San Diego FC Find Key to Unlock Minnesota's Defense

The stage was set. Snapdragon Stadium is filled to the brim with San Diego FC fans ready to cheer on the Chrome & Azul in the MLS semifinals against Minnesota United.

SDFC head coach Mikey Varas' starting XI did not present any surprises. Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano started on the bench as expected. Lozano came out of the Mexico national team match a week prior due to what was deemed muscle fatigue. Anders Dreyer was in the starting lineup after battling sickness the week prior. Both were confirmed to be available by Varas earlier in the week. The rest of the lineup remained the same as the last match.

Minnesota United went with the expected defensive 5-4-1 they used against Seattle. The Loons were missing one of their best defenders as Joseph Rosales was sent off in the match prior due to a red card infraction.

The Low Block, The Difference in Possession, and Everything In Between

The game started as expected. San Diego controlled possession throughout the first 15 minutes, 75%-25%. The loons fell back into low block, at times having as many as nine players defending. The play became chippy as Minnesota midfielder Nectarios Triantis received a yellow card for a bad challenge on SDFC midfielder Onni Valakari in the 15th minute.

Just a few moments later, another yellow followed, this time to Minnesota striker Kelvin Yeboah after a sloppy challenge on SDFC defender Manu Duah.

San Diego's first real chance on goal came at the 30th minute when Dreyer and Ian Pilcher combined on a quick one-two pass on the right side of the box. Pilcher whipped in a low cross that SDFC striker Amahl Pellegrino just failed to get his foot on from five yards out.

Minnesota's game plan to frustrate San Diego was working to perfection. As the foul count mounted, so did the frustration. SDFC found it hard to break Minnesota's line of defense as the Loons stacked players deep in their own territory.

If San Diego were to create more chances on goal, they'd need more creativity up front, something that perhaps Lozano could assist with.

After ten minutes of stoppage time, the first half ended with San Diego controlling possession 80%-20% but failing to produce a single shot on target. That little piece of magic was missing from breaking through the Minnesota lock, who continued to stay patient on possession and defending with numbers.

Things got more chippy after the halftime whistle blew. Minnesota head coach Eric Ramsay received a yellow card after he and Mikey Varas got into a shouting match. Ramsay proceeded to shove Varas in front of the referee.

Second Half Breakthrough

The second half began with a big scare for SDFC as Minnesota midfielder Robin Lod broke through on the right and hit a low shot that went past goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, only to be blocked by Pilcher on the line. In complete desperation, the young SDFC defender slid in front of the shot and blocked what should have been a Minnesota goal.

SDFC finally found the key to unlock the Minnesota defense in the 72nd minute. Corey Baird used his heel to keep the ball in play and sent a backheel pass into the oncoming run by Anders Dreyer, who buried it into the back of the net from close distance to make it 1-0.

The fans finally got their wish in the 77th minute when Chucky Lozano came on for Amahl Pellegrino in a flurry of substitutions used by Varas to keep his squad fresh and see out the victory. Marcus Ingvartsen replaced Baird, while Luca de la Torre relieved Anibal Godoy.

After four minutes of stoppage time, San Diego FC saw the game out and secured their spot in the Western Conference Finals in front of a sold-out Snapdragon Stadium.

In what would become their most historic win to date, SDFC earned its victory by beating a gritty, scrappy Minnesota United.

Pitch Condition Controversy

The pitch was a big issue during the game. Pablo Sisniega and Jeppe Tverskov spoke on it after the game. "The condition and the amount of sand on the pitch made it difficult to get onto the ball and move it quickly, which you need to do against a team like Minnesota," said Tverskov.

"The pitch had a lot of sand after the football game on Saturday, so when I went to push off, initially I... unfortunately, I slipped", said Sisniega, addressing a question about him being down for a few minutes with an apparent injury. Sisniega was able to finish the match.

Mikey Varas reflected on the stadium atmosphere tonight, saying, "This place is electric. Like I said, Frontera SD is setting the tone for the league", he emphasized. "That's when the things are going good and when the things are not going good. En las buenas y las malas, I always feel they're with us," he ended.

San Diego FC will play Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday November 29th at 6:00pm. The game will take place at Snapdragon Stadium.

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