San Diego — To those still wondering if San Diego is a true rival to LA teams, Saturday’s match proved that point. Snapdragon Stadium filled with 30,000+ fans on a warm day for a 1:45pm kickoff. The buzz in the atmosphere was felt before the match began as fireworks blasted different color hues into the air.
The supporter section revealed a tifo, their second ever after the inaugural home match. This time, it read “WHAT AN ABSOLUTE DREAM NIGHT FOR SAN DIEGO FC” with a score of 0-2. This was a reference to the broadcast call on TV after Anders Dreyer’s second goal during San Diego’s first ever game, where they beat Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in Los Angeles. SDFC would try to replicate that performance on their homefield – let’s get into it!
Galaxy’s Poor Form, Still Dangerous
A winless team is typically the kind of team you hate to play against. It’s a squad of players who have nothing to lose, who tend to play more free and are anxious to get their first win. It’s typically what people call a ‘trap game’. San Diego did not take them lightly, frankly – quite the opposite.
San Diego FC came out playing what seemed to be a more cautious game than we’ve seen previously. They out possessed the Galaxy 60-40, completing 106 more passes than their Southern California foes. All that possession led to a total of five shots and three big chances but it was the Galaxy who struck first.
Diego Fagundez received a pass on the edge of the left side of the box, took a couple of touches and found a little bit of time and space to place a perfect curling shot into the right side of the net. A defensive mishap led to Fagundez being left unmarked as SDFC defenders seemingly marked everyone but Fagundez, himself.
Defensive Questions Led to Offensive Answers
It is always frustrating for a team who dominates possession and creates chances to go down in score. Even though SDFC was that team, the Galaxy still managed to remain dangerous while creating shots and opportunities of their own. The defensive lapse that led to the Galaxy goal was avenged only a minute later when Tverskov found a through-ball pass into the speedy Luca de la Torre. A one-on-one opportunity with the keeper was slotted away and SDFC were level once again.
Credit: SDFC
Luca de la Torre had quite the week last week. The SDFC midfielder received news that he was going to be joining the National Team to represent his country in the Gold Cup and he got married. He added to his amazing week by scoring a crucial goal in a rivalry match, a feeling that is hard to recreate. We wish Luca all the best as he represents the United States in June. It will be interesting to see who Mikey Varas plays in his position for the game(s) that he will miss.
Passing and Possession
The Galaxy does a great job of staying compact and plugging holes in the midfield. The San Diego FC passing map reveals that San Diego adjusted and played wider than they have in previous games. Willy was the shiftier of the two wing-backs as he joined the attack more than Bombino, who is seen in the midfield on the map. SDFC were aggressive in plugging the midfield by allowing Bombino to slide more inside, which presented problems for Galaxy as they tried to pass through the middle.
Also, Dreyer played a crucial role in allowing space to be opened up for Lozano and Mighten on the wings. Dreyer played a more defensive role and joined into the midfield more often than games in the past. By overloading the midfield with additional numbers like Bombino (LWB) and Dreyer (CAM), it forced the Galaxy to allow space for the wings to run into.
This kind of play adjustment allowed San Diego to dominate passing into and in the final third. SDFC out passed LA:
Final third passes: 104–54
Entries into the final third: 53–25
These numbers are a great indicator of controlling the game but not when it doesn’t lead to results. Sometimes, you have to have some luck and be int he right place at the right time.
A Moment That Will Not Be Soon Forgotten
Sometimes the breakthrough that a team is looking for comes in the last minute of the game. Typically, those kinds of moments are etched into history, in people’s minds, forever. This was an example of that moment.
Luca Bombino sent a long ball through the air into the Galaxy defense. Carlos Garces, the LA Galaxy center-back, tried to kick it away before the ball hit the ground but it sliced off his leg, falling into the path of a streaky Anders Dreyer. Chucky immediately made a run into the box and Dreyer found him unmarked on the far post for a header that was placed perfectly in the corner of the net.
Mikey Varas Living in the Moment
An elated Mikey Varas complimented the resiliency shown by the club, fighting until the very end. “This is a big moment for the club. These are moments that clubs are built on. These are the moments that nobody will forget. That inspires an entire region and makes the club real.”
The San Diego FC head coach made sure not to discount the amazing performance that Chucky put in defensively, as well. He noted that his favorite play of the game was Lozano chasing down Gabriel Pec 70 yards, on a yellow card, and making a tackle that frustrated Pec to the point of committing a foul. “These are moments that clubs are built on and these are legacies for me in terms of how Irving shows who he is on the field.” said Mikey in the post-game press conference.
Celebrations and Aftermath
Undoubtedly, this was a massive victory for San Diego. After all, they are now 3-0 against teams from Los Angeles. Massive drama in the end proved to be the game winner and left fans elated as they headed out of Snapdragon Stadium.
In the aftermath of the victory against LAFC, brawls were seen outside of the stadium, seemingly overwhelming the police and security who were present. It’s only fair to assume that lessons were learned and security would ensure that fighting would be stopped immediately. That was not the case as brawls broke out all over the stadium with multiple arrests being made, concluding with a helicopter circling overhead the parking lot announcing threats to those that violate the laws.
There are rumors that San Diego FC will face repercussions for their inability to preserve peace and safety to the match-goers and that remains to be seen as MLS is conducting their own investigation. Overall, it was not a good look for anyone and needs to be resolved immediately. There are no doubts that SDFC would like everyone to feel safe when going to the stadium.
Next Up
San Diego FC travels to Seattle to face the Sounders in a mid-week clash as they’ll try to complete a regular season sweep of their north-western neighbors. The last time the two teams faced off, San Diego won 3-0 with an emphatic performance at home. That match preview will be available on Tuesday so stay tuned and thanks a lot for your support.
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