The Seattle Sounders fell 3-0 to San Diego FC at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The 2025 Expansion side San Diego was led by first-half goals from Jeppe Tverskov, Anibal Godoy and Chucky Lozano.
San Diego opened the scoring just 80 seconds into the match when Lozano cut his way to the left end line and dropped a pass back to Tverskov, who finished with his left foot to the far post.
Albert Rusnák found some space in the box in the sixth minute and looked to equalize, but his effort skipped just past the near post.
In the 18th minute, Jackson Ragen slipped through Georgi Minoungou on a brilliant pass in between San Diego’s center backs, but Minoungou was unable to get a clean look on goal.
After the Sounders’ press forced a turnover deep in San Diego territory, Paul Rothrock unleashed a one-timed screamer in the 25th minute from just outside the box that took a last-second deflection from Godoy to force it wide.
San Diego doubled its lead in the 41st minute on a quick counter from midfield. Lozano sprung Anders Dreyer into space down the right flank, and the Danish international dropped a pass for the late run of Godoy, who slotted home a one-timed finish with his left foot.
Lozano nearly added a third in the first minute of first-half stoppage time when he got in behind Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and tried to dink a shot over Stefan Frei, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Frei kept the Sounders in the match one minute later when Dreyer had a chance in behind, but the veteran goalkeeper parried the shot away with his left hand.
San Diego did find its third a minute after that when Lozano was played through in behind by Jasper Löffelsend and beat Frei 1-v-1.
Yeimar had a chance to pull one back in the 61st minute, but his headed effort went just wide of the net.
The Sounders had a great free kick opportunity just outside the 18-yard box in the 73rd minute after Danny Leyva was brought down, but Pedro de la Vega’s attempt deflected off the wall and out for a corner.
Obed Vargas forced a turnover against San Diego playing out of the back in the 86th minute, but Danny Musovski’s first-timed effort from six yards out was saved by CJ dos Santos.
A minute later, Kossa-Rienzi picked off another pass and fired a shot from 20 yards out that went over the crossbar. Moments later, Danny Leyva struck from distance, but his shot skipped wide of the near post.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
de la Vega returns
Sounders attacker de la Vega returned to game action as a second-half substitute after missing the last month with a quad injury he suffered against LAFC on March 8.
Nouhou hits 250
Saturday marked Nouhou’s 250th Sounders appearance across all competitions. The 27-year-old Cameroonian international is the first defender in Seattle’s MLS era to hit that milestone.
One more on the road
The Sounders will finish their three-game away trip next Saturday with a trip to Frisco, Texas, to take on FC Dallas (5:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
