San Diego FC Stuns LAFC 1-0 on Dreyer Penalty in 89th Minute

There was barely a minute left and the scoreboard still read zero. Then a VAR review changed everything: a handball inside the box by Ryan Porteous, penalty for San Diego FC. Anders Dreyer made no mistake from twelve yards and scored the only goal of the night in the 89th minute, enough to send San Diego home with a 1-0 win on the road against Los Angeles FC.

The Danish forward once again showed he doesn't flinch under pressure. The goal brought him to eight goals on the season and 27 in 53 matches since joining the club, a number that's starting to carry weight in any conversation about the league's best recent signings. It wasn't the first time he'd settled a match from the penalty spot either: just a few days earlier, in a 1-1 draw against Minnesota United, he had also scored on a penalty, in the 64th minute.

The strange part is that Dreyer's night ended on a bittersweet note. In the seventh minute of stoppage time he picked up a red card, which will rule him out of San Diego's next match. An odd way to close out the night for the hero of the win, sent off just as his team was celebrating the victory.

Behind that reward was also plenty of work between the posts. CJ dos Santos made three saves and closed out the match with a clean sheet, something he hadn't managed in his first five starts of the season. The number stands out compared to last year, when the goalkeeper had racked up 10 shutouts in 30 appearances as a starter. This win let him snap that particular drought in a marquee matchup, against an opponent that had been hitting its stride.

Because LAFC wasn't coming in just anyhow. The Los Angeles side had scored 11 goals in its last four matches, an offensive run that pointed toward another night of celebration at home. Instead, the visiting defense held firm, and even Hugo Lloris had to be at his best to deny one of the few clear shots San Diego managed on goal.

There was another notable subplot on the night: Son Heung-min failed to score, snapping his streak of four straight matches finding the net. A forgettable night on an individual level, in a match where LAFC also came up short in generating danger.

The result also let San Diego get a measure of revenge for what happened back in April, when LAFC came back from two goals down on its own field to salvage a 2-2 draw. This time there was no room for a home comeback.

With the win, San Diego moved to 6 wins, 7 losses and 6 draws, while LAFC sits at 10 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws. Both teams are already looking ahead: San Diego will travel to face the Portland Timbers, and LAFC will do the same against the Colorado Rapids, with both matches set for Wednesday.