Pablo Mastroeni earned his 100th season win as coach when RSL cruised to a 3-1 victory away in San Diego. Plenty of firsts in this one for both teams, but not all the milestones were worth celebrating. RSL scored the most goals in a single match this year while San Diego gave up the first loss at home. So where did it all go wrong for the Chrome and Azul? How did a team who lost four out of their last five matches come into Snapdragon Stadium and pull out a seemingly easy win while losing in most stat categories? As always, let’s get into it.
A Tale of Three’s
Since beating Seattle three to zero, SDFC gave up three goals in each of their last three games. The real problem that is trending hides a layer beneath the aforementioned numbers. In those three losses, each opponent scored first. To San Diego’s credit, they did manage to tie the game in two out of the three games at 1-1 before ultimately losing the match. The team simply struggles to come out with the same form and intensity that they started the season with.
Many will say the result of the team not being prepared falls on coaching and while they may be right, ultimately, it’s up to the players to find the chemistry that comes with accurate passing and understanding each other’s runs. The loss to RSL highlighted San Diego’s ongoing issues with communication, chemistry, and intensity — particularly concerning given the growing sample of home matches for comparison.
Exposed Tactics
SDFC is no longer able to surprise teams. Enough tape exists for teams to make smart game plans heading into matches that close down the play out of the back and disrupt the build-up into attack. Opponents have begun to exploit the space on either side of defensive midfielder Jeppe Tverskov, consistently finding seams that were sealed off earlier in the season.
Looking at the passing map below, the team is seen sticking with its core values of keeping possession with the defensive lines and trying to distribute the ball into the mid. The problem arises when the passes do not move across to the other side in order to widen then play and stretch the opposing defense. SDFC clearly lacks creativity in ball-distribution and up front – something that leads to creating chances.
The tactical strain has also forced veteran Aníbal Godoy into a deeper role, disrupting San Diego’s shape both in possession and in the attack. This shift has unraveled one of their early-season strengths: maintaining compactness and control. That cohesion had been key to their early defensive success, allowing them to win the ball back quickly and dominate stretches of play. But now, with their structure breaking down, San Diego looks a step behind on both sides of the ball.
Let’s take a look at the difference in the Anibal Godoy heatmap between the win in Salt Lake City and the loss at home. You can clearly see that in the game where SDFC won, Godoy was playing a more attacking, compact style of play. A month later, he is seen playing defensive and wide. Part of the problem is SDFC needs him to play an attacking role when they are down in the scoresheet. Anibal was not able to produce much on offense due to having to cover defensive lapses and breakdowns in the midfield. Teams are finding ways to exploit the space and that is something that the coaching staff will need to address.
Luna Shines Bright
He wasn’t supposed to score two goals that led RSL to victory. He wasn’t even supposed to play. As it turns out, Diego Luna’s rescinded red card ultimately proved to be a significant factor in the 3-1 result. Luna played with immense energy from the beginning until the final whistle. He brough life into a struggling Real Salt Lake team by creating chances and scoring goals. It seemed like he did it all and San Diego could not contain him.
In the 45th minute, Willy Kumado—playing in place of regular starter Jasper Löffelsend—committed a costly error by attempting a risky pass in his own half, despite no clear options in the middle. The giveaway led to a dangerous opportunity and underscored a lapse in decision-making at a critical moment. Diego Luna easily read the pass and collected the ball around the 30-yard line. He dribbled fearlessly into the San Diego defense and curled a well-placed shot past a helpless CJ Dos Santos to open the score.
Varas’ Wing-Back Woes
The change at wing-back position may have come as a surprise for some, but those who follow the team closely, know that Mikey Varas has not established a regular starter in the two outside spots. No one knows what he has planned on a game-to-game basis and it definitely keeps the opposing team guessing as well.
Luca Bombino started on the left wing after missing a significant amount of time due to injury. Once again, a player started the game without getting substitution minutes to get acclimated to the game speed. He ended the game with seven possessions lost, three fouls, and a yellow card before being subbed out in the 66th minute for Hamady Diop. The changes in defense once again proved to be a costly error as Varas continues to experiment with different lineups. Perhaps what this team needs is more consistency in the starting personnel in order to develop a stronger chemistry.
Additional Tidbits
Jeppe, for as great as he’s been, was involved in both of the other goals that RSL scored. Human instincts kicked in when he inadvertently put his hands up to avoid the shot hitting him directly in the face. The third goal proved costly when a rebound resulted in a shot from outside of the box that only Jeppe closed down. The problem is, he turned his back to try and block it instead of facing it head on, like a defender is supposed to. Undoubtedly, he will improve and these are certainly things that can be fixed.
San Diego FC coaching staff have their hands full with the amount of information that was learned from last weekend’s game so this week will be extremely important. Practice sessions will focus on keeping a strong shape and not moving away from the identity that this team established. The core principles and ideas will remain unchanged, but the execution will have to get better if SDFC wants to remain in a playoff position.
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