By Our Man in San Diego
SAN DIEGO FC 2
(Ingvartsen 27’, Dreyer 56’)
REAL SALT LAKE 2
(Solans 17’, Olatunji 85’)
ANDERS DREYER produced a moment of pure Danish magic, but it wasn’t enough to stop Real Salt Lake from gatecrashing the San Diego party in a breathless 2-2 draw.
The Snapdragon Stadium was rocking as San Diego’s star-studded lineup looked set to continue their unbeaten march. But they were stunned early on when Salt Lake’s Spanish starlet Sergi Solans rose highest to thump home a header from a Juan Sanabria cross.
The hosts didn’t panic. They turned to their Great Dane, Marcus Ingvartsen, who proved he’s still the fox in the box. When a Dreyer free-kick caused chaos in the area, Ingvartsen was the sharpest man in the building, poking home from point-blank range for his fourth of the season.
DARE TO DREYER
Then came the moment that had the 30,000-strong crowd on their feet. Ten minutes into the second half, Anders Dreyer—who bagged a staggering 38 goal contributions last term—showed exactly why he’s the league’s most feared playmaker.
Latching onto a pass from Amahl Pellegrino, Dreyer spotted RSL keeper Rafael Cabral off his line and executed a “cheeky” spinning chip that hung in the air for an eternity before dropping perfectly into the net. It was a goal worthy of any stage in the world.
LATE DRAMA
But Salt Lake hadn’t read the script. With just five minutes left on the clock, Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui whipped in a tantalizing ball to the back post. Victor Olatunji didn’t need a second invitation, charging in to smash home the equalizer and silence the San Diego faithful.
The drama didn’t end there. San Diego’s Christopher McVey saw red in the dying embers for a second bookable offense, leaving the hosts to cling on for a point.
San Diego remains unbeaten, but after Dreyer’s worldie, this will feel like two points dropped in the California sun.
