdragon Stadium, home of the NWSL’s San Diego Wave and future home of San Diego FC as the franchise prepares for its first season in 2025. Fans were dressed in the colours of their favourite Premier League and La Liga clubs, as well as the Wave and San Diego Loyal.
While San Diego FC is content with distancing themselves from public feuds with the Loyal, even going as far as Penn publicly wishing the club good luck for their upcoming USL Championship playoff game at the event, the Loyal have announced this season will be their last in response to the announcement of San Diego FC as the latest MLS franchise.
The Loyal, co-owned by USMNT and MLS legend Landon Donovan, had been one of the USL’s more successful franchises, with one of the league’s most fervent and passionate fanbases. The club reached the postseason in 2020 — its first year in the league — and 2021, and will face Phoenix Rising in the USL Championship conference quarterfinals on Saturday. While the club likely could have continued operating into 2024, where they would have remained the only men’s professional soccer club playing competitive fixtures, competing with an MLS franchise with more money and a larger stadium (the Loyal play at 6,000-seat Torero Stadium, which is 29,000 less than Snapdragon) would have been a considerable challenge.
Regarding the mixed allegiances caused by the Loyal ceasing operations this season and the excitement for the city to finally have an MLS franchise, most supporters The Athletic spoke to were hopeful the San Diego fanbase will support the new club with the same passion it does the Loyal.
“It’s sad not to have the Loyal here at USL level,” says TJ, a San Diego native who turned up to the event in a Loyal jersey. “But I think me and the whole community is excited to have an MLS franchise. The league has done a tonne of expansion over the last decade, so it’s cool to be a part of that.”
“The Loyal came in at a good time and developed good trust and built something good within the community,” adds Angel, who goes to Loyal matches with TJ. “I think it’s great that MLS is coming to town, but it just sucks that it’s at the expense of using a homegrown club that meant a lot to a lot of people.
“But I think the real tragedy is losing Charly as a kit maker! They come with such unique and great designs, not like the carbon copy Adidas MLS jerseys. That’s honestly the worst part about it for me. We’re losing good kits!”
As fans lined up in anticipation of the event, The Athletic surveyed the general opinion of San Diego FC’s branding, visible from signs leading up to the event. Given the strong colour scheme of the Wave and the Loyal, who have some of the most striking kits, badges and branding in the NWSL and USL, respectively, many supporters were underwhelmed by the efforts of the MLS club, which called on the help of Costa Rican design firm Pupila, which also crafted the latest brand identity for the Costa Rica football federation.
“It’s trash,” says Ryan, who will reluctantly switch allegiances from the Loyal to San Diego FC when the club begins play in 2025. “It’s supposed to represent the communities in San Diego — I guess it’s nice to represent the community, but it misses the mark on everything else. Like, you’ve nailed all the lines. We have 18 communities here… yeah, that’s awesome; I was born and raised here. Everything else has nothing to do with the city except its name.”
Yet, the negative sentiment — which dominated the social media discussion after The Athletic broke the news of the club’s branding the day before the event — regarding the club’s ‘Chrome and Azul’ primary colours and shield crest did not stretch across all of San Diego FC’s prospective fanbase. As the fan park filled, the merchandise tent became busier and busier, and by the end of the night, most supporters in attendance were wearing a hat, T-shirt or hoodie with San Diego FC plastered on it.
WE ARE SAN DIEGO FC:
OUR CREST & OUR COLORS. pic.twitter.com/2OHIf5jgMl— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) October 21, 2023
Besides, a notable portion of the MLS club’s prospective fanbase is accessing men’s soccer for the first time, and the opportunity to support a club and watch some of the best players in the world more than makes up for a branding style that failed to win over the masses.
“I actually think the colour scheme is amazing; you can do a lot with it,” says Henry, who is gearing up to follow a men’s professional soccer club in America for the first time. “I’m just super excited to see a men’s team, an MLS team, here. It’s not American football; it’s worldwide football! We’re super excited for this to be a part of San Diego.
“San Diego is such a melting pot; we’re so close to Mexico, and there are so many different nationalities. Here, soccer is a sport that unites so many people from so many backgrounds, and I think the club has branded their way towards that.”
THANK YOU, SAN DIEGO.
THE CHROME & AZUL ERA BEGINS NOW. #WovenIntoOne #18somosUno pic.twitter.com/wMBpBoUj8U
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) October 21, 2023
The club’s crest is said to centre on four “principle virtues” that define San Diego: “Gratitude, proud not loud, diversity, and a state of flow.” That flow motif is evident in the central portion of the crest, which the club points out consists of “18 lines representing the 18 communities of San Diego County
“The flow,” the club says, “symbolizes how we perform at a peak level while embracing San Diego’s unique rhythm of life.”
As fans filtered out of the stadium, the sense of genuine anticipation and excitement for the newest MLS franchise was palpable. While it might take some time for the club’s branding to resonate with a city used to in-your-face sporting colourways, San Diego and its people are more than ready to host top-level soccer.
(Photo courtesy of San Diego FC)