Snapdragon Stadium-

SDFC bounced back to earn their first win, returning from the international break.

The lone goal in the match came in the 50th minute from Alejandro Alvarado Jr.—an impressive strike from outside the box for his first goal of the season. It was also Alvarado Jr.’s first start since returning from injury.

The GOAL of the night. pic.twitter.com/dEDQ9q1yqs

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) July 26, 2026

San Diego snapped its three-game winless streak and remains undefeated all-time against FC Dallas.

SDFC dominated the match with over 70% possession. Valakari came close to making it 2-0 shortly after the opener, but his left-footed shot crashed right off the post. Defensively, the team looked sound despite struggling to close out tight games earlier in the season.

Dallas had a few threatening moments in front of the goal, but San Diego overall looked more organized.

Young defender Manu Dua continued to impress on the back line, earning his first MLS assist and making a crucial late defensive recovery. The young players stepped up once again for San Diego.

Also worth noting was SDFC goalkeeper CJ dos Santos, who delivered a stellar performance in goal. He earned his first clean sheet of the season after overcoming back-to-back injuries that kept him sidelined for the first half of the 2026 season.

SDFC looks to carry this momentum into next week when they head to Minnesota, which currently holds the final playoff spot with 23 points to San Diego’s 20.

San Diego currently sits in 12th place; however, only six points separate them from sixth place. The crowd in San Diego came alive after the victory, delivering exactly the energy the city wants to see heading into this busy stretch.

With plenty of season left and new additions—such as defender Dagur Thórhallsson and Elias Achouri, who occupies San Diego’s final DP spot—there is plenty of optimism about how the team will finish the second half of the year.

Manuel Sanchez