SDFC snaps losing streak with 2-2 draw at Inter Miami

San Diego FC and Inter Miami wouldn’t be separated during Sunday Night Soccer, ending 2-2 at Nu Stadium with Anders Dreyer and CJ dos Santos deciding the point.

Chrome & Azul points were needed on their Sunday visit to the Sunshine State, coming into their match against Inter Miami on a three-game MLS losing streak. 

The losing streak saw SDFC looking from the outside in on a postseason position, sitting in tenth place in the MLS Western Conference before the game. 

This match also marked the first-ever meeting between San Diego FC and Inter Miami, adding another chapter to SDFC’s young two-year history. 

In the first half, the top two MVP candidates from last season’s MLS campaign, Lionel Messi and Anders Dreyer, scored for their respective clubs.

The first came to Dreyer and SDFC, with a well-timed defensive-half through-ball from captain Jeppe Tverskov into space for a darting, unmarked Dreyer. Dreyer did the rest, chipping Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair for the 1-0 lead in the 12-minute. 

But the Argentine star made it 1-1 in the 24-minute, curling a free kick just outside the right of the box over all the players in front of him.

Avoiding a touch, the ball bounced in front of the goal, then off the left post before finding the back of the net, leaving SDFC goalkeeper CJ dos Santos caught off guard by the ball's trajectory. 

CJ dos Santos' biggest save of the first 45-minutes came at the 39-minute mark. Starting from a goal kick restart turnover from SDFC, CJ dos Santos denied Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez near the goal area with a leg save to keep the match at 1-1 going into the halftime break. 

Despite SDFC’s CJ dos Santos continuing to keep the match tied through multiple dangerous situations in the second half, Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez couldn’t be kept off the scoresheet as he scored the go-ahead goal in the 74-minute. 

The scoring play saw Suarez played in-behind around the goal area, as he buried his right-footed shot across frame and into the left-side netting for the 2-1 lead for Miami. 

Only minutes after, Tverskov and Dreyer's second connection of the night got the match all square, with Dreyer netting his 11th goal of the MLS season for his brace in the game at the 82-minute mark. 

Tverskov delivered another in-behind ball, this time over the top of the Inter Miami defence, with Dreyer bringing the pass down and tucking in his shot into the bottom left corner for the 2-2 score. 

Into the final added minute of the second half, both sides saw a great chance at a winner, but it was the two goalkeepers to secure their clubs a draw at Nu Stadium, with the full-time whistle blowing at the 2-2 scoreline on Sunday night. 

The 2-2 draw against Inter Miami snapped the Chrome & Azul’s three-game losing streak, while CJ dos Santos finished the night with six saves to help SDFC secure the point. 

SDFC remain on the road next Saturday, traveling to Q2 Stadium for a Western Conference matchup against Austin FC on Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m.

The Chrome & Azul will look to replicate their first meeting of the season against Austin FC, where they cruised to a 5-0 victory over The Verde and Black at Snapdragon Stadium back on May 13.