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San Diego FC chairman Mohamed Mansour says the Major League Soccer club is entering its second year with higher expectations and a stronger focus on building a lasting institution, after an inaugural season that quickly raised the team’s profile in the city.
In a new feature, Mansour said San Diego FC is trying to build something durable on and off the field as the club moves into Year 2. The message was also highlighted by the club in a public post describing the new season as a moment of greater responsibility after a strong first year.
Mansour has been one of the central figures behind San Diego FC’s launch, backing the club through the ownership group tied to Right to Dream and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. Since entering MLS, the team has positioned itself as more than a standard expansion side, with a model that ties first team performance to youth development and community engagement.
San Diego FC’s first season created momentum quickly. The club drew strong crowds, generated broad local attention and established itself as a serious new entrant in a crowded American sports market. That fast start has also brought pressure, especially in a city where fan interest can shift quickly if results dip.
Mansour’s comments suggest the club’s leadership is trying to keep expectations grounded while signaling ambition. The emphasis is not only on wins but on stability, identity and long term investment in facilities and talent pipelines. That approach fits the wider Right to Dream philosophy, which combines football development with education and longer horizon planning.
The club has already put major resources into its academy structure in the San Diego area, part of a strategy to develop local and regional talent over time rather than relying only on transfer spending. Team officials have described that work as central to what the club wants to become in MLS.
Year 2 often becomes a defining moment for expansion teams. The excitement of launch fades, opponents adjust, and fans begin to judge the organization less by promises and more by consistency. Mansour’s public message appears aimed at that shift, acknowledging that the club now has to prove it can sustain momentum.
San Diego FC enters the new season with a larger spotlight and more scrutiny than it had at kickoff a year ago. Mansour’s argument is straightforward: the club is not chasing a short burst of attention, but trying to build a team and a structure that can last.
