Recap: Late Equalizer Denies SDFC Road Win in Wild 3–3 Match with Dallas

With three matches squeezed into one week, San Diego FC rotated its lineup heavily on Saturday evening. The match against FC Dallas provided a chance to see just how deep the squad really is.

Mikey Varas made several changes to the lineup ahead of the Toluca match on Wednesday night. Osvald Soe made his first starting XI appearance in the CB position. The 6'1, 20-year-old Dane was signed in the offseason from Danish side B.93. Pablo Sisniega made his first MLS start, replacing Duran Ferree, who's currently riding a three-game clean sheet. David Vazquez and Alex Mighten replaced Anders Dreyer and Amahl Pellegrino. Last but not least, team captain Jeppe Tverskov got a chance to rest with Pedro Soma taking over the center midfield duties.

First Half

SDFC clearly didn't look like themselves in the beginning of the match with so many changes in the lineup. FC Dallas pressed high with numbers to force turnovers in bad spots for SDFC. For a team that has recently looked fluid and precise in possession, the difference was noticeable.

In the 17th minute, Mighten crossed the ball into the penalty area and hit FC Dallas defender Shaq Moore in the forearm. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty kick and Onni Valakari buried it in the left corner.

FC Dallas turned up the pressure. They continued to press with numbers, often turning bad SDFC passes into shots, forcing Sisniega to make two saves in the first 20 minutes.

SDFC got another break when Vazquez broke free into the danger area in the 31st minute. FC Dallas' midfielder Herman Johansson missed the ball while going for a tackle from behind and caught Vazquez's ankle. The result of the play brought yet another penalty and a yellow card for Johansson. Ingvartsen stepped up and didn't miss to make it 2-0.

The pressure from FC Dallas finally paid off when SDFC were passing the ball between Sisniega, Duah and Soe deep in their own area. Soe took a bit of a heavy touch among three FC Dallas defenders and turned the ball over in the penalty box. Petar Musa turned on an incoming cross and finished the chance past Sisniega to make it 2-1 before the half.

San Diego’s commitment to building out from the back can be a difficult system to master. With several new faces in the lineup, moments of hesitation and mistakes were almost inevitable as players adjusted to the demands of playing out under pressure. Those growing pains are part of the process, however, as the team continues to sharpen itself through experience.

Second Half

Varas made one change to begin the second half as Jeppe Tverskov replaced Pedro Soma, who was on a yellow card.

Alex Mighten raced down the left flank right outside of the danger area in the 51st minute, he slipped away from pressure, looked up and provided a perfect low cross to Valakari who took a one-time shot that bounced off the Dallas defender and into the back of the net. The final decision was an own goal to put SDFC up 3-1.

Three minutes later, Bernard Kamungo broke through and found himself one-on-one with Sisniega near the top of the penalty area. Sisniega was caught in no man’s land and arrived late to the challenge, bringing Kamungo down and conceding another penalty. Petar Musa stepped up and converted in the 54th minute, cutting the deficit to 3–2.

The result of the play forced Varas to make a double change in the 58th minute. Anders Dreyer replaced Vazquez and Amahl Pellegrino switched places with Mighten. Varas has never been shy about doing what it takes to give his team the best chance to win—even if it means turning to players who were originally meant to rest.

In the 70th minute, Soe's debut came to an end. Overall, the Dane played decent, but he never seemed comfortable, making multiple mistakes that led to turnovers. Chris McVey stepped in to finish the last 20 minutes of the match as SDFC looked to see out the win in a demanding match.

As the end of the match neared, FC Dallas pressed with all they had. Head coach Eric Quill added another midfielder to the attack, substituting Sebastien Ibeagha for Ran Binyamin. SDFC continued to defend with numbers, keeping possession and their cool. With eight minutes of stoppage time given, the match was far from over. SDFC played a little bit of keep away to finish the match, making FC Dallas chase the ball as much as possible.

The 94th minute brought elation to Toyota Stadium as Kamungo dribbled past three SDFC defenders into the danger area and Musa finished the attack with a one-time shot to bring the game to a tie, 3-3, earning a hat-trick.

IIn a match where San Diego FC were outshot 13 to 5, rotated heavily, and spent long stretches defending, a point on the road might normally feel like a solid result. But after holding a two–goal lead deep into stoppage time, the draw will feel like an opportunity missed. For a team that has quickly built a reputation for resilience, Saturday night served as a reminder that closing out matches is just as important as building a lead.