San Jose Recap: Why SDFC’s possession game isn’t enough
Credit: Tammy Ryan/EVT Sports
The race to finish first in the Western conference got a little tighter when San Diego FC dropped crucial points at home in a loss to San Jose Earthquakes. SDFC are still first in the conference, but a lot can happen with two matches remaining. How did San Diego FC go from dominating the league to earning just a single point in their last three matches, in a time that matters most?
Let’s dive in and take a look at what went wrong.
Good Stats, No Result
As mentioned above, SDFC earned one point out of a possible nine in their last three matches. The positive is that they create chances and dominate the possession – a sign of a good team. Head coach Mikey Varas will be happy with the gameplay his team is putting together. After all, his work is shining through his players when they stick to their identity of dominating possession and playing brave out of the back.
Possession is important because it breeds chance creation. In their last three matches, San Diego out possessed teams with 68%, 64% and 72%, respectively. The results are not coming simply because SDFC cannot finish their chances. Combine lack of finishing with teams figuring out how to defend the two biggest threats that SDFC has on offense and you’ve got yourself a big problem.
San Jose Copy What Worked for Others
San Jose followed a familiar blueprint, sitting in a compact low block for much of the match. It’s the same tactic other opponents have used against San Diego FC — and one that continues to cause problems. The Earthquakes were content to let SDFC dominate possession, waiting patiently to strike on the counter. Let’s take a look at an example below.
Chicho Arango collects the ball in the midfield with plenty of space around. He’s then allowed to dribble up into SDFC’s defensive third without any pressure from the surrounding five San Diego players. Manu Duah and Chris McVey are running with Josef Martinez, covering his front and back. Due to lack of pressure on Arango from the three midfielders, McVey makes the decision to cut off his run and leaves space for Martinez to run on to. As McVey commits, Arango slips the ball in behind and Martinez has time and space to slide the ball into the opposite corner of the net.
These kinds of defensive breakdowns are hard to overcome for a team who’s been dominating the game, outshooting their opponent 19-7. It simply cannot happen.
Deeper Look into SDFC’s Game Dominance
Taking a look at the passing map, it’s clear who dominated the passing and chance creation up front. In a game that produced a 2.35 xG for San Diego FC, it’s quite remarkable that not one of the 19 shots went into the back of the net.
Clearly, the gameplan was to utilize Anders Dreyer as much as possible, with 51% of the passes in the final third going through him. Teams have found a way to stifle San Diego’s star wingers by committing more bodies to them. Opponents are simply saying they’re willing to take chances with the rotating number nine rather than letting Hirving Lozano or Anders Dreyer in on goal.
Missed Opportunities
In a game of missed opportunities, SDFC caught San Jose off their line in a simple, over-the-top ball that landed perfectly in front of Lozano. As the Mexican superstar chipped San Jose’s keeper, the ball went just wide.
The goals couldn’t have come any closer after Onni Valakari missed a sitter in front of the net. McVey did a great job intersecting a pass in the attacking thirdand continued his run after dumping off a pass to Dreyer. McVey collected a returning pass on the edge of the box and slipped a perfect passinto a wide open Valakari who missed from a short distance.
Amahl Pellegrino Struggles
To make matters worse, San Diego FC’s struggles with the number nine continue. Amahl Pellegrino was brought in to score goals, he has not done so when presented with opportunities in front of the net. Corey Baird has been battling injuries but even when he’s on the field, he has simply not been good enough.
It’s becoming clear that Amahl Pellegrino has fallen short of the expectations San Diego’s front office had when they brought him in. While he was initially given time to adjust to Mikey Varas’ system, the patience is beginning to wear thin. Pellegrino continues to make costly, fundamental errors — the kind that simply shouldn’t be happening at this level.
One key moment from the San Jose match highlighted Pellegrino’s struggles. Caught offside in a critical attacking sequence, he failed to recognize the space between himself and the defensive line. By the time he adjusted, Dreyer had already played a well-timed pass that went unused — drawing a visibly frustrated reaction from his teammate.
On MLS Wrap-Up, Bradley Wright-Phillips noted that creating chances won’t be San Diego FC’s issue — finishing them will. With opponents increasingly setting up in low blocks, the pressure now falls on Mikey Varas and his staff to make adjustments. If SDFC can’t find a way to convert their opportunities and break down compact defenses, their postseason run could be cut short.
San Diego FC travel to Houston this Saturday to attempt to get revenge on a very good team who beat them at home earlier this season.
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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.