San Diego F.C. is a club being built from the ground up - in record time. But joining as the 30th team for MLS’ 30th year, they aren’t here to make up the numbers. They've got a plan to rock American soccer to its foundations.
Join local boy, and network sportscaster Adrian Garcia Marquez as we go behind the scenes to meet the people involved in their race to build a brand, grow a fanbase and recruit a team from scratch.
This is Behind the Flow - the origin story of San Diego F.C.
Check Out: Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos
If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to Inside American Soccer!
Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos break down Spain's dominant World Cup triumph, examining what made them the best team in the tournament and what U.S. Soccer can learn from the Spanish model. They also discuss Argentina's emotional approach throughout the competition and whether South American teams too often cross the line between passion and losing their composure.
The guys then turn their attention to the biggest question facing the USMNT: Should Mauricio Pochettino return to lead the team into the next World Cup cycle? Tom and Tab weigh the pros and cons of his return, and where the program goes from here.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
11 Dec 2025
Episode 29: The Story of Year One — Tom Penn on Identity, Moments & the Innocent Rise of SDFC
For the final time in Year One, Behind the Flow returns to reflect on a season nobody expected and a connection nobody could have predicted.
San Diego FC’s inaugural campaign is now complete. We’re joined in this episode by CEO Tom Penn, who reflects on the “20-month sprint” and, in his words, the “innocent rise” of SDFC. A year that began with questions grew into belief, and ended with a playoff run that captured a city.
Adrian García-Márquez is joined by Katia Castorena and Darren Smith to look back on the moments that defined this first chapter: the rise from “tipped to struggle” to Western Conference contenders, the postseason growth, and the nights from Galaxy to LAFC to Vancouver that showed what this club has already become.
And to close out Year One in style, we present the inaugural Behind the Flow Awards: five categories celebrating the players, moments, and identity that shaped San Diego’s first season in MLS.
Now that we know how the story ends, for anyone who doesn’t yet know how it began, we invite you to revisit the first ten episodes of this series: the definitive origin story of how this football club was built from scratch.
ROLL CALL
Executive Producer — Jake Warren
Series Producer — Macalister Bexon
Producer — Mark Kendrick
Assistant Producer — Tiago Dias
Field Producer — Rebecca Waer
Sound Editor — Lizzy Andrews
Production Coordinators — Tiago Dias & James Cox
Music Composition — Tom Biddle
A Message Heard & COPA90 production for iHeart.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
4 Dec 2025
Episode 28: Rewinding the Journey — Tyler Heaps, Foundations & the Making of San Diego FC | Re-Air
San Diego FC’s inaugural season has reached its conclusion.
A 3–1 loss to Vancouver in the Western Conference Final brought a tough end to an extraordinary Year One — a season where SDFC finished as the No. 1 seed, set an expansion points record, and came within one step of MLS Cup. Pride, even in heartbreak.
With emotions still fresh, Adrian García-Marquez is joined by Katia Castorena and Darren Smith to reflect on Saturday night — the early setbacks, the fight, and the supporters who carried this team throughout the year.
In next week’s episode, we’ll do a full deep-dive into the playoffs, the season and recall our favourite memories. Whilst we pull ourselves together after the final, we thought this week that we’d take you back to the beginning of Behind the Flow. We’re rewinding to the story of 33-year-old rookie Sporting Director Tyler Heaps, and the monumental task of building San Diego FC from scratch in the summer of 2024.
Rookies (Part 1) explores the club’s foundations — the recruitment strategy, the cultural blueprint, the Right to Dream influence, and the decisions that shaped one of the most successful expansion seasons in MLS history.
And if you want to continue the story, we recommend revisiting our follow-up episode on the appointment of Head Coach Mikey Varas — a choice that defined the identity we saw throughout 2025.
A moment to step back.
A look at where the journey began.
And the blueprint that made San Diego believe.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
419,108,275
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 75 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
92
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
51
Contact San Diego FC: Behind the Flow
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about San Diego FC: Behind the Flow
Who hosts San Diego FC: Behind the Flow?
Mikey and Tyler host the show. Published by iHeartPodcasts.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does San Diego FC: Behind the Flow take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of San Diego FC: Behind the Flow?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
