San Diego FC’s inaugural season has reached its conclusion.

A 3–1 loss to Vancouver in the Western Conference Final brought a tough end to an extraordinary Year One — a season where SDFC finished as the No. 1 seed, set an expansion points record, and came within one step of MLS Cup. Pride, even in heartbreak.

With emotions still fresh, Adrian García-Marquez is joined by Katia Castorena and Darren Smith to reflect on Saturday night — the early setbacks, the fight, and the supporters who carried this team throughout the year.

In next week’s episode, we’ll do a full deep-dive into the playoffs, the season and recall our favourite memories. Whilst we pull ourselves together after the final, we thought this week that we’d take you back to the beginning of Behind the Flow. We’re rewinding to the story of 33-year-old rookie Sporting Director Tyler Heaps, and the monumental task of building San Diego FC from scratch in the summer of 2024.

Rookies (Part 1) explores the club’s foundations — the recruitment strategy, the cultural blueprint, the Right to Dream influence, and the decisions that shaped one of the most successful expansion seasons in MLS history.

And if you want to continue the story, we recommend revisiting our follow-up episode on the appointment of Head Coach Mikey Varas — a choice that defined the identity we saw throughout 2025.

A moment to step back.
A look at where the journey began.
And the blueprint that made San Diego believe.