The San Diego Loyal played a friendly match against German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund at Snapdragon Stadium this Thursday, July 27. 12,207 spectators were present for this match, and generated a lively atmosphere, as the Loyal supporters section did not stop singing and cheering for the entire match despite the result.

The friendly match had certain expectations, and Borussia Dortmund definitely delivered, playing with a first-team squad to open the game. Stars like Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Julian Brandt, and Emre Can were in the starting 11 for the “Black and Yellows.”

The German team were able to get an extremely quick start to the match, with a goal in the first minute of the encounter by Julien Duranville. The 17-year-old forward scored from inside of the penalty box after a flashy assist by Youssoufa Moukoko.

After the goal, the San Diego Loyal applied pressures for the visitors with plenty of scoring opportunities. In a span of three minutes, Tumi Moshobane had two scoring chances; the first came in the seventh minute when a shot by the South African forward was deflected. The second was in the 10th minute when a shot by Moshobane was saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Evan Conway then had a pair of chances within 10 minutes of play, the first coming in the 14th minute when a perfectly-executed cross by Adrien Perez found the American striker inside of the penalty area, but he did not receive the ball in the best way. In the 24th minute, a shot by Conway went ride to the right of Kobel’s net, and Dortmund remained with the 1-0 lead.

Shortly after, in the 27th minute, Borussia Dortmund extended their lead with a goal by Youssoufa Moukoko. The 18-year-old striker was able to take advantage of sloppy possession by Grant Stoneman and proceeded to round Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas to put the ball into an empty net.

The first half ended 2-0 in Dortmund’s favor with a bit of a sour taste for the Loyal, given the opportunities that they squandered.

At the start of the second half, both teams made several substitutions, but Dortmund still kept in players like Marco Reus, Niklas Sule, and Julian Brandt. Some notable players also came in for the “Black and Yellows,” like Sebastien Haller and Thomas Meunier. The Loyal subbed in teenage goalkeeper Duran Ferree for Koke Vegas, debuted Michael Chilaka, and brought in other players like Alejandro Guido and Ronaldo Damus.

Borussia Dortmund dominated the second half, first scoring in the 60th minute with a magnificent free-kick goal by Marco Reus. The perfectly-executed shot left Duran Ferree frozen in net as the German team extended its lead to 3-0. In the 62nd minute, the Belgian duo of Thorgan Hazard and Thomas Meunier linked up for the “Black and Yellows” to give the visitors a 4-0 lead at Snapdragon Stadium.

Sebastien Haller made the scoreline 5-0 with a goal from the penalty spot, and the Loyal were far out of the game by the 68th minute of the clash. The German giants were not done yet with a stunning goal by Paul-Philipp Besong in the 89th minute. Besong displayed his speed and physicality on the scoring play, going up against several Loyal defenders.

One of the best teams in the world certainly demonstrated its power against a San Diego Loyal team that fought but were a bit unlucky not to come away with at least a goal. San Diego now looks ahead to five-consecutive home matches in the USL Championship, starting with a game against the Colorado Switchbacks this Sunday, July 30.

Francisco Velasco

Francisco, 26, 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 Loyal, San Diego Wave.