On a gorgeous Saturday evening in St. Louis, Missouri, 24 thousand fans packed a sold-out Energizer Park.

San Diego came into St. Louis expecting anything but an easy game in a crucial match for both teams.

Three points for San Diego would mean keeping pace with the other top five in the West. For St. Louis, it would mean getting back to winning again – something they haven’t done in the seven matches leading up to this game. City SC had to do something outside of their comfort zone if they wanted a different result, and it wasn’t what Mikey Varas had in mind when he constructed his game plan.

As always, let’s get into it!

Surprise, Surprise

When the starting lineup became available, it was clear that San Diego meant business. Varas went with the same 10 men who had just slaughtered FC Dallas 5-0 the weekend before. Many thought he would give bench players a chance to showcase themselves against a clearly struggling opposition, but that proved false.

St. Louis is known for letting the opponent have possession and being disciplined on defense. To everyone’s surprise, City SC came out looking like a different team. They showed energy right out of the gate, pressing high and man-marking. San Diego clearly looked like it was taken off guard as it scrambled to keep possession and its shape.

Despite the surprise, San Diego still managed to win possession in the first half as they controlled the ball 57% of the time. St. Louis attacked, pressed, and man-marked, and it paid dividends for them as they tallied eight shots while forcing CJ Dos Santos to make two really good saves. SDFC managed only a single shot all of first half, it was clear something needed to change. Perhaps more creativity was needed. San Diego looked slow in possession. Guys were not making runs as there was a lot of standing around waiting for someone to make a move that would open up St. Louis’ tight shape.

Making The Right Adjustments

Surely, by now, it’s clear that Mikey Varas knows how to adjust for the second half; it was evident in this game. San Diego came out and matched the same energy that City had showcased to them at the beginning of the game. Staying true to their signature style, SDFC consistently played out confidently from the back. The players demonstrated composure in tight spaces, and their touches appeared more refined and deliberate than in previous matches.

This seemed to put St. Louis on its heels. San Diego’s high press proved effective, as the team worked cohesively to maintain pressure in the attacking third. This approach frequently forced turnovers, leading to increased shots and dangerous scoring opportunities. San Diego outshot City 16-8 in the second half, a testament to their refined efforts.

Praises for Chucky

Head Coach Mikey Varas praised Chucky Lozano often lately. Why not? After all, he deserves it. The Mexican international has scored two goals and made two assists in the last five matches. Most of all, Varas is impressed by Chucky’s commitment to defend. He’s working hard on both sides of the field, forcing turnovers and creating chances. “I would expect the Mexican Federation is watching these games and seeing that he’s really stepping up in a big way,” said Varas, alluding to the fact that Lozano needs to be in conversation for being chosen as part of the Mexico national team as the World Cup looms around the corner.

Tactical Awareness Leads to First Goal

San Diego’s high press finally paid off when Chucky forced a St. Louis defender to clear the ball under pressure. As St. Louis tried to bring the ball down and get possession, three SDFC players forced a turnover.

De la Torre collected the loose ball after Tverskov’s challenge and quickly passed to Godoy. Within a second, Godoy was already looking ahead to an awaiting Milan Ilosky, who made a cheeky turn and put himself through with pace. This move allowed Ilosky a couple of seconds of freedom to shoot and pulled the trigger from outside the box. The well-placed shot beat Lundt to the lower left-hand corner of the net, and Ilosky celebrated by “shushing” the crowd while running the end line. The Escondido, California native is proving to be a force off the bench with two goals in as many matches, which San Diego desperately needed in tight games like this one.

Dreyer on Fire

To the tune of “Freed From Desire” by Gala – “Dreyer’s on fire, your defense is terrified, Dreyer’s on fire! Na na na na na, na na, na na na, na na.” No? Just me? Ok, fine, but he is making a case for a personalized chant by the Frontera with how he’s been playing lately.

In the week leading up to this match, Varas alluded to possibly playing some long-balls over the top to get in behind the stingy St. Louis defense, which is exactly what led to the very important third goal. City defender Yaro mishandled the ball as it ricocheted off his foot into the path of a dashing Dreyer, who quickly took a touch past the diving keeper. Surprisingly, Dreyer regained possession of the ball on the left side of the box as no one closed him down. The Dane had all the time in the world to turn around, dribble back towards the goal, and sneak a shot into the near post past Lundt to make it 2-0.

Notice how Dreyer put his hands up just for a second to indicate that he was looking for a teammate to pass to when, in reality, he was set on shooting the whole time. This sneaky gesture made Lundt believe he was looking to pass across the box, which gave Dreyer the slightest of margins to strike a well-placed shot into the near corner.

Looking Ahead

SDFC returns to the pitch on Wednesday when they take on Colorado at home before another quick turnaround on Saturday against Austin FC. When asked about how his team is preparing for a grueling week of games, Mikey Varas said, “We have to prove that we have a big team.” He’s alluding to the fact that other guys will have to step up in starting roles if players can’t recover quickly enough.

The team also has to stay mentally focused. This is a new challenge that San Diego has not faced before; therefore, the guys may not be used to mentally preparing themselves to shift focus quickly and study a new team and a new game plan. One thing is for certain: SDFC has the right man for the job to prepare them for anything.

Tidbits

• Oscar Verhoeven continued to impress in a second consecutive performance off the bench, helping see out the win during a crucial time in the match. Mikey Varas seems impressed with the kid, saying that he hopes the US Youth National team is taking note of his progress.
• Luca Bombino put in another great shift in the wing-back position, making a strong case to the coaching staff for a regular starting position. He looked brave in tough challenges, and his passing seemed much improved, as he showed confidence in hitting long balls and through passes into the attack.
• SDFC continued to struggle to defend set pieces. Dreyer’s goal became even more important as St. Louis was able to get one from a free kick that ricocheted inside the box, hit the post, and eventually was kicked into the back of the net.
• San Diego has to make the most of its opportunities when playing weaker opponents in the next three games. While there are no easy games in the MLS, Colorado, Kansas City, and the Galaxy are all struggling teams that can be beaten. The goal is to gain enough points to contend for first place in the West when they take on Minnesota and Vancouver in the middle of June, currently second and first in the table, respectively.

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Dmitry Anisimov

Dmitry Anisimov is a San Diego native who played soccer up to the college level when he represented the SDSU Men’s Club Soccer team. Growing up in San Diego, Dmitry is a fan of all the home teams but he specifically couldn’t wait until San Diego got an MLS team. Once that dream became reality, Dmitry married his love for writing and the game of soccer to portray a voice of the San Diego soccer community. There is a deep-rooted love of soccer culture in San Diego and Dmitry hopes to bring it to light through his pre and post-game coverage of all things San Diego FC.