Snapdragon Stadium- 

San Diego FC played FC Dallas today at Snapdragon Stadium, snapping their three-game losing streak with five goals to nothing.

The attack and midfield shone, and Mikey Varas’s promises to the fans were fulfilled.

Coach Mikey Varas made one change to the lineup, starting Alex Mighten in the frontline instead of Onni Valakari. Varas has been forced to experiment with the frontline, with Ingvartsen’s lower body injury and Hirving Lozano’s hamstring strain earlier in the season. 

Starting Out Strong

Immediately as the game started, SDFC seemed more confident and quick in their decision-making in the midfield than in the last few weeks. Plays were built up from the goalkeeper, through the center and flanks of the field, and to the frontline. 

The defensive line was still a little shaky in the first half, but the team played with great chemistry and filled in the gaps to prevent any promising attacks from FC Dallas. 

Chucky didn’t have to do ’em like that…

…yet he did pic.twitter.com/HSdogpbgXX

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) May 4, 2025

On the other end of the pitch, SDFC was able to build up plays through creative runs and crosses into the box. At the 17th minute, Mighten earned a penalty for San Diego after running the ball up the right flank and into the box. “Chucky” Lozano shot the ball into the lower left corner of the box, converting the penalty and giving San Diego FC the lead. 

San Diego FC’s frontline experimentation seemed to pay off, as Dreyer had more freedom in the center forward position to run the ball straight through the midfield. In the 27th minute, he did just that and beat the FC Dallas goalkeeper, providing the assist for Lozano’s second goal. 

In the 37th minute, FC Dallas center back Osaze Urhoghide collided with Alex Mighten, earning himself a yellow card. Unfortunately, Mighten had to be substituted and was replaced by midfielder Onni Valakari. Dreyer moved from his central position to the right wing, and Valakari filled in the central gap in the front line. 

The first half ended with San Diego FC up 2-0. SDFC played confidently and found the focus in the midfield that they lacked in the last few games. SDFC dominated the midfield, with great transitional passing and overlapping runs from the fullbacks. 

Maintaining the Lead

The game restarted for the second half, with no additional changes yet to San Diego or Dallas’s  lineup. FC Dallas’s attack came out strong, threatening to score a goal, but CJ dos Santos quickly shut that idea down. 

In the 56th minute, Anders Dreyer extended the lead to 3-0 after Lozano made a great run up the field to set up his teammate. San Diego FC has struggled to maintain momentum in the second half in recent games, but tonight, they seemed to break through that challenge. 

FC Dallas pushed hard to close the gap, but San Diego’s defense was coordinated and compact. Any balls that made it through the defensive line were cleaned up by Dos Santos. 

In the 66th minute, Varas brought on Oscar Verhoeven to replace Willy Kumado. The 18-year-old is San Diego FC’s most recent signing, and tonight marked his debut. Varas has been experimenting with the fullbacks all season, and seems not to have made up his mind on who to start.

In the 73rd minute, Dreyer passed the ball to Valakari, whose shot hit the goalpost. The stadium went silent as VAR checked if the ball crossed the goal line. Minutes later, the crowd erupted, and San Diego FC added another goal to the already impressive score line. 

With four goals to nothing, the stadium was buzzing. Many FC Dallas players were hanging their heads on the pitch, with the momentum and score against them. 

Escondido, California STAND UP @milaniloski123 opens his scoring account with SDFC. pic.twitter.com/AFWahyF65D

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) May 4, 2025

Varas brought on Hamady Diop in place of Luca Bombino, trying out another fullback in search of the perfect combination. New signing Iloski also came on for Lozano to bring fresh legs to the attack. Soon after, Valakari delivered the ball to the striker, and Iloski scored the fifth goal of the night for SDFC. 

Head Coach Mikey Varas has been testing different players for the attacking line and full-back positions all season. It seems tonight, his lineup and tactics were finally the solution San Diego FC needed. The team had successful attacking runs, leading to four goals, and the back line was organized, preventing any goals against the team. With the three-game losing streak broken, things are looking up for San Diego FC.

Mikey Varas explains how SDFC was so successful in possession tonight@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/gqn7vTsekt

— Jenny Furrer (@JennyFurrer619) May 4, 2025

Jenny Furrer

Jenny is a San Diego native, athlete, and local sports fanatic. She covers San Diego FC and San Diego Wave.