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Dreyer's late penalty sinks LAFC in shutout loss
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- Dreyer's late penalty sinks LAFC in shutout loss
LOS ANGELES -- Fresh off a Leagues Cup exit, LAFC got back to work in front of the BMO Stadium crowd, looking to extend its MLS unbeaten streak to six consecutive matches. Instead, they were shut out 1-0 by San Diego FC, sent into the loss column by Anders Dreyer's penalty late in regulation.
San Diego played the same style of football it consistently has throughout the season, holding possesion during the majority of the evening. Los Angeles still managed to hold its own throughout, preventing any major scoring chances for the road side.
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"The quality of players that they have doesn't reflect the standings," LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said following the match regarding San Diego. "Today we didn't give them big opportunities...their big chance came from a penalty shot. Because they're able to keep a lot of the ball, in the moments of counter pressure they can be very aggressive."
LAFC had multiple opportunities to find the scoreboard in the opening half, including an early chance from Son Heung-min that he placed wide left. In the 20th minute, Denis Bouanga momentarily broke through with the game's first score after San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos failed to clear the ball properly. His clearance deflected right off of Bouanga, who cleaned up the loose ball in front of the net to put it home.
Upon review, however, the score was wiped off the board for handball.
The Black & Gold remained persistent in the second half, with Son finding a pair of additional shot opportunities that both came close. His 71st-minute strike was deflected away by Dos Santos, leading to a corner kick that saw Eddie Segura's header snatched away on another impressive save.
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With the tension continuing to build as the minutes ticked, San Diego was finally gifted the moment it seeked in the final stages. A costly handball committed by Ryan Porteous, the second of the match for LAFC, allowed forward Anders Dreyer to step up and drill the go-ahead penalty past Hugo Lloris.
Dreyer, who delivered a goal and an assist during San Diego's previous trip to BMO Stadium in Aug. 2025, once again made his presence felt on the road. The second-year player now has eight goals and nine assists in 2026.
"I think if you see the second half, there was big moments of us not allowing them to build in their half," Dos Santos said. "I felt the second half was under control. That's why it's disappointing to give up that penalty."
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Defender Yevhen Cheberko shared the same sentiment as Dos Santos, agreeing that the squad was able to contain the San Diego attack well throughout the evening.
"It's hard to play against San Diego because they keep the ball pretty well...but we kept them under control," he said. "I think the game went in our favor because we know what we want to do. We had our chances but we didn't score, so we can only blame ourselves."
LAFC is now 10-6-4 this season after being held scoreless in league play for the first time since April 22. The club is also 0-3-1 against San Diego all-time.
A chance to bounce back awaits next Wednesday as LA takes a trip to DSG Park for a battle with the Colorado Rapids. Colorado currently holds the eighth spot in the Western Conference table at 8-10-1, having won three of its last four matches.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT.
