Dreyer's 89th-Min Pen Stuns LAFC in SoCal Shocker

Eighty-nine minutes. That's all it took for everything to unravel. LAFC came into Sunday's Matchweek 19 clash against San Diego sitting third in the MLS standings with 34 points and carrying a five-game winning streak in all competitions. The Black & Gold had possession, had the chances, and had BMO Stadium rocking. Then Jeppe Tverskov won a penalty, Anders Dreyer stepped up, and just like that, this SoCal rivalry match turned into a nightmare. Final score: Los Angeles FC 0, San Diego 1. A gut punch if ever there was one.

The stats tell a story that should infuriate LAFC fans. Head coach Marc Dos Santos' side finished the match with 15 total shots to San Diego's nine, nine corner kicks, and an xG of 0.94 compared to the visitors' 1.14. They also had just 40% possession — strange for a team that so often controls games from the front. Credit where it's due to San Diego, who were disciplined and streetwise throughout, sitting deep and playing on the counter with purpose. The first real controversy arrived as early as the 21st minute when Denis Bouanga — five goals in MLS this season — had a goal ruled out, a decision that clearly rattled LAFC's rhythm. Bouanga, who needs just four more goals to pass Carlos Vela as the club's all-time MLS regular-season scorer at 75, was anonymous for large stretches after that. The injury list was already brutal going in: Sergi Palencia's groin, Tillman's leg, D. Martínez's leg issue, and Hasal's arm concern all robbing Dos Santos of key options. Son Heung-min, who leads all MLS players with 10 assists this season and has been one of the fantasy football bright spots in the league, ended the night with a yellow card in stoppage time, the mood sour all around.

For San Diego, this was a night built on defensive grit and one moment of clinical brilliance — or, depending on your perspective, one penalty and a wave of chaos. Dreyer, the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year who put up a staggering 19 goals and 19 assists in his debut campaign, already has seven goals and nine assists in 2026 despite San Diego sitting 12th in the table with just 24 points. He dispatched his penalty with ice-cold precision in the 89th minute, and then, in a sequence that summed up this match perfectly, collected two yellow cards in stoppage time to earn himself a red card. Gone in glory. The less said about the chaos in those final minutes — four yellow cards for LAFC including to Son, a red for Dreyer, and a substitution scramble — the better. San Diego also had Luca Bombino unavailable due to a red card suspension, while Pellegrino and Sisniega were absent through injury, yet Mikey Varas' patched-up side held firm. San Diego's transfer activity has been equally frantic: Hirving Lozano has been loaned out to LA Galaxy, Tomás Ángel departed as a free agent to America de Cali, and Gabriel Pirani was acquired from DC United mid-season for up to $1 million in GAM. Pirani himself came off the bench in the 73rd minute. This is a squad being rebuilt on the fly.

For LAFC, there are bigger-picture concerns creeping in. The Black & Gold have been aggressive in the transfer window — signing Armindo Sieb from Bayern München and shipping Nathan Ordaz to DC United — but the squad depth is being tested by injuries in a way that matters. They remain third with 34 points and a goal differential of +15, and the Supporters' Shield race involving Nashville and Miami means every dropped point stings. Compared to the league's top performers like Lionel Messi (13 goals for Inter Miami) and Pablo Musa (13 goals for FC Dallas), LAFC's attacking output is respectable but not decisive enough on nights like this. In fantasy football terms, Dreyer is a must-start every week, but after tonight's red card, owners will be sweating over his availability. LAFC's clean sheet record — which had been among the best in MLS — takes a hit, and Hugo Lloris (seven appearances this season, SAM rating 7.6/10) will wonder how he ends up on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline when his side had more shots, more corners, and more intention. That, in a word, is football.

Clubs in this story

Bayern München Inter