San Diego FC dominated their season opener against CF Montreal, with Amahl Pellegrino leading the way with a goal and two assists. The home team took control early with Christopher McVey opening the scoring in the 14th minute, and Pellegrino adding a goal in second-half stoppage time to make it 2-0 at halftime.
Montreal's chances diminished significantly when Tomas Aviles was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute, forcing them to play a man down for the remainder of the match. Onni Valakari, Marcus Ingvartsen, and Bryan each added goals for San Diego, while 18-year-old Duran Ferree made his MLS debut with two saves. San Diego finished with 64% possession and outshot Montreal 12-6.