Tom Krasovic: San Diego FC's often-overlooked defense has been key to expansion

When the season began, San Diego FC stole matches from their opponents. The upstart franchise emphasized offense more than many teams do.

Among the Major League Soccer analysts who praised the bold style was Jay Nolly, a former MLS goalkeeper. But the ex-backstop wondered if San Diego’s goal-hunting offense would overburden its goal-prevention efforts.

“People are gonna pick ‘em apart as the season comes along,” Nolly, a radio analyst for Real Salt Lake, said late in San Diego’s 3-1 victory March 8.

Lending weight to Nolly’s point, Real Salt Lake won the rematch in San Diego, 3-1, in late April.

And then, in a few matches that followed, SDFC’s opponent, more attuned to the first-year club’s tendencies, turned lapses in spacing and ball control into goals and victories.

But, as a whole