San Diego FC defeat St. Louis City 2-0 to sit atop MLS table
Credit: Tammy Ryan/EVT Sports
San Diego FC played its second game in the 2026 MLS regular season against St. Louis City at Snapdragon Stadium this Sunday, March 1.
SDFC had massive expectations heading into this match after beginning the new campaign with a 5-0 thrashing against Montreal.
Looking busy for the second match of the season. San Diego FC hosts St. Louis City at Snapdragon Stadium.@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/fPoxlQPwk7
— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) March 2, 2026
Manager Mikey Varas did not make any changes to the starting 11 that was able to get the significant victory in the opening game. The biggest surprise was seeing young goalkeeper Duran Ferree start the game in net once again.
SDFC began the game briskly as Anders Dreyer scored his first goal of the season just three minutes into the match. Dreyer himself began the play from around the middle of the pitch, and the Danish player went on to make the run and receive the sphere from Marcus Ingvartsen on the edge of the penalty area.
Anders Dreyer aka “El Paletero” scores 3 minutes into the game. pic.twitter.com/irmbModCwd
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) March 2, 2026
Dreyer fired the shot with power and precision to find the back of the net and give the crucial early lead to the home side.
SDFC kept the intensity going after that opening goal and managed to test Roman Burki on a pair of occasions within the following minutes. The clearest scoring opportunity came when a header by Marcus Ingvartsen was stopped by the veteran shot-stopper.
After that stretch early on in the match, the game flow slowed down significantly. San Diego controlled possession as expected, but really struggled to get anything on target against Burki.
St. Louis struggled to maintain the ball and provoke any type of significant danger to the home side’s net. Simon Becher missed a sitter in front of San Diego’s net that has the potential to drastically change this game in the 23rd minute.
However, Duran Ferree finished the first half untested with no saves as SDFC was comfortably controlling the match.
San Diego FC began the second half with much more energy than they ended the opening 45 minutes. Marcus Ingvartsen gave Mikey Varas’ side a 2-0 lead in the 54th minute with a strike from inside the penalty area.
Anders Dreyer put the ball on a platter for Ingvartsen, who easily finished the scoring opportunity. Varas made his first change in the 63rd minute when Pedro Soma replaced veteran Anibal Godoy.
Marcus Ingvartsen makes it 2️⃣ for SD. pic.twitter.com/nCVaRKF0ur
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) March 2, 2026
San Diego maintained possession more heavily in the second half with 77 percent control through the initial 25 minutes.
Burki was tested consistently in this match and again in the 73rd minute when he stopped a shot by Amahl Pellegrino. It had not been for the Swiss goalkeeper, SDFC would have walked out with a much flashier result.
Varas did not move the lineup again until the 79th minute, when Bryce Duke and Alex Mighten came on for Onni Valakari and Marcus Ingvartsen.
By this time, San Diego seemed to be playing a defeated St. Louis side that did not offer much of a contest on the pitch. The last change came in the 89th minute when Ian Pilcher replaced Manu Duah.
SDFC closed out the win in an extremely comfortable fashion and came away with its second win of the 2026 MLS season. San Diego has now won all three games in all competitions at Snapdragon Stadium in 2026 and has outscored opponents 11-1 in these encounters.
The Southern California side continues to be one of the teams in MLS that is most comfortable in its skin. One of the teams with the most clear identity and style of play in the league.
SDFC will now play consecutive road games, first at Kansas City on March 7, then against FC Dallas on March 14. With this result, San Diego sits atop the MLS league table with six points and a goal differential of seven.
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.