Anders Dreyer wins MLS Newcomer of the Year: San Diego FC Star opens up on playing in America

Joining an expansion team is never an easy decision, especially when a player is in the prime of their career. But it's safe to say that it's paid off for Danish attacking midfielder Anders Dreyer. The 27-year-old joined San Diego FC before the club even kicked a ball, and 38 goal contributions later, made the MLS All-Star team, led San Diego to the top seed in the Western Conference, is an MVP finalist, and now has won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award.

It's an award that has become harder and harder to win as the talent level of players coming to Major League Soccer has grown by the year, which is shown by the finalists, alongside him being Son Heung-Min and Philip Zinckernagel. Every step of the way, Dreyer has been there for San Diego and has been able to even surprise himself with the level of success that he has had as a member of the club. While it might have initially been seen as a risk to leave Anderlecht to join the West Coast club, once he talked with head coach Mikey Varas and the team, he said it was an easy decision to make.

"After the meetings [with Varas], I had a feeling that the way he sees me as a footballer is the way I see myself," Dreyer said. "So in that sense, I think when you have a coach who sees you that way, you see yourself, I think that's key.

"Joining an expansion team, it could go both ways. And now we hear first in the West, yeah, competing for hopefully the MLS Cup, and all that. So that's been crazy, and that's been something that I'm proud of, together with the team that we are here right now. But that's also because of what all the staff has done and the teammates, of course."

Ahead of their inaugural season, San Diego's front office laid the groundwork for success in making Hirving Lozano and Dreyer their first designated players in club history, and they delivered to bring success to the club in year one, while also creating quite a busy November for Dreyer. While San Diego FC  will be pushing to get to the next round of the playoffs in their first round tie with the Portland Timbers, there's also an international break coming up, where he'll look to lead Denmark to the World Cup.

MLS has long been seen as a league where players' international careers end, but while at San Diego, Dreyer has made his first appearances for the Denmark squad since 2021, scoring a brace off the bench in a victory over Belarus. With players like Dreyer representing major nations, the perception has been changing as the talent level grows.

With more talent in the league, it also changes expectations for new players joining the league. Games are always moving and players like Dreyer can't take minutes off, but as long as they're up to the expectation, the league will only continue to grow.

"I didn't know the level of the MLS before joining, but I'm surprised in a positive way, and I think, with the World Cup coming in the summer, it will just get more and more attention, and maybe after the World Cup as well, it will grow," Dreyer said.

This is why players like Dreyer coming to the league and buying in is important. With the World Cup on the horizon, MLS is in a space where it can take off during the increased interest in soccer in America. With the talent on the pitch also improving, there's plenty to look out for on the pitch but Dreyer has proven that he's leading the charge of this campaign's new additions.