San Diego Make More Expansion History With Mls Cup Playoff Win

The vibes astatine San Diego FC’s Snapdragon Stadium person been awesome successful 2025, and they were moreover amended for nan description club’s first-ever MLS Cup playoff match. 

A week aft thrashing nan Portland Timbers 4–0 connected Decision Day astatine Providence Park, nan Oregon broadside dropped down nan West Coast, only for nan Chrome and Azul to manus them a 2–1 nonaccomplishment and nonstop 32,500 fans into a frenzy. 

“First of all, it’s a sold-out Stadium and nan ambiance was amazing,” said San Diego autochthonal and U.S. men’s nationalist squad midfielder Luca de la Torre post-match. “I’m really proud of nan group, nan performance, nan upwind aft we've been playing truthful good each play to do it erstwhile it really mattered. It intends truthful overmuch to us.”

San Diego opened nan scoring successful nan 23rd infinitesimal pinch a extremity from Onni Valakari, and MLS MVP finalist Anders Dreyer added a 2nd astatine nan half-hour mark, earlier Portland’s Kristoffer Velde pulled 1 backmost successful nan 36th minute.

The hosts kept control, taking a methodical attack focused connected securing nan triumph while not faltering nether nan unit of a postseason lucifer for nan first time. Meanwhile, nan Timbers’ comeback efforts became hampered successful nan 66th infinitesimal aft Jimer Fory picked up a reddish card. 

“The extremity quality doesn't really matter,” added de la Torre. “It's conscionable winning nan game, seeing nan crippled out. The reddish paper decidedly came astatine a bully clip and helped america adjacent retired nan game.”

San Diego ended their commanding capacity pinch 2.54 xG compared to Portland’s specified 0.85, while outshooting nan visitors 15-5, backed by roars of nan crowd whenever they jumped into an attacking phase. 

“I deliberation it was a really bully game. Of course, you play against a bully squad pinch bully players who besides conflict for their lives, truthful location are moments that you person to withstand during nan game, and I deliberation nan boys did that well,” caput coach Mikey Varas said. “This is simply a bully first step. This is playoff football, and this is conscionable 1 measurement successful nan travel that is information one.”

Anders Dreyer brought his regular-season shape into nan first crippled of nan postseason. / Chadd Cady-Imagn Images

Tipped arsenic a finalist for some nan MLS MVP and MLS Newcomer of nan Year awards, Dreyer brought his elite play from nan regular play into nan playoffs. Not only did he people nan eventual winning goal, but he had 4 shots and created 3 chances.

The Danish international’s reliability has go captious for San Diego, and came nether moreover much of a spotlight arsenic Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was near disconnected nan roster for nan 2nd consecutive game. Earlier successful nan week, The Athletic reported that a verbal altercation successful nan locker room was nan logic Lozano was held retired of Decision Day. 

Dreyer, though, played his 35th crippled successful MLS title and stood retired erstwhile again, now having 5 goals successful his past 3 matches. 

“It is important arsenic a group that our spot is our committedness and nan willingness to thief each different connected nan pitch,” Dreyer said. “We are difficult to hit and I'm happy that we yet won astatine home.”

Pride of nan City

With 32,500 fans astatine Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego FC had nan biggest attendance of nan 2025 MLS Cup playoffs truthful far. / San Diego FC

Throughout their first play successful MLS, San Diego person ingrained themselves successful nan community, drafting important crowds to matches and opening a younker academy arsenic portion of nan famed Right to Dream system. 

And arsenic overmuch arsenic nan wide nationalist person flocked to Snapdragon Stadium to support 1 of nan astir breathtaking teams successful MLS, plentifulness of notable celebrities and athletes person besides made their measurement to nan ground. 

For Game 1, number proprietor and San Diego Padres shot prima Manny Machado carried a ample bluish orb, dubbed “the flow,” up of kickoff arsenic he did successful nan club’s first-ever game. Meanwhile, his Padres teammate, Jackson Merrill, sewage nan crowd going, downing a beverage connected nan stadium’s large screen. 

All of it has added to nan personality and civilization San Diego person built successful twelvemonth one, buoyed by nan occurrence they’ve recovered connected nan pitch. Now they look to adjacent Saturday’s Game 2, pinch hopes of closing retired nan series. Should they win, San Diego will book a location day against either Seattle Sounders FC aliases Minnesota United successful nan Western Conference semifinal. 

“It’s a tremendous grant to person nan work of representing San Diego arsenic a community, arsenic nan caput coach, making judge that we create a squad and individual players that are a reflection of nan values of nan community,” Varas said. “We talk a batch astir being humble and hungry. And correct now, arsenic you said, nan occupation is not done.”

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