The time has come! It’s match week for the San Diego Loyal as they host Detroit City FC on Saturday night. Game 1 of the season came faster than ever, and fans at Torero Stadium are in for a treat.

This will be the first time these two squads meet on the pitch. The players are always eager to get back into the action, so expect a lot of aggressiveness from both sides. It will be interesting to see how this new-look Loyal squad starts the season.

The Loyal made many offseason changes, starting fresh with a brand new manager, Nate Miller. Landon Donovan was promoted to Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations, and his right-hand man, Miller, was promoted from assistant head coach to the main gaffer himself. Saturday night will be his debut as a coach, outside of the preseason matches held over the last few weeks.

The Loyal saw some players let go during the offseason but brought in some fresh talent that will keep them in the running for one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Together, San Diego. pic.twitter.com/boe4YYgjNe

— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) March 7, 2023

Last week, the team showcased the new kit sponsor as well as three new fresh kits for the 2023 campaign. They also did it in incredible fashion, as there are now three new murals in the city of San Diego showcasing Collin Martin, Alejandro Guido, and Duran Ferree.

2023 Roster as of 3/10/2023

Goalkeepers: Duran Ferree, Koke Vegas

Defenders: Ebenezer Ackon, Kyle Adams, Jackson Kasanzu, Elijah Martin, Camden Riley, Grant Stoneman

Midfielders: Charlie Adams, Alejandro Guido, Morgan Hackworth, Collin Martin, Jack Blake, Joe Corona, Blake Bodily

Forwards: Evan Conway, Nick Moon, Tumi Moshobane, Elliot Collier, Adrien Perez

There are several new faces. Joe Corona returns to San Diego, where he played college ball at SDSU. The team signed Blake Bodily and Elliot Collier as well during the offseason. Both are expected to make immediate impacts for coach Miller.

The defensive side of the pitch will look familiar to Loyal fans as you won’t see many changes among the starters. Elijah Martin, Kyle Adams, Grant Stoneman, Charlie Adams, and Collin Martin will all likely start Saturday night. Alejandro Guido will start a majority of the matches and will come on as a sub in a few matches. He and Joe Corona could make for a nice pairing in the attacking midfield.

The Loyal attack will be one to watch for. Either one of Evan Conway, Nick Moon, Tumi Moshobane, and Elliot Collier are worthy of starting. Moon can play all over the pitch, and that is an advantage toward him, and Conway was third on the team in scoring last season.

San Diego led the USL in goals scored for a majority of the 2022 season until very late in the year. If they can score at a similar rate once again, then they should continue to dominate the Western Conference.

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris is also an athlete and is huge fan of San Diego sports. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and contributes regularly about the Padres.