San Diego FC’s historic night is the first of many waves to come | OneFootball

Mikey Vares and his new San Diego FC outfit laid down the gauntlet in their first-ever match in stunning fashion.

There could have been no bigger test than a clash with MLS Cup holders LA Galaxy on their home patch. Greg Vanney’s troops posted an undefeated 17-3-0 record in 2024, and few thought San Diego could walk away with a win.

Celebrations rang out across the budding new fanbase, with Anders Dreyer becoming an instant cult hero after their 2-0 win. But what is even more exciting is watching SDFC’s identity and direction bubble to the surface.

Rooted in an established identity

There was arguably no better player than Dreyer to set San Diego up for a perfect league introduction. A product of Danish youth development via Esbjerg fB, the Bramming-born winger hardly looked out of place.

Alongside Dreyer was veteran Danish striker Marcus Ingvartsen. Nearing 30, he still holds the record for most goals scored for Denmark’s U21 side. Stints with Union Berlin, Mainz 05, and KRC Genk speak to his quality.

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Added to the duopoly was Jeppe Tverskov; a seasoned versatile midfielder who came close to the 400 appearance threshold in the Danish Superliga, largely with Odense BK.

Beyond the Danish trio, all of whom were instrumental on Sunday, are Ghanaian pair Emmanuel Boateng and youngster Manu Duah. Boateng, a seasoned MLS veteran, and Duah, a Generation Adidas athlete who came from UC Santa Barbara via the MLS Super Draft.

Through various degrees of separation, all five players are linked with chief club owners Mansour Group and two other entities in that umbrella; FC Nordsjælland and Right to Dream Academy.

FCN is arguably the jewel in the Mansour crown after their impressive rise from their base in Farum. Centered in Ghana, Right to Dream Academy is at the tip of the spear when it comes to player development and youth education in Africa.

As of 2023, 67 RTD graduates (men and women) have been capped at the senior international level, while a combined 146 players in the professional ranks can cite FCN or RTD on their resume. That number has only increased.

On the back of a glistening development record, operations have since expanded to Egypt, with Mansour group becoming owners of Egyptian Women’s Premier League outfit FC Masar.

San Diego FC; Mansour Group’s bannerman?

Connections to footballing consortiums are nothing new. San Diego is not a storefront pushing boundaries on US Avenue. At least not on the surface.

New York Red Bulls are one of a few clubs directly owned by Red Bull. Their flagship club, RB Leipzig, is one of the Bundesliga elite. Regularly, along with RB Salzburg, they have developed a ludicrous number of players who are now employed by the biggest clubs on the planet.

The same holds for NYCFC, who occupy a place in the City Football Group umbrella, with Manchester City as its pantheon. Colorado Rapids falls under the Kroenke Sports Entertainment pyramid, one which boasts Premier League giant Arsenal on the mantelpiece.

Beyond direct links, the global giants of the footballing world have sunk their teeth into the American landscape. Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus all have established academies in-country. Manchester United, Liverpool, and others call upon numerous direct affiliations with US youth production houses.

What Mansour Group may be planning for their burgeoning network has the potential to rise above many and compete with the biggest names.

The proof is in the pudding

FCN’s track record of player production has aided in their molded into a real competitor on the domestic front. More importantly, it has shaped the club into a preferred stop in the player market.

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Their most recent product, Daniel Svensson, is currently on loan with German giant Borussia Dortmund and receiving rave reviews. Other alumni include Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Andreas Skov Olsen (Wolfsburg), Conrad Harder (Sporting CP), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), and the aforementioned Ingvartsen himself.

Further still, Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton), Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyonnais), Simon Adingra and Ibrahim Osman (Brighton), Adamo Nagalo (PSV Eindhoven), and Mohamed Diomandé (Rangers), all arrived at FCN via RTD before going on to bigger clubs. Unironically, so too did Boateng.

It is conceivable to suggest that San Diego will offer a similar platform. The club brings with it the league’s first privately operated, fully-funded, and free residential football academy via RTD. This will certainly push their highly successful model into the MLS space.

Sunday night’s win, which featured players who have directly benefited from FCN and RTD, is no doubt the preface, prologue, and forward of a memoir not yet fully written.

How the club intends to carve out space for itself may help shift the footballing landscape in the United States. And for the better, too.