San Diego FC Mikey Varas may have given the word azul a whole new meaning following the club’s 1-0 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference semifinal win over Minnesota United FC on Monday.

“This narrative that the other team is the more blue-collar team, the harder-working team, this is garbage,” Varas said.

SDFC quickly built a reputation for playing a free-flowing offensive style. Its 64 regular-season goals ranked fifth in the league, and the squad’s 86.4% passing completion rate ranked second. SDFC features the two most active distributors in MLS — Jeppe Tverskov and Chris McVey — as well as assists co-leader Anders Dreyer.

Dreyer shared that distinction with international sensation Lionel Messi, the embodiment of aesthetically pleasing, Instagram-ready soccer.

But tough? Blue-collar

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