San Diego FC might have had a week to forget in terms of results on the pitch. After losing their first two matches, San Diego was eliminated from the Leagues Cup and had nothing to play for against Mazatlán. This will be a short recap of the three matches.
Pachuca – Chucky faces off against former club
The first Leagues Cup match was a face-off between Chucky Lozano and his boyhood team. San Diego started a team similar to their previous starting lineup, with the only change being Aníbal Godoy starting for Luca De La Torre. Lozano was active, taking six shots with one on target, and had the most touches in the opposition’s box, but was unable to score. Anders Dreyer had the second most touches in the box with seven. Pachuca’s scoring started in the 23rd minute when Víctor “Pocho” Guzmán shot from inside the penalty area, and the ball ricocheted off goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega to Guzmán’s head for a goal. Alexei Domínguez then took over, scoring two goals in the first half of stoppage time and the 67th minute to give Pachuca a 3-0 lead. San Diego FC would not go quietly, as Emmanuel Boateng scored in the 88th minute and Luca Bombino scored in stoppage time. Anders Dreyer was issued a straight red card, which meant he would miss the next match.
@foxsoccerLook at this ABSOLUTE BEAUTY from Alexéi Domínguez for Pachuca 😱 #pachucavssandiego #alexéidomínguez #pachuca
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Tigres – Calling All Angels
After the loss to Pachuca, San Diego FC appeared to field a younger starting lineup. Dreyer was suspended, and Chucky Lozano did not start. Up front, Emmanuel Boateng, Tomás Ángel, and David Vazquez started. The match became a battle between two Angels. Tigres’s Ángel Correa, the Argentine who played for Atletico Madrid, put his elite abilities on display and scored a brace, with his first goal coming in the 31st minute and the game-winner in the 68th minute. While Correa’s xG (expected goals) was 1.07, Tomás Ángel, who scored SDFC’s only goal, had an xG of 0.09. Tomás Ángel played 78 minutes, but couldn’t find the back of the net a second time. He had four touches in the opposition’s box and was dispossessed four times. Ángel also lost seven of his ten duels in the match. With a 2-1 final score, San Diego was officially eliminated from the competition.
Mazatlán – Play The Kids
With San Diego FC eliminated, the team was able to play more youthful players. Mazatlán still had a chance to advance and put out a strong lineup. Chucky Lozano, Luca De La Torre, and Aníbal Godoy all played 63 minutes to keep them fresh for the upcoming match against Sporting Kansas City. Anders Dreyer and Onni Valakari played 29 minutes and made the most of it. Dreyer supplied the assist in the 66th minute to Valakari, who scored the goal. Valakari wasn’t done, as he scored a brace with his second goal in the 74th minute. The final score was 2-0, with CJ Dos Santos returning to the pitch for the first time since his injury and earning a clean sheet.
The Youth Movement
Just before the Leagues Cup began, a transaction was made official between the Philadelphia Union and San Diego FC. SDFC received David Vazquez on loan through the end of the 2025 season in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) for 2025 and another $50,000 in 2026. We saw Vazquez start at right-winger against Tigres and in the midfield against Mazatlán. Against Tigres, Vazquez played 62 minutes, had 39 touches, one shot, and completed 86% of his passes. Against Mazatlán, he played a full 90 minutes and played well. He had the third-highest number of touches in the match with 88, created three chances, had four total shots with one on target, and had one assist. If Vazquez continues to play well, San Diego will likely pick up the trade option at the end of the season.
Another transaction that became official last week was the transfer of Pedro Soma to San Diego FC. Soma comes from UE Cornellà and has a contract through 2027 with a club option in 2028. Soma is 19 years old, and a long-term contract like his would most likely occupy a U22 Roster Spot, allowing a salary budget charge of up to $150,000. Soma has played for the U.S. Youth National Teams and has some familiarity with coach Mikey Varas. Soma plays in the midfield and could provide added depth after Alejandro Alvarado’s injury. Soma came into the Mazatlán match and played 28 minutes, providing the pass to David Vazquez that assisted Onni Valakari’s goal.
Another young player who impressed in Leagues Cup action was Aiden Harangi, who played 19 minutes against Pachuca and recorded an assist. In the second match against Tigres, Harangi played a full 90 minutes and had the sixth-most touches with 80, a 95% pass completion rate, and won five duels. Harangi only played 11 minutes in the final match against Mazatlán. Oscar Verhoeven, who has been the primary right back, did not receive much playing time in the Leagues Cup. It would not be far-fetched to say that the right back position is an open competition between Verhoeven and Harangi.
A New Acquisition
In a trade with FC Cincinnati, San Diego acquired forward Corey Baird for $50,000 in GAM in 2025 and a conditional $50,000 in 2026. Baird was signed by FC Cincinnati in 2024 as a free agent. In two seasons with Cincinnati, Baird scored three goals and two assists in over 1374 minutes. His most productive season in MLS was in 2023 with the Houston Dynamo, where he scored 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions. In Cincinnati, Baird was most likely not getting the minutes he wanted with players like Kevin Denkey, Gerardo Valenzuela, Sergio Santos, and Kei Kamara playing ahead of him. Baird likely didn’t fit the 3-4-1-2 system that FC Cincinnati employs. The Houston Dynamo, on the other hand, used a 4-3-3 system, and Baird’s former coach described him as someone who “does so much dirty work for this team” and “understands how to be the first line of defense“.
Sporting KC Preview
San Diego FC now returns to MLS action to face Sporting Kansas City. The two teams last met on May 17th, a match that ended in a 0-0 draw. In that game, San Diego FC had 65% of the possession and 10 shots with three on target , while Kansas City was content to sit back and get a road point. Since that last matchup, not much has changed for Sporting KC. They currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference with 24 points and a -9 goal differential. Their record since playing San Diego FC is 3 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses. The team has the third-worst defensive record in the MLS, having given up 45 goals already. It is expected that Sporting KC forward Dejan Joveljic, who did not play in the last match, will be on the field this time.
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