Today’s Forecast

⚽ SD scores an MLS team

Score: Major League Soccer expands to San Diego

The 30th MLS team belongs in San Diego. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

After months of speculation, we can blow the whistle ‘cause it’s officially official: Major League Soccer (MLS) is expanding to San Diego in 2025.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber made the announcement yesterday at a news conference at Snapdragon Stadium, joined by the new team’s owners, Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and Chairman Cody Martinez of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The investor group also includes San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado.

SD MLS San Diego — Padres third baseman Manny Machado is part of the investor team — he’s pictured here with MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Mohamed Mansour, and Cody Martinez.
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Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

Garber said San Diego has long been on the MLS radar as an expansion city.

“We simply needed the right ownership group that really believed in this city, the sport, and our league,” the commissioner said.

Mansour, a lifelong fan of the beautiful game, said he’s thrilled to bring the team to San Diego.

“This soccer club is your soccer club — it belongs to you,” Mansour told the crowd.

He said his life as an entrepreneur has been filled with fresh starts — and this opportunity is no different.

“I love new beginnings — it’s where goals are scored, where dreams are achieved,” Mansour added.

Martinez said the Sycuan Tribe is proud to be “sitting at the ownership table,” bringing its visions and values for the San Diego community to this new venture.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said while many people may say San Diego isn’t a “sports town,” devoted San Diegans prove that’s not true — supporting, rallying, and beaming with pride for local teams.

“San Diego is a sports town,” the mayor said. “There are two lessons here — San Diego can do big things, and never count us out.”

The expansion team — whose name, colors, and crest are yet to be announced — will be the league’s 30th franchise and fourth in California, after the Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, and San Jose Earthquakes.

They’ll play their home games at Snapdragon Stadium.

Let's kick it: more details

Asked

What should San Diego’s new MLS team be named? What should be their colors?

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Events

Friday, May 19

Marklin HO Model Train Special Sale | Friday, May 19 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, San Diego | Free | Railfans, this sale is all about Marklin MO Model Trains — American and European styles — including engines, freight cars, and passenger boxes.
Thrice | Friday, May 19 | 8 p.m. | The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., San Diego | $56 | The SoCal rock band celebrates two decades of making music with their “The Artist in the Ambulance 20th Anniversary Tour.”
Destiny of Desire | Through Sunday, June 25 | Times vary | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego | $29-$119 | It’s opening night of this musical that pays homage to the telenovela by Karen Zacarías — complete with joys, tribulations, and plot twists of epic love.
“Rose & Walsh” by Neil Simon | Through Sunday, June 4 | Times vary | Point Loma Playhouse, 3035 Talbot St., San Diego | $18-$22 | Directed by Jerry Pilato, this was Neil Simon’s last play — a romantic comedy dealing with two writers — and this is its San Diego debut.

Saturday, May 20

La Jolla Half Marathon | Saturday, May 20 | 6:30 a.m. | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | $59-$129 | The scenic race starts in Del Mar and weaves its way along the coastline to La Jolla Cove.
Island Vibe Music Festival 2023 | Saturday, May 20 | 1-8 p.m. | Surf Cup Sports Park, 14989 Via De La Valle, Del Mar | $45-$150 | A day of music, dancing, and vendors with acts from across the Pacific Islands.
Pupapalooza | Saturday, May 20 | 2-6 p.m. | Second Chance Beer Company, 15378 Avenue of Science, Ste. #222, San Diego | Free | This pup-friendly fest will have music, vendors for dogs, brews for humans, and on-site adoptions.

Sunday, May 21

Shock’N The Park | Sunday, May 21 | 12:30-5 p.m. | Luce Court and Legacy Plaza, 2641 Truxtun Rd., San Diego | Free | Local hip hop troupes perform a variety of routines, showcasing the power of the genre.
SDMA+ Malashock Dance | Sunday, May 21 | 3, 3:30 + 4 p.m. | The San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, San Diego | $20 | The museum teams up with Malashock Dance to present a modernist dance performance inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings and Henry Moore’s iconic sculpture, “Working Model of Oval with Points.”
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons | Sunday, May 21 | 8 p.m. | Humphreys Concerts by the bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego | $116.50 | The iconic crooner takes the stage at the waterfront venue.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

City officials say many San Diegans have embraced the organics waste recycling program since it started rolling out this past January, and 5,500+ tons of yard trimmings and food scraps have been collected. There have been hurdles, though, like not enough green bins for housing-dense areas, and a “yuck factor” among some residents. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Sweetwater Lane Community Park Capture Project was named the 2023 Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association. The project installed a sub-surface device beneath the parking lot that captures debris and trash, preventing it from flowing into the Sweetwater River and, ultimately, San Diego Bay.

Transit

MTS bus routes in the South Bay and East County divisions were impacted this week by an on-again, off-again workers’ strike. The public transit agency says some communities have had “limited to no service,” and riders should check the MTS Alerts & Detours page for the latest service updates. (Fox 5)

Open

Bonjour, Pâtisserie Mélanie. A new French bakery and coffee shop is now open at 3750 30th St. in North Park, specializing in classic pastries like croissants, kouign-amann, macarons, cakes, tarts, and more. The spot is run by Melanie Dunn, a former local English teacher-turned-grad of Paris’ Le Cordon Bleu. (Eater San Diego)

Coming Soon

Little Thief Wine Bar & Kitchen in North Park will get a new restaurant-in-residence this August — Long Story Short, specializing in California cuisine. It’ll replace Chef Drew Bent’s Papalito eatery, which wraps up service this Sunday — but Bent says there’s “exciting news ahead” for his Sonoran-style BBQ brand, Papalo.

Announced

The Puffer Malarkey Collective — the hospitality group helmed by celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey — is spearheading its first-ever Dockside Night Market on Thursday, June 1, 6-10 p.m. The event will feature local chefs cooking fresh seafood at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, with ticket sales supporting Feeding San Diego.

Outdoors

Surf’s up. Tickets are now available for the Bro-Am Beach Fest 2023 on Saturday, June 17, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. The annual celebration features surf contests, vendors, green initiatives, and live music — including a performance by Switchfoot, the homegrown band aligned with the event from the get-go.

Arts

Single-show tickets are now available for all of La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest 2023 — concerts happening at The Conrad Friday, July 28-Saturday, Aug. 26. The lineup features 21 performances and 75 international musicians performing everything from chamber music and jazz, to dance and spoken word.

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Unlock your home equity.*

Shop

Quick, who’s the next person you’ll buy a gift for? We’ve got 25 gift ideas that will spark joy + are perfect for every budget. One of our favorites? A heated back and neck massager to relieve pressure and tension.

Feel Good

🐢 One shell of a physical

Birch Aquarium’s Loggerhead Sea Turtle gets a check-up

She weighed a healthy 210 pounds. | Video via Birch Aquarium + GIF via Giphy

They grow up so fast.

Husbandry and veterinary teams at Birch Aquarium recently conducted an annual checkup on the facility’s rescued Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

The exam included scrubbing her shell, taking new measurements, and collecting a blood sample, which helps experts track her growth and health over time.

The sea turtle has lived at Birch Aquarium since 2014. When she first arrived, she was underweight at 98 pounds — and had a hole in her shell that was causing curvature in her spine.

In 2017, the aquarium worked with the Digital Media Lab at UC San Diego Library to create a first-of-its-kind 3D-printed brace for her shell.

Today, she’s been rehabilitated to a healthy 210 pounds and her shell is 3 ft long and 2.5 ft wide — about the size of a boogie board.

See the shellebrity in the Hall of Fishes habitat, open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Monica

From the editor

Happy Friday, San Diego. Michael and I grabbed coffee this week at Lofty Coffee in Little Italy; we tried the Kyoto on Ice and Lofty Style NOLA. The drinks were great, but the company was even better. We hung out with City Editor David Stringer from COLAtoday — who was visiting from our sister outlet in Columbia, SC.

David and his co-editor, Samantha Robertson, are experts on all things in their city, so if you’re ever in COLA, give their newsletter a read, or tell a friend about it.

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