SAN DIEGO — The injury that forced forward Chucky Lozano out of the San Diego Football Club’s 0-0 tie with St. Louis City SC in its first home game “is being evaluated,” with coach Mikey Varas expected to provide an update Thursday, a team spokeswoman said.
Lozano, one of SDFC’s two designated players, left Saturday night’s game in the 31st minute with what sporting director and general manager Tyler Heaps described as a “lower body” injury.
“It’s something we’d like to do more scans on, and that will obviously happen tomorrow,” Heaps said during Saturday’s postgame news conference. “But what I can say is he’s in a positive mood now and we hope to obviously get him back as quickly as possible.”
Lozano slowed down as he tried to control a ball over the top from midfielder Jeppe Tverskov. Then he raised his right hand and looked to the bench, indicating the need for a substitute. He walked off the field on his own power, accompanied by two members of SDFC’s training staff.
SDFC acquired Lozano on June 6 from the Dutch first division team PSV Eindhoven, and signed him as its first designated player, meaning his salary does not count against the salary cap.
Lozano assisted on the first goal in team history, sending a cross to the other designated player, Anders Dreyer, who put a left-footed shot past Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic in the 52nd minute of last Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the reigning MLS Cup champion.
Saturday’s announced crowd of 34,506 was the largest in the 2 1/2-year history of Snapdragon Stadium, topping the previous record of 34,248 for a 2023 exhibition between Manchester United of England’s Premier League and Wrexham AFC, then a member of EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football system.
“I think the stadium was electric,” SDFC coach Mikey Varas said.
Varas fielded the same starting lineup as he did against the Galaxy six days earlier.
SDFC led 16-2 in shots but trailed 2-1 in shots on goal.
CJ Dos Santos recorded his second shutout in two games, stopping shots by Akil Watts in the 38th minute and Joao Klauss in the 70th minute.
St. Louis City SC goalkeeper Roman Bürki needed to only stop a 40th-minute shot by midfielder Aníbal Godoy for his second shutout in two games.
Both of St. Louis City SC’s games in 2025 have ended in scoreless ties. Godoy’s shot on goal was the first it allowed.
“Considering we’ve been together for six weeks and we’re very disappointed with a tie, I think it shows a lot,” Varas said. “I think we’re showing everybody that we’re serious when we talk about how we want to play and what type of culture we want to display.”
A common anti-gay chant from SDFC fans before a St. Louis City SC goal kick prompted a public address announcement and message on the stadium’s video board declaring, “Discrimination has no place in our sport and in our stadium and will not be tolerated. The fan chant that was just used is offensive and we ask that fans not continue to use this chant. Thank you.”
The chant was repeated two minutes later.
“The chant that was heard tonight is unacceptable,” Varas said. “It’s outside of our values system. It doesn’t represent the players, myself, the club, and it certainly doesn’t represent San Diego or Baja California.
“It’s not a reflection of who we are. We’re a community full of love, support and we believe in the power of diversity. I want to make sure that everybody knows that was not from our main supporter group, La Frontera. They match the same values as us. They believe the same as us. They’re our teammates.
“This came from more the general population in the seats, and it wasn’t everybody, and I understand that, but it was loud enough that it was enough people. And I just want to make really clear, it has no place here. It has no place here. And if … they’re going to continue to come to the game and make that chant, it’s better that they do not come.”
