San Diego FC Rally Past Pumas in Champions Cup Opener

San Diego FC returned to Snapdragon Stadium tonight for a match-up against Pumas UNAM, for the home team's first game of their first CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign. Today’s game was the first game back at Snapdragon since San Diego FC’s loss to Vancouver in the MLS playoff semi-final. 

With such an incredible inaugural season, finishing first on the table in the MLS Western Conference, the fan’s expectations, and the team’s expectations as well, are sky high. 

Head Coach Mikey Varas made some surprising moves in tonight’s starting lineup, with two youngsters making their first starting appearances. Pedro Soma (19), who was acquired by the team last August, joined captain Jeppe Tverksov and Anibal Godoy in the midfield. Right back Wilson Eisner (23) makes his debut with a start in this game after just joining the team in December. 

As the match kicked off, San Diego dominated the possession, with 72% of the possession in ten minutes. The team’s great chemistry was on full display as they wove the ball through Pumas’ midfield. 

Unfortunately, the home side’s defensive feng shui was not nearly as aligned as their offense. After stealing the ball, Pumas crafted a great counter attack on their right side, crossing the ball into the center. Robert Morales acrobatically put the ball into the net with a great bicycle kick, and the Liga MX team opened the scoring.

San Diego FC’s offense restarted with renewed motivation. They continued to build possession through midfield control, while Pumas essentially “parked the bus”, adjusting their formation to increase their defense to maintain their lead. The away team’s tactics worked, and San Diego FC were unable to score in the first half, despite seven shots and over seventy percent of the possession. The team hurried to the locker room to strategize a plan to crack the Pumas back line.

In the first 15 minutes of the second half, San Diego FC maintained their possession and shot four times. Defender Manu Duah and Chris McVey were instrumental at closing down Puma’s attempts to counterattack before they even started. Pumas suffocated under the home team’s press, unable to string together any long runs of possession. Yet San Diego had not scored, and Varas decided it was time to make substitutions.

Pedro Soma was replaced by another young midfielder, David Vasquez; Marcus Ingvartsen left the attack to be replaced by Alex Mighten. With fresh legs, San Diego continued their attack, and maintained their dominance on the ball. 

As the substitutes settled in, San Diego earned a corner. Dreyer perfectly lined up his cross, which connected with Duah’s head, then into the back of the net. Fireworks exploded and bright blue smoke filled the stadium as San Diego FC earned their equalizer and opened up the game. 

Just six minutes later, right back Eisner whipped the ball into the box. Vazquez headed the cross past goalkeeper Keylor Navas for San Diego FC’s second goal. San Diego found the missing piece, and turned their dominant possession into goals. 

Pumas gave up their vice-like defense and attempted to break through San Diego’s midfield. The home team regained possession quickly, and shot a bullet at Navas, who could not collect the ball entirely. Mighten took advantage of the bobble from the veteran goalkeeper, and kicked the ball over the line into the net. 

San Diego’s momentum was unstoppable. After a cross into the box from McVey, the Pumas defense could not clear the ball from in front of the goal. Bombino sped into the box and tapped the ball into the back of the net, for their fourth goal of the evening. After his fantastic performance tonight, Luca Bombino was awarded the Man of the Match title.

San Diego scored four goals in 20 minutes. Pumas went back to their all-defense formation, in a desperate attempt to prevent San Diego from scoring more. The away team seemed to abandon all offensive hope for this match, and hoped they could make up the three goal deficit when the teams meet again in Mexico City. 

Pumas fans turned out in great numbers tonight, and were surely disappointed by the result. The team will have their work cut out for them for the second leg next week. San Diego FC will travel to Mexico City, to face Pumas UNAM on February 10th.