San Diego FC stormed into their first-ever MLS Western Conference semi-final with a dominant 4-0 victory over the visiting Portland Timbers on Sunday, securing their first-round playoff series.
Amahl Pellegrino and Anders Dreyer each scored twice, with Dreyer also assisting on Pellegrino’s second goal. San Diego will now face fourth-seeded Minnesota United in the semi-finals following the November international window.
The two forwards have been instrumental for the top-seeded team, combining for 13 of San Diego’s 16 goals over the past five matches, including the regular season and playoffs.
Goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega kept a clean sheet, stepping in while CJ dos Santos continued to recover from concussion symptoms sustained in Game 2.
Portland fought hard but ultimately fell short. The Timbers won only once in the three-game set—on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Game 2—but still finished the season on a high note with their best result since the 2021 MLS Cup final.
Timbers defender Juan Mosquera was sent off in the 80th minute for violent conduct against San Diego substitute Chucky Lozano, just a minute after Lozano set up Dreyer’s second goal.
Dreyer, an MLS MVP finalist, opened the scoring with a header from Onni Valakari’s cross in the fifth minute. Pellegrino, acquired from San Jose in August for $300,000 in allocation money, has added a new attacking dimension, scoring nine goals in just 10 appearances for his new club.
Pellegrino’s first goal came 12 minutes after Dreyer’s opener, converting his own rebound after a save by Portland keeper James Pantemis. His second was a perfectly struck volley six minutes after halftime, following another precise cross, this time from Corey Baird.
San Diego now looks ahead to a semi-final clash against Minnesota United, aiming to continue their impressive playoff run.
