San Diego FC earns crucial draw vs Vancouver to stay atop Western Conference

July 19, 2025 · MLS · Photo: Fox Deportes

A clash at the top. One of the toughest fixtures of the season took place at Snapdragon Stadium, where San Diego FC hosted Vancouver Whitecaps on Matchday 26 of the MLS season. Both teams came in as serious contenders for the Western Conference lead. San Diego had 42 points, while Vancouver was just one point behind. This was one of those six-point matches where winning gives you a huge advantage and denies your direct rival any momentum. The stakes were massive.

San Diego arrived with plenty of internal firepower. Playmaker Dreyer continues to lead the league in assists, while Hirving Lozano has now reached 14 combined goals and assists with elite-level contributions. The team also averages 56 percent possession and is particularly effective in the first half of games. Head coach Mike Varas said, “The team is capable of big things, but being at the top right now means nothing,” and I agree. What truly matters is finishing the season strong and with consistency.

Vancouver came in with confidence. After a strong win against Houston, Jens Sørensen’s team showed rhythm and defensive stability. This visit to San Diego was the last stop of a difficult road trip, and they wanted to end it well. In their previous six matches, they had recorded multiple clean sheets and remained effective in the final third. The matchup presented a clear tactical contrast. San Diego played with control and fluidity in attack, while Vancouver focused on structure and direct play. The key was in dictating the rhythm and limiting Dreyer’s influence.

The scoring opened in Vancouver’s favor. A long-range shot took a deflection off Pablo Sisniega and resulted in an own goal in the 40th minute. San Diego responded with urgency in the second half. They pushed from all angles, with Chucky Lozano trying his luck from both short and long range. The pressure finally paid off when Ian Pilcher scored the equalizer in the 79th minute.