The national anthem just finished, and a military aircraft flew over Snapdragon Stadium.

The 27,000+ screaming fans are honoring our military veterans for Military Night, and electricity is in the air.

The fireworks followed, exploding in the night sky and setting the tone for a game that San Diego longed for—a dominant performance played in the style that San Diego FC started the season with.

Everything was clicking. The passes were sharp, the team possessed the ball 60%, and most importantly, San Diego scored on the chances they created, which was something they struggled with for a long time.

Fans were treated to five goals on the night, and the team proved how dangerous they can be.

As always, let’s get into it!

The Lineup That Worked

It’s been said many times before that the lineup that Mikey Varas chooses to start is anything but predictable. Another week, another surprise- this time it worked great. Luca Bombino and Willy Kumado retained their spots in the starting lineup, earning back-to-back starts in the frequency-rotated back positions. Franco Negri was not available off the bench for this game. Bombino played in an intense fashion, hosting up and down the field, showing off his fitness, making touch tackles, and winning 50/50 balls. This was his best game yet, and he is surely making a case for himself to be in contention for a regular starting role.

A highly anticipated first start for striker Alex Mighten gave the team the much-needed speed and creativity in the front. Mighten, who started instead of Valakari, finally got the chance to prove that he belongs in the starting eleven, and he left zero doubts with an incredible performance.

Mighten gained possession of the ball in the attacking third of the field in the 20th minute of the match and, as he so often does, used his speed to dribble and take on two defenders. His ability to dribble directly at defenders with pace gives the opposition a hard time trying to slow him down without committing a foul. Mighten was brought down in the penalty box, and Chucky took the honors to put away the penalty kick to bring San Diego up 1-0.

In the post-game press conference, when asked about the idea behind Alex Mighten getting the starting role, Mikey Varas alluded to the fact that he earned that opportunity by being a constant game-changer off the bench. Mighten played tough, driving directly at defenders and fighting to win the ball back, he left it all out on the field. Unfortunately, after being involved in a number of tackles, he was seen grabbing at his shoulder and wincing. He was subbed off in the 38th minute for Valakari.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

If you’ve ever wondered what Mikey Varas meant when he spoke about how he envisions the team playing out of the back and all the times he’s referenced the build-up style of play that leads to open space in the attack, look no further because now there is visual proof of it.

Let’s break it down.

Good morning, San Diego.

Hope you slept well. pic.twitter.com/nRbBqN8pQk

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

In the 27th minute, like so many times before, San Diego predictably played out of the back. The first key to being successful in this way is ensuring that a quick pass finds an outlet (Dreyer, in this case). Connecting one-touch passes in a one-two-style transition, SDFC carved through Dallas’s high press and sent a pass into the feet of Anders Dreyer.

Notice how the Dane collects the ball and quickly changes his dribbling direction from moving up the sideline to driving into the middle. This draws the three defenders around him to try to close him down.

Chucky is isolated one-on-one with a defender and quickly makes a run inside, identifying the open space that Dallas was forced to give up in a counterattack as a result of the unsuccessful high press. Dreyer places an excellent through ball into the wide-open middle of the field, trusting that Chucky’s sheer skill will take care of the rest.

Chucky finishes theatrically to make it two-nil, and the crowd gets treated to a Mikey Varas masterclass. In the post-match press conference, Varas emphasized the importance of staying true to the team’s identity, regardless of recent results. That consistency showed on the pitch, as San Diego delivered a sharp performance marked by crisp passing and fluid transitions. The squad stayed compact, disciplined, and executed their roles with precision—a clear reflection of a productive week on the training ground.

Keeping an Edge

San Diego remains first in the league in possession percentage, which speaks volumes considering they just lost three games in a row. Even in losing contests, the team stayed true to their style, holding and possessing the ball as much as possible. San Diego racked up an expected goals (xG) total of just 2.0 against Dallas yet found the back of the net five times—a clinical display of finishing beyond the numbers. While the chances created didn’t all register as high-quality opportunities, SDFC made the most of their looks, converting half-chances into goals and punishing Dallas with ruthless efficiency.

Dynamic Duo Selected for TOTW

Chucky Lozano and Andres Dreyer earned a spot on the MLS week 11 Team of the Week. Dreyer finally found the back of the net after a dry spell. He also bagged an assist when he unselfishly set up Valakari, who got into open space inside the box after the defenders were forced to cover Dreyer due to his skillful turn into the danger area.

Lozano netted a total of two goals and collected an assist when he distributed a perfectly weighed pass to Dreyer, who finished from the right side of the penalty box.

Tidbits

• Milan Ilosky netted his first goal for his hometown club. The Escondido native made the most of his sub opportunity when he slotted a well-placed shot from the right side of the box past the FC Dallas keeper to make it 5-0. Ilosky was seen kissing the SDFC badge before slapping hands and celebrating with the Frontera behind the goal. It was surely a proud moment he will never forget.
• This was SDFC’s biggest win yet in terms of scored goals. They have never scored more than three goals in a single match.
• San Diego sits fourth in the Western Conference, only two points away from second place.
• The next game is away against a St. Louis City team, which is winless in its last seven consecutive matches.

Dmitry Anisimov

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.