Los Angeles, United States, Feb 24, (V7N) – San Diego FC made a dream start to their Major League Soccer (MLS) journey, pulling off a stunning 2-0 victory against defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy in their first-ever league match on Sunday.
The Galaxy, the most successful club in MLS history, had remained unbeaten at home last season on their way to lifting the MLS Cup. However, the newly-formed San Diego FC, the league’s 30th franchise, shocked the champions with a well-deserved win, thanks to a brace from Danish forward Anders Dreyer.
The breakthrough came after a defensive error by the Galaxy. Serbian goalkeeper Novak Micovic played a risky pass to Carlos Emiro Garces, who failed to control it. Mexican winger Hirving Lozano quickly seized the opportunity, setting up Dreyer for a clinical finish to put San Diego ahead.
Boosted by the opening goal, San Diego continued to dominate. Dreyer nearly doubled the lead after capitalizing on defensive confusion, forcing a save from Micovic. The Galaxy shot-stopper also denied Lozano after a slick through-ball from Dreyer, keeping the champions in the contest.
Despite their dominance, the Galaxy struggled in attack, missing key players Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil due to injuries. Their best chance came late in the game when substitute Miguel Berry was denied by San Diego’s goalkeeper CJ dos Santos from close range.
With the champions pushing for an equalizer in stoppage time, San Diego sealed the victory with a perfectly executed counter-attack. Dreyer played in Tomas Angel, who showed composure to return the ball to the Danish forward, who calmly slotted home his second goal, sending San Diego fans into wild celebrations.
In another MLS fixture, Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers endured a disappointing start to their season, suffering a 4-1 defeat at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Timbers’ misery was compounded early on when Canadian defender Kamal Miller was sent off in the 11th minute.
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