Anders Dreyer's Late Penalty Lifts San Diego FC Past LAFC 1-0 Before His Stoppage-Time Red

Anders Dreyer had about seven minutes of hero status on Saturday night, and he made the most of every second. The San Diego FC winger buried an 89th-minute penalty into the top left corner at BMO Stadium, celebrated hard enough to earn a yellow card, then picked up a second one deep in stoppage time and was sent off before the final whistle.

None of it changed the scoreboard. San Diego beat LAFC 1-0, ending the hosts' eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions, according to both LAFC and MLSsoccer.com, and claiming the SoCal bragging rights in a match the visitors controlled for long stretches.

The Goal That Wasn't

LAFC thought it had the lead in the 21st minute. Denis Bouanga put the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review, with ESPN's play-by-play also logging a Bouanga handball in that minute. It was 0-0 again, and the rest of the half belonged mostly to San Diego.

The hosts had started brightly enough. Son Heung-Min sent a left-footed effort just wide in the fifth minute, and CJ dos Santos had to save Mark Delgado's shot from distance three minutes later. But San Diego took over the ball and the territory as the half wore on, finishing the night with 59.8 percent possession. Dreyer fired high and wide in the 37th minute, Lewis Morgan just missed from the left side of the box two minutes later, and Marcus Ingvartsen had shots blocked in the 39th and 43rd minutes. Morgan headed over from a Dreyer set piece in stoppage time, and the teams went in level.

LAFC Pushes, Dos Santos Says No

The second half opened with Oscar Verhoeven forcing Hugo Lloris into a save from distance in the 47th minute. LAFC's recap described it as an easy stop on a roller, and it would be the only San Diego shot on target before the penalty. Then LAFC woke up.

Ryan Hollingshead headed just wide from very close range off a corner in the 50th minute. Two minutes later, Son slipped Bouanga in on the left side of the box, and dos Santos stood tall in the center of the goal to deny him. San Diego's new Designated Player, Elias Achouri, came on for Morgan in the 53rd minute for his debut, per MLSsoccer.com, while Son dragged a shot wide from the middle of the box a minute later.

The best LAFC spell came around the 72nd minute. Son crossed for Eddie Segura, whose header was blocked, and a second Segura header moments later was saved by dos Santos. The yellow cards started flying after that, with Onni Valakari, Delgado and Mathieu Choinière all booked between the 75th and 84th minutes.

Late Drama, Both Kinds

San Diego won a corner in the 87th minute, and Jeppe Tverskov had a header from a Dreyer cross blocked. LAFC's recap said Ryan Porteous committed a handball near goal on a San Diego corner, ESPN logged the penalty against him in the 87th minute, and VAR confirmed it a minute later. Dreyer stepped up and sent a left-footed shot into the top left corner in the 89th minute.

What followed was pure chaos. Dreyer was booked for excessive celebration, LAFC threw on Ryan Raposo and Jeremy Ebobisse, and Nkosi Tafari headed a Son corner wide in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Two minutes later, Dreyer picked up his second yellow for a foul and was sent off. Son was booked a minute after that, and Bouanga's final effort sailed high and wide.

The Men Who Mattered

Anders Dreyer scored the winner, took two shots and somehow also found time to get sent off. MLSsoccer.com said the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year now has two goals and four assists in four all-time meetings with LAFC.

CJ dos Santos made three saves, the biggest on Bouanga and Segura. MLSsoccer.com noted he has started every game since the league returned to play.

Son Heung-Min took four shots and set up chances for Bouanga and Segura, but none of his own efforts hit the target, and he was flagged offside twice.

Hugo Lloris had only one save to make all night and still lost.

The Turning Point

The handball call on Porteous. LAFC had held San Diego to one shot on target in 87 minutes, according to its recap, and appeared to be heading for at least a point. One corner, one VAR check and one cold-blooded penalty later, the defense's good work was erased.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: San Diego held 59.8 percent and completed 527 passes to LAFC's 325.
• Shots: LAFC led 15-9 but put only three on target, compared with San Diego's two.
• Saves: Dos Santos made three, Lloris one.
• Fouls: LAFC committed 21 to San Diego's 12.
• Offsides: Four apiece, with Ingvartsen caught four times by himself.

What It Means

San Diego moved to 6-6-7 (wins, draws, losses) with 24 points. MLSsoccer.com said the result improved San Diego's all-time MLS record against LAFC to three wins and a draw with no losses, and pulled the club within one point of the playoff places. The teams drew 2-2 in San Diego on May 2.

LAFC fell to 10-4-6 and stayed on 34 points, and its recap said the loss dropped the club to third in the Western Conference while listing San Diego 12th. LAFC visits Colorado on Wednesday.

The Closing Take

San Diego coach Mikey Varas understood exactly what kind of win this was. "This is high-level football at its best," he said. "You go away to LA with all the firepower they have, and you're going to concede chances." His goalkeeper, meanwhile, kept it simpler. "It's all about taking it one day at a time, one game at a time, one training session at a time, one rep at a time," dos Santos said. Dreyer, for his part, took it one celebration at a time, and the second booking was the price. Still, three points at BMO Stadium is worth a lot of fine print.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com. Additional details from LAFC.