Despite only playing three games in its inaugural MLS season, San Diego FC is on track to become the 2025 Cinderella story after a stunning 3-1 comeback win at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
The home team took an early lead in the 17th minute with a nifty pass that ended up on the right foot of forward Ariath Piol, who placed the ball just out of reach of goalkeeper CJ dos Santos. Real Salt Lake had a chance to extend the lead in the 31st minute on a breakaway chance following a turnover where Piol provided a pass to teammate Dominik Marczuk, but dos Santos’ reaction rushed his attempt that went just wide.
SDFC had an opportunity to equalize in the 35th minute when forward Anders Dreyer took a shot inside the box that goalkeeper Rafael Cabral punched out of danger. San Diego FC continued to press forward in the 40th minute when forward Tomas Angel got between two defenders and managed to get a shot off from close range that Cabral deflected out of bounds.
SDFC managed to get the tying score just three minutes later when Angel found defender Franco Negri with a beautiful cross into the box that the 30-year-old Argentine headed into the back of the net. The visitors continued pressuring to start the second-half with midfielder Luca de la Torre trying to score from just inside the box, but Cabral managed to clear with his fingertips away from the top-right corner of the net.
Real Salt Lake had its second one-on-one against dos Santos in the 68th minute on a counterattack that Diogo Gonçalves missed due, in large part, to another great reaction from the SDFC goalkeeper. San Diego FC did not settle for the point on the road and nearly took the lead in the 86th minute on a beautiful chest pass from Dreyer to teammate Marcus Ingvartsen that the RSL goalkeeper deflected with his foot.
The team, led by head coach Mikey Varas, then saw Dreyer take a left-footed shot from six yards out in the first minute of second-half stoppage time that he capitalized on from a deflection that Cabral could not get to. The goal also made Dreyer the first player in MLS history to score two game-winners in the first three matches of any expansion club’s inaugural season.
Ingvartsen provided an insurance goal in the dying seconds thanks to a pinpoint assist from teammate Onni Valakari for the 3-1 final.
“We focus just on ourselves, our process, and our principles,” said Varas. “I know what we’re thinking collectively inside is that we still can get much better at the end of the day. I think the number one thing from a team culture standpoint is that everyone is bought in.”
San Diego FC is in second place of the Western Conference standings and returns home to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday, March 15, at Snapdragon Stadium.
Goalkeeper: A-
Nothing CJ could do on the RSL goal, and he did have a moment or two with some jitters, but he came up huge impact on their multiple breakaway opportunities.
