San Diego FC is days removed from one of the most memorable wins in franchise history. It’s a few days away from a trip to one of Mexico’s most imposing stadiums.

But coach Mikey Varas focuses primarily on the next game. And that, for undefeated SDFC, is a Saturday evening match against FC Dallas in Texas. The azul and chrome (3-0-0) will take on Dallas (1-1-1) at 5:30 p.m.; to stay undefeated, the visitors must focus not on the past or immediate future, but the present.

But quick, a look at Wednesday. SDFC beat visiting Toluca in the first leg of the two-leg Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, winning 3-2 despite playing down one man for most of the match and down two men for the final few minutes of regulation and all of injury time.

The win improved SDFC to 2-1 in Champions Cup play heading into the future: next week’s Leg 2 match at Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca.

Being present, and finding the energy to compete in an MLS match sandwiched between two Champions Cup competitions, might be a tough climb. Varas said SDFC “pushed it to the limits for us as long as we could” while playing shorthanded against Toluca.

“These guys just showed so much character and resilience in terms of coming out with a real proactive attitude,” Varas said. “You’ve seen a lot of teams really just, you know, they got  the 1-1 (tie at halftime), so OK, let’s just hang on for as long as we can.”

That isn’t SDFC’s style. Using their hallmark pressing attack, San Diego outscored Toluca 2-1 in the second half to pull off their second Champions Cup win in three matches. SDFC is 5-1 across all competitions this season, outscoring its opponents by a combined 15-4.

SDFC’s eight goals in three MLS matches are tied with NYCFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps for most in the league.

And no MLS team has allowed fewer goals than SDFC, which has yet to be scored on during regular-season play. Goalkeeper Duran Ferree started the season opener with C.J. dos Santos hurt and Pablo Sisniega suspended, the result of a red card he received in last year’s playoff elimination game. The San Diego native has taken the job and run with it, posting three straight clean sheets in MLS play before making his international debut on Wednesday. Both of Toluca’s goals came on penalty kicks.

It’s unclear if Varas will stick with Ferree or return to Sisniega, who played well over long stretches of the 2025 regular season and in the playoffs. SDFC’s success is about more than just the goalkeepers; the club’s defenders have allowed just eight shots on goal all season. FC Dallas has allowed 14, while Orlando City has allowed a league-most 29.

Notable

• San Diego FC’s annual Baja Cup match against the Tijuana Xolos will be played Sept. 16 at Snapdragon Stadium, the clubs announced Friday. SDFC won last year’s inaugural friendly, 4-2.

• Midfielder Marcus Ingvartsen and defender Manu Duah will miss next week’s match against Toluca after receiving red cards on Wednesday. But the two will be eligible to play Saturday against Dallas.

• Midfielder Aníbal Godoy missed Wednesday’s match due to yellow card accumulation, but is eligible to play Saturday.

• Forward Anders Dreyer scored his first Champions Cup goal on Wednesday against Toluca. It’s his 26th total goal as a member of SDFC.

•  Saturday marks a return to Texas for Varas, who served as FC Dallas’ academy coach from 2017-19 and as the MLS club’s assistant coach from 2019-21.

San Diego FC (3-0-0) vs. FC Dallas (1-1-1)

When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas

Streaming: AppleTV

Radio: 760-AM, 1700-AM (Spanish)