Mikey Varas acknowledged it is “going to take San Diego FC’s best” performance to beat Real Salt Lake when the pair clash in MLS on Sunday.

San Diego are sitting high in the Western Conference after the first four games, having gone unbeaten so far, though they followed up three wins with a 3-3 draw with FC Dallas last time out in the league.

And they come into this match on the back of a loss. Toluca knocked San Diego out of the Concacaf Champions Cup in the week with a 4-0 win that earned them a 6-3 aggregate victory.

Varas is hoping to quickly put that result behind them, but was wary of the threat posed to his side by RSL.

“We got to change the chip pretty quick, and it’s about a statement of intention that the rest of the season is really important,” he said.

“They’re [RSL] a tough team and Pablo [Mastroeni]’s got them humming. They’ve made a step up from last year, and they were already tough.

“The mentality is that this is going to be a tough match, and it’s going to take our best.”

We’re back home pic.twitter.com/B6aNsdemwd

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) March 19, 2026

RSL are just one point behind San Diego in the West, having won all three of their matches since an opening-weekend defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

All of their victories have come by just a one-goal margin, and head coach Mastroeni highlighted the importance of his side taking their chances.

“They’re really dynamic, and their movements are really, really good,” he told KSL Sports Zone.

“So, I think the onus is on us to go into what I’m expecting to be a battle of attack and transition.

“The onus is on us to really think about the moments where we want control versus the moments that are really good opportunities to score goals, and I think that decision will kind of determine the game for both teams.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Diego FC – Marcus Ingvartsen

Six players have at least five goal contributions through the first four matchdays of the 2026 MLS season.

Three of them play for San Diego (Marcus Ingvartsen – three goals, two assists, Onni Valakari – three goals, two assists, Anders Dreyer – two goals, three assists).

Real Salt Lake – Stijn Spierings

Stijn Spierings came off the bench to score the winning goal for Real Salt Lake in the 88th minute against Austin FC last weekend.

He became the sixth player in Real Salt Lake history to score on his debut for the club, and the first to do it as a substitute.

Fun facts about The Flow#SDvRSL | @EnglandLogistic pic.twitter.com/U1WIDbAqyD

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) March 21, 2026

MATCH PREDICTION: SAN DIEGO FC WIN

The away side recorded a 3-1 win in each of the two meetings between the sides last year, with San Diego winning in Sandy in their third all-time MLS match in March, and RSL replying with a victory at Snapdragon Stadium in April.

San Diego (W3 D1) have started unbeaten in their first four matches in each of their first two MLS seasons (W2 D2 in 2025).

They are just the second team in MLS history to go unbeaten through their first four matches in each of their first two seasons, after St. Louis City SC in 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, after losing their season opener in Vancouver, Real Salt Lake have won three consecutive matches. RSL have not won four straight regular-season matches in well over a decade, last doing so in June 2013.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Diego FC – 56.5%

Draw – 22.5%

Real Salt Lake – 21%