San Diego FC became the most successful expansion team in MLS regular season history reaching 60 points after a 4–2 win over the Houston Dynamo in their penultimate game.
The win marked San Diego’s 18th in 33 games, and they will have a chance to extend the record when they take on the Portland Timbers in their final regular season match before looking ahead to the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
LAFC previously held the record with 57 points during their debut season in 2018.
Anders Dreyer, the club’s leading Designated Player, brought his stat line up to 18 goals and 17 assists on the season with a brace in the record-setting match, while Mexican star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano finds himself at nine goals and 10 assists with a game remaining in the season.
Now heading into Decision Day, they will likely hold the upper hand when it comes to clinching the top seed in the Western Conference, and could become just the second team ever to win MLS Cup in their expansion season.
With the record secured, how does their season rank among other expansion campaigns? Sports Illustrated takes a look at the best debut seasons for MLS clubs.
LAFC (2018)
- Total Points: 57
- Playoff Result: First Round Loss
LAFC entered MLS in 2018 with considerable fanfare. While they were the technical replacement for Chivas USA, their history stands alone and has been much more successful.
LAFC’s expansion campaign saw them find instant success, relying on Mexican international Carlos Vela, who scored 14 MLS goals, and a young Diego Rossi who netted 17 in all competitions.
Meanwhile, they built their initial core around MLS experience with defenders Walker Zimmerman, Steven Beitashour, Jordan Harvey, and Laurent Ciman helping form a diligent defense, in front of a potent attack of relative newcomers to the league.
The Black and Gold amassed a total of 57 points with a record of 16-9-9 overall. They suffered a single home loss in 16 games under head coach Bob Bradley that season. Despite being the third seed in the Western Conference, they were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Real Salt Lake.
St. Louis CITY SC (2023)
- Total Points: 56
- Playoff Result: First Round Loss
Looking back, St. Louis CITY SC was a notable outlier in terms of expansion season success in 2023. With a reliance on an MLS-heavy roster, head coach Bradley Carnell’s side managed to find wins in matches where they were outplayed, eventually topping the Western Conference with a total of 56 points.
A five-match win streak to open the season set the tone for the rest of the campaign, which ended with João Klauss and Nicholas Gioacchini leading the team with 10 goals each, and former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burkï playing as one of the best in the league. Meanwhile, center backs Tim Parker and Kyle Hiebert were standout players.
Their season wrapped up with a 17-12-5 record and 56 points becoming the first expansion side to top a conference in the regular season. Unfortunately for St. Louis, they crashed out in the opening round of the playoffs against Sporting Kansas City and have yet to reach similar heights since.
Chicago Fire FC (1998)
- Total Points: 56
- Playoff Result: Won MLS Cup
Every expansion team can only dream of what the Chicago Fire were able to do in 1998, despite entering MLS at a very different time in the league’s evolution.
The Fire took over in the shootout era with a record of 20-2-12, earning 56 points while scoring 62 goals and conceding 45. Yet, it was their cup competitions that stood out, as they defeated two-time defending champions, D.C. United, to win MLS Cup after beating the Columbus Crew to win the U.S. Open Cup.
Ante Razov led the team with 10 goals, and in retirement has gone on to serve as an assistant coach for the Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy and LAFC.
Head coach Bob Bradley set the standard for MLS expansion teams, and none have been able to live up to it since.
The Fire went on to win the U.S. Open Cup three more times in 2000, 2003 and 2006, but have struggled for most of their history. They qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in seven years this season.
Atlanta United (2017)
- Total Points: 55
- Playoff Result: First Round Loss
Atlanta United’s 2017 season ushered in a new era of expansion success, and each of the top five records outside of Chicago’s 1998 season have come in its footsteps.
Powered by a diehard crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta leaned on relatively unknown South American talents Josef Martínez, Miguel Almirón and Héctor Daniel Villalba in their first campaign, under Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Martínez scored 19 goals, Almiron chipped in with nine from midfield, and Villalba scored 13 from the wing. Additionally, Julian Gressel and Miles Robinson gained notoriety as their MLS careers began.
While young players powered Atlanta’s season that year, they also leaned on experience. Veterans Brad Guzan and Alec Kann held down the goalkeeping situation while captain Jeff Larentowicz played all 35 games at 34-years-old.
The stellar campaign didn’t translate to the MLS Cup Playoffs, however, as they were eliminated in the first round against the Columbus Crew. Yet, they would go on to win MLS Cup in their second season.
The Five Best MLS Expansion Regular Seasons
*San Diego FC could reach 63 points with one game remaining
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Comparing San Diego FC’s Historic Debut Season to Other MLS Expansion Teams.
