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"description": "San Diego 2026 hamstrings themselves. Seattle does not.",
"path": "/2026/05/playing-with-a-full-roster/",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-09T16:33:35.000Z",
"site": "https://www.sounderatheart.com",
"tags": [
"Not playing the Designated Player",
"Use our affiliate links",
"IV magazine is now available to order",
"What is going on with San Diego FC?!?",
"Opposition scouting report: San Diego FC",
"Yeimar won’t return until after World Cup break",
"Sounders flex their centerback depth, look toward San Diego",
"Alex Roldan has made transition to centerback look easy",
"Realio’s Ratings: Fast food",
"Belgium national team will set up World Cup base at Longacres",
"Full Pull Wines",
"Join their mailing list",
"Victory +",
"The Cooler Guild: Point in Houston",
"Support Sounder at Heart",
"Why Does Liga MX Dominate MLS?",
"New private equity money signals expansion battles are on the way for USL, MLS Next Pro",
"B.C. minister says local group plans to bid for Whitecaps",
"Statement from Canada Soccer regarding the Vancouver Whitecaps",
"NWSL Power Rankings: Portland Thorns surge to No. 1",
"NWSL Top 25: The best players of 2026, ranked",
"In an era of fanflation, is the NWSL the best value in sports? – Down to Business",
"NWSL’S Seattle Reign FC participate in Hands-Only CPR and AED training",
"Flavor Flav, Sofia Huerta, Lenny S and More Tapped for ‘Legends Begin with LOTTO’",
"Paul Rothrock finds purpose on hometown Seattle Sounders",
"Boston Legacy fans will have to disclose how they're getting to White Stadium - and driving isn't an option",
"How MLS clubs in less-glamorous markets pitch global stars on signing with them",
"What has happened to Wilfried Zaha in MLS? Ex-Crystal Palace star set to become free agent",
"How Fifa lost control and made the World Cup a rip-off for fans",
"Seattle’s 2026 World Cup Guide for Families",
"World Cup is a ‘non-event’ for many Seattle hotels, report says",
"What Seattle’s spending on World Cup prep, and who’s paying",
"Mexico threatens players with World Cup axe as camp starts in chaos",
"World Cup Tallies Another Human Rights Abuse",
"FA and US Soccer seek more control from Fifa over Women’s World Cups"
],
"textContent": "When a team chooses to reduce its own effectiveness it will not win. It seems obvious to say, but for San Diego FC this truism is ignored. As an organization they are in a dramatic slide. Predicted to be one of the giants in a season of giants, SDFC chose mediocrity through decisions that are only their fault.\n\nOne element of the choice to nerf the roster is the refusal to move on from the Chucky Lozano situation. Not playing the Designated Player is a choice fueled by personality conflict. The refusal of Mohamed Mansour and the ownership group to buy him out seems to be penny-pinching at best, vindictive at worst. Chucky's 9 goals and 8 assists were his best season since Serie A's Covid-impacted 2020-21 season. Rather than replace that talent with someone who can participate in the organization, the roster is stagnant, waiting for a flip from 2-4 to 3-3 to lose a million in GAM for the year just to have a chance, further wasting one of the limited roster construction options MLS roster rules offer.\n\nIf that was San Diego's only case of self-harm they might at least be a middling side. Instead they are weak, with broken souls.\n\nTheir last win was March 11 in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Two players from SDFC were sent off. That started a streak of indiscipline hard to rival in soccer.\n\nFive more times in the 9 winless matches San Diego would play down a man. Starting centerbacks were the most common to see red, with one holding three already and the other with two.\n\nLike Seattle, San Diego is nowhere near the top in terms of fouls committed per game. Unlike Sounders, SDFC is absolutely horrid at seeing red – four to zero in league play.\n\nReds were part of the failures of the 2025 Sounders, but in 2026 the men most known for their hotheadedness include a now vice captain and a now-demure third forward.\n\nFacing a team with subtle instigators Paul Rothrock and Nouhou, along with Jordan Morris' ability to draw tactical yellows, San Diego is likely to return to the path of strategic reduction yet again.\n\nA red every other game 15 matches into the season is unconscionable. Maybe Mikey Varas will figure out how to get his team focused on not harming themselves. Until they do they'll not be able to figure out how to dominate their opponents.\n\n> Use our affiliate links__ to support your bloggers when buying merch and tickets.\n\n* * *\n\n## Enjoying this content?\n\nSign up to get it delivered to your inbox everyday.\n\nSubscribe\n\nEmail sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.\n\nNo spam. Unsubscribe anytime.\n\n## Catching up on Sounder at Heart\n\n> Here's what you missed on the site this week.\n\nIV magazine is now available to order\n\n### Sounders\n\nNext match: Saturday, May 9 vs. San Diego FC | 7:30 pm PT | Apple TV\n\n * What is going on with San Diego FC?!?\n * Opposition scouting report: San Diego FC\n * Yeimar won’t return until after World Cup break\n * Sounders flex their centerback depth, look toward San Diego\n * Alex Roldan has made transition to centerback look easy\n * Realio’s Ratings: Fast food\n * Belgium national team will set up World Cup base at Longacres\n\n\n\nSPONSORED\n\nThis newsletter was made possible through the support of Full Pull Wines, a boutique wines reseller that has been sponsoring us since 2011.\n\n\n Join their mailing list\n \n\n### Reign\n\nNext match: Sunday, May 10 vs. Washington Spirit | 4 pm PT | Victory +\n\n * The Cooler Guild: Point in Houston\n\n\n\n### Defiance\n\nNext match: Sunday, May 10 at Austin FC II | 5:30 pm PT | OneFootball, MLSNextPro.com\n\nSupport Sounder at Heart\n\n* * *\n\n## Looking back at the news\n\n> Everything else you need to know\n\n * Why Does Liga MX Dominate MLS? (Wes Burdine) It's not the money.\n * New private equity money signals expansion battles are on the way for USL, MLS Next Pro (Backheeled, a Sounder at Heart partner)\n * B.C. minister says local group plans to bid for Whitecaps (TSN)\n * Statement from Canada Soccer regarding the Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada Soccer) Their goal is to keep the team in B.C.\n * NWSL Power Rankings: Portland Thorns surge to No. 1 (ESPN) Reign are 7th.\n * NWSL Top 25: The best players of 2026, ranked (ESPN) Reign's best is Meza, at 25\n * In an era of fanflation, is the NWSL the best value in sports? – Down to Business (Yahoo Sports)\n * NWSL’S Seattle Reign FC participate in Hands-Only CPR and AED training (American Heart Association)\n * Flavor Flav, Sofia Huerta, Lenny S and More Tapped for ‘Legends Begin with LOTTO’ (LOTTO)\n * Paul Rothrock finds purpose on hometown Seattle Sounders (MLS Soccer)\n * Boston Legacy fans will have to disclose how they're getting to White Stadium - and driving isn't an option (CBS News)\n * How MLS clubs in less-glamorous markets pitch global stars on signing with them (New York Times)\n * What has happened to Wilfried Zaha in MLS? Ex-Crystal Palace star set to become free agent (Four Four Two)\n * How Fifa lost control and made the World Cup a rip-off for fans (The Independent) As a reminder, FIFA set the prices.\n * Seattle’s 2026 World Cup Guide for Families (Parent Map)\n * World Cup is a ‘non-event’ for many Seattle hotels, report says (Seattle Times)\n * What Seattle’s spending on World Cup prep, and who’s paying (Seattle Times)\n * Mexico threatens players with World Cup axe as camp starts in chaos (USA Today)\n * World Cup Tallies Another Human Rights Abuse (Defector)\n * FA and US Soccer seek more control from Fifa over Women’s World Cups (The Guardian)\n\n",
"title": "Playing with a full roster",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-09T16:33:37.936Z"
}