Anders Dreyer & Mikey Varas make MLS Team of the Matchday alongside Messi
Credit: SDFC
This Monday, February 24, Major League Soccer officially released its Team of the Matchday for the first matchday of the season.
San Diego FC shocked the league with a 2-0 win over MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, and the star of the game was Anders Dreyer, who scored both goals.
Dreyer was a very obvious inclusion to this team, as he played a massive role in this historic win for SDFC. The 26-year-old forward was inclusively named as the Player of the Matchday for his effort. This was a historic feat as no other expansion team player has been given this honor after its inaugural game since Fredy Montero did it in 2009 with Seattle Sounders.
The Danish player scored his first goal after a fatal error by the Galaxy’s backline, who gifted the ball to Hirving Lozano.
What a way to close it out for @sandiegofc.
Anders Dreyer, my goodness. pic.twitter.com/fwkO0fnXvP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 24, 2025
Lozano passed the ball to Dreyer inside of the penalty area, and he was never going to miss from his position. Dreyer’s second goal came in the match’s dying minutes with a very well-constructed counterattack and fantastic link-up play between the Danish winger and Tomas Angel.
Angel sent a perfect pass that cut through Galaxy’s defense and found Dreyer, who finished the opportunity with plenty of precision and composure. The SDFC forward is with elite company in the Team of the Matchday attack with superstar Lionel Messi and Atlanta United’s Emmanuel Latte Lath, who also netted a brace this weekend.
The rest of the team is as follows: Diego Rossi (Columbus), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago), Boris Enow (D.C. United), Jayden Nelson (Vancouver), Brayan Ceballos (New England), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Rodrigues (San Jose), Zack Steffen (Colorado).
Shined brightest on Matchday 1.
: https://t.co/zN1crrKax0 pic.twitter.com/aT1YtaalDL
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 24, 2025
San Diego’s Mikey Varas leads the team from the bench, whose very bold tactics led to this magnificent result for the Chrome and Azul side. Varas stayed true to his very offensive and aggressive playing style which is not conventional away from home against the current champions.
SDFC controlled possession and really excelled at generating play and counterattacks throughout the encounter. The midfield and backline were rigid in this match for San Diego and really neutralized a very potent LA Galaxy attack led by Marco Reus.
San Diego FC enjoyed a dream start to the season and have been one of the major talking points of this first matchday. However, now it is time for the Chrome and Azul side to switch focus to the first-ever MLS game at Snapdragon Stadium on March 1 against St. Louis.
Francisco, 28, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.