Chancalay Strikes Early, Dreyer Answers From the Spot as Minnesota United and San Diego FC Draw 1-1

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota United needed less than three minutes to find the lead on Saturday night at Allianz Field. It spent the next 90-plus trying to hold on to it, and in the end could not. Tomás Chancalay's early finish was cancelled out by an Anders Dreyer penalty in the 64th minute, and the Loons and San Diego FC settled for a 1-1 draw in a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinals.

It was a night of near misses at both ends. San Diego's Marcus Ingvartsen hit the crossbar twice, once in the opening minutes and once in stoppage time, and San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos made seven saves, according to the MLS match summary, to keep Minnesota from pulling away. The result left Minnesota at 6-6-6 and San Diego at 5-7-6, per the Associated Press.

A Lightning Start

The opener came from pressure. Joaquín Pereyra won the ball off San Diego's David Vazquez and fed Wil Trapp, who found Chancalay in the middle of the box, according to the club's match report. Chancalay finished with a single touch, low past dos Santos, for what Minnesota United described as its quickest lead of the season. The AP credited Trapp with the assist.

San Diego nearly answered right away. About four minutes later, Ingvartsen's shot from inside the box struck the crossbar, then the right post, and stayed out, as SportsGrid described it. It was the first sign that the visitors, despite the early deficit, were not going to be pushed around.

Minnesota lined up in a 5-4-1, with Jefferson Diaz and Morris Duggan on either side of Michael Boxall at the back and Trapp and Owen Gene paired in midfield, according to the club. Mamadou Dieng led the line. The structure gave the Loons a solid base, and dos Santos was busy in the first half, but the second goal never came.

Dreyer Stays Perfect From the Spot

The equalizer arrived midway through the second half. San Diego substitute Alex Mighten went down under a challenge from Kyle Duncan, and referee Timothy Ford pointed to the spot, SportsGrid reported. Dreyer stepped up in the 64th minute and placed a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner, beating Drake Callender's dive.

It was another clean conversion for Dreyer, who San Diego said on social media is now 5-for-5 on penalties this season. SportsGrid counted it as his seventh goal of the 2026 campaign.

The match got testy from there. Callender and a San Diego player were both booked after a heated exchange, according to the club's report. Minnesota coach Cameron Knowles turned to his bench, bringing on Kelvin Yeboah for Dieng and Devin Padelford for Anthony Markanich, while San Diego sent on Luca Bombino, Mighten and Gabriel Pirani.

Chances Late, but No Winner

Both teams had openings to steal it. Around the 70th minute, a Yeboah effort bounced away from dos Santos but nobody in a Minnesota shirt could pounce. Gene sent a shot over the bar. Chancalay kept testing the San Diego back line and kept running into Christopher McVey.

Six minutes of stoppage time were added, and the drama came in the first of them. Dos Santos made a save on a Yeboah-to-Pereyra combination, the club noted, and moments later Ingvartsen was through one-on-one at the other end. His shot hit the crossbar again. That was as close as either side came to a winner.

San Diego, for its part, seemed content with the result. The club summed it up on social media simply: "Leaving Minnesota with a point."

What It Means for the Loons

For Minnesota, the draw stung more. The club's own report noted the Loons dropped points at home for the second straight match. Minnesota had won the first meeting this season 2-1 at Snapdragon Stadium in April, SportsGrid noted, so the home result was a step back in the season series.

The positives were real. Minnesota generated chances, forced dos Santos into a busy night and saw Chancalay produce a sharp finish. But a 6-6-6 record tells the story of a team that has been stuck in the middle, and draws like this one are the reason why.

Both clubs now turn their attention to Leagues Cup play before MLS action resumes. When the Loons return to league play, they will be chasing the kind of 90-minute performance that turns early goals into three points.

Photo Credit: Ariana Golemis/Undrafted