Landon Donovan Kicks Off the Colors of San Diego’s USL Championship Team
San Diego’s USL Championship team announces the name and logo for the expansion team
America’s Finest City now can add a USL Championship team to the rapidly growing landscape of soccer in Southern California. And, it now has a name.
San Diego Loyal Soccer Club.
The 2020 expansion team announced its name, colors and crest design this weekend in San Diego. The new USL Championship team is preparing for its kickoff in March 2020 at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium.
Inspired to reflect San Diego’s diversity, America’s border city is an international hub of soccer with a community that splits its passion between the pitch and the Pacific Ocean.
“The loyal soccer fans of San Diego have long dreamt of the day they would have a team of their own and that dream has finally come true!
Landon Donovan
“The fans have spoken and we have listened,” said Landon Donovan. “They want a team that is loyal to their values, loyal to their culture, loyal to their family and, most importantly, loyal to San Diego.”
“It is a true honor be a part of the process and now the real fun begins!”
Landon Donovan
The crest includes multiple symbols that celebrate both San Diego and the world’s game.
The San Diego Loyal plays in the second-division United Soccer League, which is under the MLS league in which teams like LA Galaxy and LAFC compete. San Diego has another professional team, 1904 FC, which competes in the third-division NISA. San Diego is also home to NPSL’s ASC San Diego.
So far, the response to the name and the colors of the crest have been mixed but the real test will be on the pitch in a few months. San Diego is ready for a USL Championship team and Donovan, who proudly calls this city his home, is ready to bring high-level soccer to the city.
President and Co-Founder Warren Smith told USL, “The greatest soccer crests in the world are iconic to the place and people they represent and built by the community. San Diego Loyal is no different. The crest that our players and fans will wear over their hearts is one that will be here to stay. For now. For always. For San Diego.”
San Diego has been a sports market often ignored by professional leagues.
The NFL franchise split with the renamed LA Chargers, MLB is always floundering and the effort to bring MLS into the city was defeated. Now, the USL expansion has claimed it’s profound loyal to the San Diego before it kicks off.
“It’s really all about a verb that actually means something to people here,” said Smith at the unveiling party on Saturday morning. “At the end of the day in soccer we have the chance to create names that are different than other sports. It’s not a noun like the Bears or the Rivercats. This is a verb, man. This means this is a way of living, this is a way of choice, this is a way of defining who we are.”
The team’s crest was designed in collaboration with local and award-winning agency Red Door Interactive, with design led internally by Creative Director Patrick Cinco.
“San Diegans are incredibly loyal to their soil; we wanted to declare the same and what better way to do it than by calling our club San Diego Loyal,” said Chairman and San Diego native Andrew Vassiliadis.
San Diego Loyal are currently accepting Season Ticket Member deposits for seats. Learn more about San Diego Loyal’s name and crest at sdloyal.com and #SDLoyal.
