San Diego FC faced a difficult task on Saturday night as they hosted Minnesota United, a team remarkably similar to the one that SDFC saw in the playoffs last year.. The challenge was compounded by a depleted roster, marking the second straight match without Amahl Pellegrino and Ian Pilcher due to injury, while a red card suspension left the squad without starting center back Manu Duah. Shortly before kickoff, it was revealed that Marcus Ingvartsen would not start and would instead begin on the bench to limit his minutes following a knock in training. Consequently, Mikey Varas started Bryan Zamble and shifted Lewis Morgan to center forward, a move intended to provide an offensive boost by returning Morgan to a more natural position.
Early Success and Defensive Lapses
The decision to start Morgan at center forward initially appeared successful during the opening minutes. In the 6th minute, as Minnesota cleared the ball from the penalty area, Osvald Søe recovered possession at midfield and found Chris McVey. A series of midfield passes allowed SDFC to advance the ball down the field. Although the ball did not initially reach the penalty area, Anders Dreyer gained possession and fired a shot from 15 yards outside the penalty area that was blocked by Jeppe Tverskov. The deflection fell to Morgan, whose shot was also blocked, but the ball recycled to Oscar Verhoeven on the near side. Verhoeven passed to Dreyer, who quickly found Morgan as he made a run into the penalty area. Morgan delivered a cross to Luca Bombino, who volleyed the ball inside the far post for the goal. This was Bombino’s first goal of the season and Morgan’s first assist as a member of SDFC, giving San Diego an early lead.
However, the lead was short-lived as Minnesota United equalized just a few minutes later. Following a long kick from the Minnesota goalkeeper to midfield, Minnesota recovered the ball and exploited excessive space in the San Diego midfield to move freely. The Loons advanced to Tomas Chancalay, who recovered a second ball headed by Anthony Markanich. After a central passing sequence, the ball returned to Chancalay on the nearside as he approached the penalty area. Chancalay delivered a cross into the 6-yard box for Kyle Duncan, who headed the ball in for a goal. This represented a complete breakdown in coverage by San Diego, leaving Chancalay unchallenged for the majority of his run. This marked the third straight match SDFC has allowed a goal on a cross, following a late goal by Real Salt Lake’s Victor Olatunji and San Jose’s third goal by Preston Judd. It must feel embarrassing to be watching film and realizing the team is getting beat the same exact way over and over again.
The defensive struggles continued in the 40th minute. While San Diego appeared to be preparing for a long throw-in from Minnesota, the ball was instead played back toward midfield to Owen Gene. Gene sent a cross into the penalty area where Anthony Markanich headed the ball down. The ball took a large bounce where either Osvald Søe could have cleared it or Duran Ferree could have claimed it, but they allowed the ball to travel toward the goal where Kelvin Yeboah kicked it in. San Diego went into the half trailing 2-1. Despite the score, SDFC held a 67% possession advantage and four shots on target compared to Minnesota’s three, though Minnesota held more touches in the opposition box at 14 to 12.
Setbacks and Discipline Issues
The second half began with a disastrous turn of events as Chris McVey received a second yellow card within 30 seconds of the restart for stepping on Nicolas Romero. This was McVey’s third red card of the year and the team’s sixth red card in six matches. His first yellow card had come after fouling Yeboah outside the penalty area, an action he took because he felt Osvald Søe was not closing in fast enough. While the second yellow felt like a soft call, San Diego was forced to play down a man for the fourth straight match. Even while shorthanded, San Diego played well, maintaining 61% possession and recording eight shots in the second half. Minnesota recorded 12 total shots with four on target and held 22 touches in the opposition box. Anders Dreyer was a standout performer, leading the team with five shots, three on target, and two key passes. Onni Valakari and Lewis Morgan each added three shots, with Valakari recording two on target and Morgan providing two key passes. But the result remained 2-1 in favor of Minnesota.
This result marks SDFC’s first back-to-back losses since last year’s Leagues Cup and their first consecutive league defeats since April of last year. The team is now winless in five straight matches. Through seven matches this season, SDFC stands at 3-2-2, compared to 4-2-1 at the same point last year. While the team hit its winless streak earlier this season, the current three-game defensive stretch is statistically slightly better than last year’s slump, with seven goals allowed compared to nine. Goalkeeper Duran Ferree has saved 15 of 21 shots on target during this period, a 71.4% save percentage. Although Ferree is not the primary cause of the defensive issues, the backline lacks leadership and will be forced to start a young defense against a tough Real Salt Lake team without the suspended McVey. Fans are left hoping the club can replicate last year’s turnaround—where a 5-0 win against FC Dallas sparked a run of eight wins in ten matches—though they must find that spark with the team that is currently in place. Chucky Lozano is not walking through that door.
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