The San Diego Loyal has provided an outlet for local soccer fans since June of 2019, but unfortunately, the team said their goodbyes on October 22 of this year.  

For four years now the Division II team has been competing in the United Soccer League (USL) but back in August, the club released a video statement announcing the final season of the SD Loyal. In the video, the club’s chairman Andrew Vassiliadis issued statements of gratitude for the memories and support of the fans as he said goodbye on behalf of the team. Many speculate that it was a combination of financial problems as well as the lack of a home stadium that contributed to the Loyal’s goodbye.   

Although fans were aware of the club’s ongoing search for a permanent stadium home, due to the expiration of their contract with the University of San Diego, the news still came as a surprise given how close the timing was to the end of the 2023 USL season. But the pressure to find a home stadium combined with the establishment of San Diego’s new Major League Soccer (MLS) premiere team, left them with no choice. The arrival of the Division I team put them financially at risk because of the impending market share but unfortunately, it all came down to money.  

Many were hopeful that the team could take it all the way since they finished in the top three for the last three seasons in a row, so it was unfortunate to see the club end due to financial issues. Although that hope was cut short, the club’s goodbye has not diminished the impact the organization had on the community. The team’s consistent proponents of community service and their fierce support for cultural voice have made their goodbye much more than just the end of a soccer team. Of course, the blow will be felt by fans of the sport, but even more so it will be felt by the community members the team has supported over the years.   

Even until the end, the SD Loyal has lived up to its namesake and only time will tell if the San Diego FC brings home the gold. But the FC owes its future successes to the groundwork that teams, such as the SD Loyal, have done to foster a soccer fandom and celebrative community in San Diego.