Dreyer loses cool as SDFC drops Leagues Cup opener 3-2

San Diego FC’s first official match in international play was unsuccessful, as the club not only lost to C.F. Pachuca 3-2 Tuesday at Snapdragon Stadium, but also saw its best player ejected. The match wasn’t as close as the final made it seem. The Liga MX squad was up 3-0 at one point before San Diego scored two goals during second half stoppage time. Almost as important as the tournament loss was San Diego’s leading scorer, Anders Dreyer, getting tossed from the game after receiving a red card during the 92nd minute. Dreyer, who was ejected after seeming to intentionally trip an opposing player out of frustration, is now automatically suspended for San Diego’s next match. SDFC’s two late goals came in the 88th minute and the 10th minute of stoppage time (100th minute overall). First, winger Emmanuel Boateng scored with a right-footed shot to the net’s lower left central zone. Then, with the match in its final three minutes, defender Luca Bombino hit a header that went into the top left corner of the goal. Pachuca scored two goals in the first half and one in the second. The winning shot was delivered by forward Alexéi Dominguez, who connected with a right-footed shot to the top left corner of the net. Pachuca – due to a quirk in the schedule, the club was designated the “home” side, despite the match being at Snapdragon – played sluggishly through the first 20 minutes or so, but after that started to coalesce. San Diego, meanwhile, started strong, but fell off before mounting the unsuccessful late comeback. Pachuca’s first goal came in the 23rd minute via a header by midfielder Victor Guzmán from the center of the goal to the net’s central bottom zone. Then, in the 48th minute, with just seconds remaining in first half stoppage time, Dominguez collected a brace (two goals in one match) by scoring with a left-footed shot from the center of the goal to the bottom left corner of the net. Tuesday’s match was the first time San Diego’s Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, a Mexican national, played against Pachuca, the team that he grew up rooting for and later playing for. Lozano, who had no goals or assists, was substituted out in the match’s 72nd minute. He was one of three starters that SDFC coach Mikey Varas replaced in the second half in an attempt to energize his club. Up next: the Leagues Cup tournament, which pits MLS clubs against Liga MX teams, continues. SDFC faces Club Tigres at 8 p.m. Friday in its next match, also at Snapdragon. After that, San Diego stays at home to face Mazatlan FC on Aug. 5. Notes: SDFC announced Monday that it has acquired two midfielders: David Vazquez, who’s on loan through 2025 from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money in 2025 and 2026 and Pedro Soma from Spain’s UE Cornellà, with a guaranteed contract through 2027, with a club option for 2028.