SDFC concede late in 2-1 loss to Portland Timbers, fifth straight defeat

An injury-time dagger extends San Diego FC’s losing streak to five consecutive, bested 2-1 by the visiting Portland Timbers at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday night.

After a two-match road trip that ended in back-to-back losses for the Chrome & Azul, San Diego FC returned home for their tenth matchday of the 2026 MLS season, hosting the Portland Timbers. 

San Diego FC came into the match sitting on 11 points from nine MLS games, with a record of three wins, two draws and four losses. 

The club’s consecutive losses on the road grew their losing streak to four matches, having gone winless through their last seven games in all competitions.

The detrimental disciplinary problems continued in SDFC’s midweek 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, with forward Amahl Pellegrino being handed a red card in the 79-minute of the match, a sixth sending off for the club within their last eight matches.

In 2025, these two clubs faced off five times, with SDFC on the winning end in three matches, including their 2025 MLS Cup Round One series victory over the Timbers. 

The Timbers were first to the goal sheet in this first meeting of the 2026 campaign, with forward Kevin Kelsy taking advantage of an SDFC playing-from-their-back turnover to get the 1-0 score in the 26-minute.

Off a misplaced backpack from SDFC midfielder and captain Jeppe Tverskov, Timbers’ Kelsy pounced on the loose ball in his attacking third, drove around SDFC defender Christopher McVey and finished the counterattack with a left-footed strike in the bottom right of the goal.

SDFC’s progressive offensive pressure finally broke through in the 31-minute, with SDFC midfielder David Vazquez winning a penalty after having his cross from the top left of the penalty box blocked by the left hand of Timber defender Brandon Bye.

Star forward, Anders Dreyer, brought the match back to equal terms in the 33-minute after burying his attempt from the spot into the bottom right corner of the net, sending Timber goalkeeper James Pantemis the wrong way for the 1-1 scoreline. 

The successful penalty claimed Dreyer’s fifth goal of the 2026 MLS season. 

Coming directly out of the halftime break, SDFC thought they had tacked on the go-ahead 2-1 score, with Dreyer, off a set piece, finding forward Marcus Ingvartsen around the goal area for the finishing touch within the first two minutes of the second half whistle. 

But VAR quickly deemed Ingvartsen to be in an offside position during Dreyer’s delivery as the match remained 1-1. 

On the other end, SDFC goalkeeper Duran Ferree kept the Timbers from getting their second score of the night, denying forward midfielder Cole Bassett’s top of the box curling strike headed for the bottom right corner with a low diving slap save in the 66-minute. 

The Timbers’ clear chance to steal all three points came in the 83-minute of the match, with forward Antony forcing the costly turnover and rounding SDFC goalkeeper Duran Ferree with only an empty net in front of him, but his game-winning chance blew just right of the goal post as the match stayed at 1-1. 

The winning goal finally came for the visitors in the 90+6 minute, coming off a delivered corner kick cross into the box and after multiple touches inside the area, it ultimately fell onto the feet of defender Alex Bonetig as he rolled in a left-footed shot into the goal for the 2-1 sealer.

Anders Dreyer had an opportunity to salvage a drawing point for SDFC in the 90+9 minute, but his one-on-one chance was saved by James Pantemis as San Diego ran out of time with the final whistle blowing at that 2-1 scoreline.

Saturday night’s loss to the Portland Timbers hands SDFC their fifth consecutive loss, now going eight matches without a victory.

At the post-match press conference following the 2-1 loss to Portland, SDFC head coach Mikey Varas reflected on his squad’s performance and progress despite the defeat. 

“I thought we actually put them under pressure and had control of the game. The second half was shaky. It was pretty inconsistent.”

“So when that happens, we lost a little bit control of the game and then it becomes a bit of a coin toss, of what could happen against a team that has good players.”

“I know no one wants to hear it, but today was a step forward. The result didn’t go our way, but we got closer to being who we want to be.”

San Diego FC stay home next Saturday night for matchday 11 of the 2026 MLS season, with in-state rival LAFC travelling to Snapdragon Stadium on May 2, kickoff at 6:30 p.m.

SDFC went unbeaten in 2025 against LAFC, winning both home and away fixtures.