San Diego falls short in Leagues Cup debut vs Pachuca

July 29, 2025 | Leagues Cup | Photo: San Diego FC

San Diego FC made its Leagues Cup debut, not just for this year but in its entire history, and so much has happened that it’s easy to forget these are still the club’s first few months. In an emotional matchup, San Diego's star faced the team where he first played professionally, while Pachuca arrived as the Liga MX leader. The game highlighted the contrast between Liga MX’s tempo and MLS’s tactical intensity with quick transitions.

The match began with local dominance for a few minutes, but Pachuca struck first: Víctor Guzmán scored in the 23rd minute after a great play by Alexei Domínguez. Shortly after, the 20-year-old gem, Domínguez, scored again at 45+3’ and then added a third in the 67th minute with a long-range rocket after forcing an error deep in San Diego’s defense, putting the score at 3-0.

At minute 87, the match seemed decided, but San Diego didn’t give up. They pulled one back through Emmanuel Boateng in the 88th minute, which seemed like a consolation goal, but the referee added nine more minutes and Luca Bombino scored at 90+10’. The stadium erupted as play continued until the 102nd minute, but it wasn’t enough time to complete the comeback. Dreyer was sent off during stoppage time in a tense moment after raising his legs while falling, seemingly trying to make contact with the opponent.

Alexei Domínguez stood out as the player of the match with two goals and one assist. Despite the loss, Mikey Varas’ squad showed heart until the final whistle. Pachuca takes the 3-2 win at Snapdragon Stadium. Did Pachuca prove Liga MX is still ahead of MLS?