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San Diego FC’s first trip to Florida ended in a frustrating 1-0 loss to Orlando City on Saturday night.
The result is disappointing, but the performance was more complicated than the scoreline suggests. SDFC controlled possession for much of the night and finished with 54% of the ball and over 90% passing accuracy. The problem was what they did with it.
"We know that we can create more clear chances because not even okaying our best I think there's still a draw up for grabs there if we can just find that magic that we need to find," said head coach Mikey Varas after the match.
San Diego struggled to connect the midfield to the final third. They finished with just seven shots, two on target and only 10 touches inside Orlando’s box. Despite having plenty of the ball, SDFC completed zero through balls and relied heavily on crosses, attempting 17 without consistently creating dangerous chances.
That was especially noticeable in the first half. Gabriel Pirani did find Anders Dreyer with a well-weighted ball over the top in the 22nd minute, creating one of SDFC’s best chances of the match. But those moments were too rare.
Orlando, meanwhile, showed exactly how to attack SDFC’s high defensive line.
The Lions repeatedly looked for opportunities in behind, and that approach produced the only goal of the night. Robin Jansson’s long ball found Daryl Dike behind the defense, and the striker eventually laid the ball off to Justin Ellis, who found Antoine Griezmann for the finish.
From SDFC’s perspective, the frustrating part was how much space Griezmann was given inside the box. San Diego knew where the danger was, but the defensive reaction came too slowly.
Still, SDFC’s defense deserves credit for keeping the game alive.
Manu Duah was particularly impressive, constantly dropping back to clean up dangerous situations. He finished with 12 recoveries, four interceptions and two clearances, and his biggest contribution came late when he helped keep Wilder Cartagena’s shot from crossing the goal line.
Kieran Sargeant also produced one of the game's biggest moments, clearing a near-certain goal off the line in the 72nd minute after Iván Angulo rounded CJ dos Santos.
Those defensive plays gave SDFC a chance to steal a point late.
The attack finally found some life after Mikey Varas moved Onni Valakari into midfield and introduced Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, Chris McVey and Amahl Pellegrino. San Diego moved the ball with more purpose, but the chances still didn't come consistently.
Dreyer eventually hit the post in stoppage time, and Elias Achouri forced a strong save from Maxime Crépeau on a late free kick. It was almost enough to rescue a point, but almost doesn't count.
The biggest takeaway is that SDFC didn't necessarily get dominated. They simply weren't dangerous enough with their possession.
And that is something they won't have much time to fix.
San Diego returns home Wednesday to face San Jose before playing again Sunday. With 11 matches remaining and the playoff race tightening, SDFC needs to find a way to turn its possession into actual chances — and quickly.
"Right now we're on a mission. We're on a mission to put together our best performances, find that consistency and accumulate points because we're at the business end of things in the league, and it's an important game," said Varas.
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San Jose Preview
San Diego FC doesn’t have much time to think about Saturday’s frustrating loss in Orlando.
Just three days after returning from a cross-country trip, SDFC will be back on the field Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium to face the San Jose Earthquakes.
And this one carries plenty of weight.
San Diego sits 10th in the Western Conference with 30 points, while San Jose enters the match in seventh with 35. With the playoff race tightening and just 11 matches remaining, every point matters.
The timing of this game may actually work in SDFC’s favor. After struggling to create chances against Orlando, San Diego gets to return home to a Snapdragon Stadium where it has won three straight.
A Chance to Fix What Went Wrong
San Diego finished Saturday with 54% possession and more than 90% passing accuracy, but managed only seven shots and two on target. The midfield struggled to consistently find the attackers, and SDFC completed zero through balls while attempting 17 crosses.
That cannot happen again against San Jose.
The Earthquakes have already shown they can punish SDFC. San Jose won the first meeting 3-0 in April, producing 24 shots and 10 on target.
SDFC will need to be more aggressive in the final third while also being careful not to leave itself exposed when possession turns over.
That balance will be especially important with San Jose's ability to attack in transition.
Tverskov's Return Could Be Huge
One of the biggest differences Wednesday should be the return of Jeppe Tverskov.
Tverskov missed the Orlando match through suspension, and his absence was noticeable in the middle of the field. SDFC lacked some of the control and organization it normally gets from its veteran midfielder.
Against San Jose, having Tverskov back should give SDFC a better chance to control the tempo and move the ball through midfield rather than constantly circulating possession around the outside.
That could also allow players like Gabriel Pirani, Anders Dreyer and Elias Achouri to receive the ball in more dangerous areas.
The bigger question is what happens at striker.
Marcus Ingvartsen, who leads SDFC with 11 goals, is currently dealing with a muscle injury and is expected to remain out until later in September.
Cédric Bakambu looks to be good to go as his P1 Visa was cleared a few days ago. Loo for him to be immediately inserted into the lineup as soon as Varas feels he is up to speed on tactics. One of SDFC's most notable signings to date, Bakambu brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as firepower into the lineup.
San Jose Is Struggling
Despite sitting above SDFC in the standings, San Jose enters this match in poor form.
The Earthquakes have gone winless in their last five, including a 5-1 loss to Minnesota, a 3-1 loss to St. Louis and a 4-2 loss to Cincinnati. Their last two matches ended in draws against Houston and Austin.
Preston Judd remains San Jose's biggest goal threat with 11 goals this season, matching Ingvartsen's total. But the Earthquakes will be without several players, including Timo Werner, Darius Johnson and Earl Edwards Jr. due to injuries.
This is a game SDFC should be looking to win.
Not because San Jose is an easy opponent — it isn't — but because San Diego is at home, has momentum at Snapdragon and needs points against a direct playoff competitor.
The Schedule Won't Get Easier
Wednesday is only the beginning.
After San Jose, SDFC will have another home match Sunday against Philadelphia, meaning San Diego will play three games in eight days after traveling more than 2,000 miles to Florida.
There is no time to dwell on Orlando.
SDFC needs to get back to what has worked at home: controlling games, pressing with intensity and, most importantly, turning possession into actual scoring chances.
