SAN DIEGO — Anders Dreyer netted a goal in the second half, while Pablo Sisniega contributed with three crucial saves, leading the expansion team San Diego FC to a 1-0 win against Minnesota United on Monday night in a Western Conference semifinal at the packed Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego is set to face the second-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, with a spot in the MLS Cup on the line. Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded New York City FC will visit third-seeded Miami for the Eastern Conference title in the day’s opening match.
Dreyer, honored as the Newcomer of the Year and selected for the Best XI, scored in the 72nd minute with assists from Corey Baird and Jeppe Tverskov. The 27-year-old Danish midfielder had an impressive regular season, tallying 19 goals and 19 assists, helping San Diego secure the top seed. In the playoffs, he has scored four goals and provided two assists in his first four matches.
This marked Tverskov’s first contribution in the playoffs during his fourth appearance, while Baird recorded assists in all three of his postseason matches this season, after previously scoring once in 10 playoff matches with three different teams.
Sisniega, who started only four regular-season games for San Diego, achieved his second clean sheet in just his second playoff start, showcasing a remarkable save in the 64th minute to maintain the shutout.
No. 4 seed Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair did not make any saves in his 11th career playoff start, marking a second consecutive exit for the team in the conference semifinals during its sixth playoff appearance since joining the league in 2017.
Under the guidance of Coach Mikey Varas, San Diego FC set new MLS records for an expansion team, achieving 19 victories and accumulating 63 points on their way to a first-place finish.