San Diego FC look to break slump against Minnesota United
MLS
San Diego FC has found itself in a bit of a slump, winless in its last four games in all competitions and coming off a 3-0 loss against San Jose. SDFC will now host Minnesota United for a game in the 2026 MLS regular season this Saturday, April 11, at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego’s defense has especially struggled in this slump, conceding 12 goals in these last four games. Disciplinary issues have also been prevalent as of late, with five red cards in the last five games played in all competitions.
Manu Duah received his second red card in the last five games and will be unavailable for this match. The last time Duah was unavailable, Mikey Varas opted to use Ian Pilcher in his place.
Osvald Soe filled in for Christopher McVey against San Jose,e so it will be interesting to see if the Nordic defender gets another start.
San Diego had a strong start to the season and is still in seventh place on the Western Conference table. The Southern California team is just five points behind LAFC in first place and needs to start gaining more momentum. SDFC is still undefeated at Snapdragon Stadium this year with four wins and a draw in all competitions at the Mission Valley Fortress.
The offense had a dismal day against San Jose and will look to get back on track. It seems that Varas is still trying to find an ideal starting trio to partner with Anders Dreyer.
Dreyer has provided a goal contribution or better in six out of 10 games played in all competitions this year. As expected, the attacking production is heavily reliant on the Danish international.
Duran Ferree has kept his starting role in the net and still had an impressive performance despite conceding three goals against San Jose. The San Diego native made seven saves against the Earthquakes and has been one of the bright spots this season for SDFC.
Minnesota United is just three points behind San Diego on the Western Conference table. The Loons are coming off a 2-1 away win against the LA Galaxy, but did suffer a rough patch before that.
Before that victory, Minnesota was winless in three consecutive games, which included losses to Vancouver (6-0) and Nashville (3-1). Superstar signing James Rodriguez has only played 39 minutes this season and is questionable to play against San Diego.
Minnesota manager Cameron Knowles said that the Colombian international is still dealing with an illness. Joaquin Pereyra is the primary playmaker for this Minnesota attack with three assists on the season.
The Loons have been dealing with several injuries, as veteran centre-back Michael Boxall will also miss this match.
San Diego has some significant absences, especially Duah, but still has a massive advantage in this match. This is an ideal opportunity for San Diego to get out of this lackluster run of form.
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.