San Diego FC vs San Jose Earthquakes | Football (soccer) Previews & Free Betting Tips | 28th September 2025

The hosts have dominated California match-ups this year and remain unbeaten at Snapdragon. They’ll look to dominate possession and pin the visitors back with a patient build-up and high press. The visitors, who have been shipping goals all year, will aim to disrupt that rhythm with direct counters and numbers in transition. Stylistically, it’s a possession-heavy side against one that thrives on chaos and physical duels.

Only 450 miles separate San Jose and San Diego, with a short 90-minute flight and no time zone shift. Fatigue won’t be an issue here; both sides are used to this trip, so the bigger factor is mental sharpness rather than logistics.

Kick-off at 7:30 PM PT should bring cool coastal air, around 20°C with mild humidity. Conditions will be ideal for football, with no concerns about heat or altitude. Expect the ball to zip nicely across the surface, encouraging quick passing.

Snapdragon Stadium is grass, the same surface San Jose use at PayPal Park. No adaptation needed, though San Diego’s familiarity with their new pitch gives them a subtle edge in how the ball runs.

• Possession dominance: San Diego average 60% possession — among the league’s highest. Expect them to dictate tempo.
• Shot volume vs defence: San Jose take plenty of shots (18.9 per game) but concede just as many the other way, highlighting their open style.
• Set-piece balance: Both sides average around 0.3–0.4 goals from set plays per game, suggesting dead-ball moments could swing this derby.

San Diego last 10: 5–3–2. Goals: 10 for, 8 against. Clean sheets: 3. They’ve been strong away but a little patchier at home lately, relying on tight margins in low-scoring games.

San Jose last 10: 2–2–6. Goals: 15 for, 23 against. Clean sheets: 1. They’ve leaked goals at an alarming rate and rarely managed to keep things tight, even when scoring multiple themselves.

San Diego at home: unbeaten at Snapdragon (9–0–2), thriving on control and crowd energy. Even when not at their sharpest, they’ve found ways to avoid defeat here.

San Jose away: mixed bag at 4–3–5. They can score on the road but rarely keep things tight, with multiple games conceding 2+ goals away from PayPal Park.

San Jose’s matches average huge xG swings — over 2.3 both ways. San Diego are steadier at around 1.5 for and 1.3 against, suggesting the visitors’ games carry more chaos.

The only previous meeting came in August 2025, when San Diego nicked a 2–1 win away at PayPal Park. With such little history between these sides, the rivalry is still finding its legs, but expect plenty of bite in this derby atmosphere.

San Diego have home strength, a better defensive record, and the momentum of a playoff-bound side. San Jose’s leaky defence makes it hard to back them, even if they do carry attacking threat.

Prediction: 2–1 home win.

Main pick: Both Teams To Score — San Diego rarely blank, San Jose rarely shut out. Goals at both ends look very likely.

Value angle: San Diego & Over 2.5 Goals — balances San Diego’s home strength with San Jose’s chaotic scoring profile.