On a gorgeous Saturday evening in St. Louis, Missouri – 24 thousand fans packed a sold-out Energizer Park. San Diego came into St. Louis expecting anything but an easy game in a match of importance for both teams. Three points for San Diego would mean keeping pace with the other top five in the West. For St. Louis, it would mean getting back to winning again – something they haven’t done in the seven matches leading up to this game. City SC had to do something outside of their comfort zone if they wanted a different result and it wasn’t what Mikey Varas had in mind when he constructed his game plan. As always, let’s get into it!
Surprise, Surprise
It was clear that San Diego meant business when the starting lineup became available. Varas went with the same 10 men who just slaughtered FC Dallas 5-0 the weekend prior. Many thought he would give bench players a chance to showcase themselves against a clearly struggling opposition but that proved false.
Something that St. Louis is known for – is letting the opponent have possession and being disciplined on defense. To everyone’s surprise, City SC came out looking like a different team. They showed energy right out of the gate, pressing high and man-marking. San Diego clearly looked like they were taken off guard as they scrambled to keep possession and their shape.
Despite the surprise, San Diego still managed to win possession in the first half as they controlled the ball 57% of the time. St. Louis attacked, pressed, man-marked and it paid dividends for them as they tallied eight shots while forcing CJ Dos Santos to make two really good saves. SDFC managed only a single shot all of first half, it was clear something needed to change. Perhaps, more creativity was needed. San Diego looked slow in possession. Guys were not making runs as there was a lot of standing around waiting for someone to make a move that would open up St. Louis’ tight shape.
Making The Right Adjustments
Surely by now it’s clear that Mikey Varas knows how to adjust for the second half, it was evident in this game. San Diego came out and matched the same energy that City had showcased to them in the beginning of the game. Staying true to their signature style, SDFC consistently played out from the back with confidence. The players demonstrated composure in tight spaces, and their touches appeared more refined and deliberate than in previous matches.
This seemed to put St. Louis on their heels. San Diego’s high press proved effective as the team worked cohesively to maintain pressure in the attacking third. This approach frequently forced turnovers, leading to increased shots and dangerous scoring opportunities. San Diego outshot City 16-8 in the second half – a testament to their refined efforts.
Praises for Chucky
Head Coach Mikey Varas praised Chucky Lozano often lately. Why not? After all, he deserves it. The Mexican international has three goals and two assists in the last five matches. Most of all, Varas is impressed by Chucky’s commitment to defend. He’s working hard on both sides of the field, forcing turnovers and creating chances. “I would expect the Mexican Federation is watching these games and seeing that he’s really stepping up in a big way.” said Varas – alluding to the fact that Lozano needs to be in conversation for being chosen as part of the Mexico national team as World Cup looms around the corner.
Tactical Awareness Leads to First Goal
San Diego’s high press finally paid off when Chucky forced a St. Louis defender to clear the ball under pressure. As St. Louis tried to bring the ball down and get possession, three SDFC players forced a turnover.
De la Torre collected the loose ball after Tverskov’s challenge and quickly passed to Godoy. Within a second, Godoy was already looking ahead to an awaiting Milan Ilosky, who made a cheeky turn and put himself through with pace. This move allowed Ilosky a couple of seconds of freedom to shoot and he pulled the trigger from outside of the box. The well-placed shot beat Lundt to the lower left-hand corner of the net and Ilosky celebrated by “shushing” the crowd while running the end line. The Escondido, California native is proving to be a force off the bench with two goals in as many matches, something San Diego desperately needed in tight games such as this one.
Dreyer on Fire
To the tune of “Freed From Desire” by Gala – “Dreyer’s on fire, your defense is terrified, Dreyer’s on fire! Na na na na na, na na, na na na, na na.” No? Just me? Ok fine, but he really is making a case for a personalized chant by the Frontera with the way he’s been playing lately.
In the week leading up to this match, Varas alluded to possibly playing some long-balls over the top in order to get in behind the stingy St. Louis defense and that is exactly what led to the very important third goal. City defender, Yaro, mishandled the ball as it ricocheted off of his foot into the path of a dashing Dreyer who quickly took a touch past the diving keeper. Dreyer regained possession of the ball on the left side of the box as no one closed him down, surprisingly. The Dane had all the time in the world to turn around and dribble back towards the goal and sneak a shot into the near post past Lundt to make it 2-0.
Notice how Dreyer put his hands up just for a second as to indicate that he is looking for a teammate to pass to when in reality he was set on shooting the whole time. This sneaky gesture made Lundt believe he is looking to pass across the box, which gave Dreyer the slightest of margins to strike a well-placed shot into the near corner.
Looking Ahead
SDFC comes back to the pitch on Wednesday when they take on Colorado at home before another quick turnaround on Saturday against Austin FC. When asked about how his team is preparing for a grueling week of games, Mikey Varas said “We have to prove that we have a big team”. He’s alluding to the fact that other guys will have to step up in starting roles if players can’t recover quick enough.
The team also has to stay mentally focused. This is a new challenge that San Diego has not faced before; therefore, the guys may not be used to mentally preparing themselves to shift focus quickly and study a new team and a new gameplan. One thing is for certain, SDFC has the right man for the job to get them prepared for anything.
Tidbits
- Oscar Verhoeven continued to impress in a second consecutive performance off the bench where he helped see out the win during a crucial time in the match. Seems like Mikey Varas is impressed with the kid, saying that he hopes the US Youth National team is taking note of his progress.
- Luca Bombino put in another great shift in the wing-back position as he is making a strong case for a regular starting position to the coaching staff. He looked brave in tough challenges and his passing seemed much improved as he showed confidence in hitting long-balls and through-passes into the attack.
- Struggles of defending set pieces continued for SDFC. Dreyer’s goal became even more important as St. Louis was able to net one from a free kick that ricocheted inside the box, hit the post and was eventually kicked into the back of the net.
- San Diego has to make the most of their opportunities when playing weaker opponents in the next three games. While there are no easy games in the MLS – Colorado, Kansas City, and Galaxy are all struggling teams who can be beat. The goal is to gain enough points to contend for first place in the west when they take on Minnesota and Vancouver in the middle of June, currently second and first in the table, respectively.
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