{"id":902701,"date":"2026-05-01T04:17:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/san-diego-fc-vs-lafc-what-to-know-for-walmart-saturday-showdown-mlssoccer-com\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T04:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:17:34","slug":"san-diego-fc-vs-lafc-what-to-know-for-walmart-saturday-showdown-mlssoccer-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/san-diego-fc-vs-lafc-what-to-know-for-walmart-saturday-showdown-mlssoccer-com\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego FC vs. LAFC: What to know for Walmart Saturday Showdown | MLSSoccer.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer <\/p>\n<article xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>Southern California rivals meet when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-diego-fc\/\">San Diego FC<\/a> host <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/los-angeles-football-club\/\">LAFC<\/a> for Matchday 11&#8217;s Walmart Saturday Showdown.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>How to watch &#038; stream<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3>When<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2026\/matches\/sdvslafc-05-02-2026\/\">Saturday, May 2<\/a> | 9:30 pm ET\/6:30 pm PT<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><h3>Where<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Record<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>11th in Western Conference<\/li>\n<li>11 points, 3W-5L-2D<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><strong>What to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The sophomore slump has struck San Diego, who are on an eight-game winless streak and have lost five straight matches.<\/p>\n<p>That stretch includes their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/concacaf-champions-cup\/\">Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> elimination in the Round of 16 against back-to-back LIGA MX champions Deportivo Toluca.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Can last year&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/first-in-the-west-anders-dreyer-san-diego-make-more-history\">record-breaking expansion side<\/a> earn their first win in almost two months? San Diego beat their SoCal rivals twice during the 2025 MLS campaign.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who to watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Anders Dreyer:<\/strong>\u00a0The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/san-diego-fc-s-anders-dreyer-named-2025-mls-newcomer-of-the-year\">2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year<\/a>\u00a0remains SDFC&#8217;s most dangerous player, with a club-best nine goal contributions (5g\/4a) this season.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Marcus Ingvartsen:<\/strong> The Danish striker has emerged as another key offensive threat, producing 5g\/2a for the Chrome-and-Azul.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manu Duah:<\/strong> The No. 1 pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft continues his rise as a top-rated center back amid reported interest from several European clubs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>An\u00edbal Godoy:<\/strong> The veteran midfielder is set to captain Panama at this summer&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/fifa-world-cup\/\">2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Onni Valakari:<\/strong> The Finnish international has 3g\/2a this year after contributing 15 goal contributions (4g\/11a) last season.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><strong>Predicted XI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Head coach Mikey Varas has a hole to fill in midfield, telling MLSsoccer.com that captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/jeppe-tverskov\/\">Jeppe Tverskov<\/a> will be out\u00a0 &#8220;for some time&#8221; with a lower-body injury.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Record<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>3rd in Western Conference<\/li>\n<li>20 points, 6W-2L-2D<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><strong>What to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>After a mini-slump, LAFC snapped a three-game winless streak last weekend with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2026\/matches\/minvslafc-04-25-2026\/\">1-0 victory<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/minnesota-united-fc\/\">Minnesota United FC<\/a> courtesy of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/david-martinez\/\">David Mart\u00ednez<\/a> golazo.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Black &#038; Gold carried that momentum into Concacaf Champions Cup action on Wednesday night with a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/concacaf-champions-cup\/2026\/matches\/lafcvstol-04-29-2026\/\">2-1 defeat of Toluca<\/a> in Leg 1 of their semifinal series.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/timothy-tillman\/\">Timothy Tillman<\/a> opened the score at BMO Stadium, and center back <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/nkosi-tafari\/\">Nkosi Tafari<\/a> headed home <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/son-heung-min\/\">Son Heung-Min<\/a>&#8216;s cross for a 91st-minute game-winner.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Head coach Marc Dos Santos has all but confirmed he&#8217;ll rotate his squad against San Diego ahead of Wednesday&#8217;s visit to Estadio Nemesio D\u00edez for the decisive Leg 2.<\/p>\n<p>Will one of LAFC&#8217;s depth pieces step up this weekend in their first SoCal Derby of the season?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who to watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Son Heung-Min:<\/strong> The South Korean superstar was rested for last weekend&#8217;s trip to Minnesota. Mindful of the Toluca series, he could watch on from afar yet again.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Denis Bouanga:<\/strong> LAFC&#8217;s all-time leading scorer has 4g\/4a in regular-season action. He&#8217;s eyeing a fourth straight 20-plus goal campaign.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>David Mart\u00ednez:<\/strong> The Venezuelan international completes LAFC&#8217;s formidable attacking trio and, with 3g\/1a so far, is on pace for a career-best season.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hugo Lloris:<\/strong> The French World Cup-winning goalkeeper has been in stellar form and leads MLS with eight clean sheets.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stephen Eust\u00e1quio:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/canada\/\">Canada&#8217;<\/a>s co-captain is back from injury and looking to regain top form as the World Cup approaches.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><strong>Predicted XI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Squad rotation and all, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/denis-bouanga\/\">Bouanga<\/a> could be involved from the start after missing Wednesday&#8217;s Champions Cup clash due to card suspension.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>For San Diego, there&#8217;s no better time to break out of a slump than in a SoCal Derby in front of their fans at Snapdragon Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Add to that LAFC&#8217;s Champions Cup commitments, and the Chrome-and-Azul have plenty in their favor going into this Walmart Saturday Showdown.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n                                <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SSX8XB6HucE?feature=oembed\" allowfullscreen title=\"San Diego FC's Anders Dreyer Named MLS Newcomer of the Year!\"><\/iframe>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/san-diego-fc-lafc-what-to-know-walmart-saturday-showdown-md11-2026\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a>Qiana Roberie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer Southern California rivals meet when San Diego FC host LAFC for Matchday 11&#8217;s Walmart Saturday Showdown. How to watch &#038; stream When Saturday, May 2 | 9:30 pm ET\/6:30 pm PT Where Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California Record 11th in Western Conference 11 points, 3W-5L-2D What to know The sophomore slump has struck [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":902702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1699,2005,1321],"tags":[13195,5259],"class_list":{"0":"post-902701","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diego","8":"category-soccer","9":"category-walmart","10":"tag-diego","11":"tag-walmart"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}