Anders Dreyer delivers signature moment with epic San Diego FC game-winner | OneFootball

By Justin Ruderman

Who else?

MLS Newcomer of the Year winner Anders Dreyer powered San Diego FC to a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United FC on Monday night in the Western Conference Semifinals, courtesy of a game-winning thunderbolt at a sold-out Snapdragon Stadium.

SDFC will now enjoy hosting privileges in the Western Conference Final against No. 2-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Thomas Müller next Saturday (9 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).

"You play against a very well-coached team, very clear in their identity, very good in the direct play," head coach Mikey Varas said postgame. "So you better be ready to make plays in both boxes and our guys were up for that challenge today.

"That hunger is massively important."

Danish delirium

San Diego only managed a single shot on target against the Loons' stingy defense, but that's all the hosts needed out of their 65% possession.

Corey Baird set up the chance with a cheeky backheel assist after running down a ball from Dreyer's fellow Danish star Jeppe Tverskov. The crafty manuever culminated with Dreyer's 72nd-minute game-winning blast past MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair, ensuring San Diego's already historic expansion campaign in MLS will have at least one more chapter.

"Hit it as hard as possible and give the goalkeeper less chance as possible," Dreyer recalled of his decisive strike. "I hit it very good and I had a good feeling. Nice to see it go in and what a pass from Corey."

WATCH: Anders Dreyer! San Diego FC star delivers mammoth opener 

Model of consistency

For Varas, the moment was inevitable.

"We knew it was always going to be a big test in terms of creating enough big chances because they're a well-coached team and defend that low block really, really well," Varas said. "We worked on a few things that I think the boys executed really well.

"What I felt was that it was coming," he added. "That's what I felt. Even though last time we played them, I think we created many more big chances early on, I felt the dam cracking little by little.

"That's what we told them at halftime. What it takes in these kinds of games is equal parts urgency and composure, so playing fast and playing urgent, but at the same time being composed, not losing your head, and just trusting that it's going to come."

In the first four Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoff games of his career, Dreyer has already racked up 4g/2a, trailing only Inter Miami's Lionel Messi for the most postseason goal contributions in the league this year.

"He's the guy you want in the box to shoot, finish the attacks, and he's been doing that the whole season," Tverskov said of his countryman. "That's not only him. It's the team that knows. We set him up perfectly a lot of times. He values us a lot. We value him, of course, a lot. It makes it a great season."

Anders Dreyer: What makes San Diego FC star so special?

History makers

SDFC now host a true heavyweight clash for the Conference Final, welcoming a Vancouver side that was one of their top competitors in the West all season.

The Whitecaps are coming off a galvanizing victory of their own, eliminating LAFC in penalty kicks after a last-gasp Son Heung-Min equalizer very nearly spoiled the party at BC Place.

"Vancouver and us have been in the top the whole season, basically," Tverskov said. "From the beginning, they have a very, very strong team [and] had additions also coming in during the season, so it's been even more tough.
It's gonna be a great game.

"This stadium has been wild the whole season, especially in playoffs. I know you can feel it too. It's been crazy, so we can't wait for more games."

Shortly after becoming the first-ever expansion side to win a Best-of-3 playoff series, San Diego is now also the first expansion team to reach a Western Conference Final in their inaugural season.

SDFC won't quickly overlook the meaning of such success, but they will swiftly turn their focus to the next objective: joining the 1998 Chicago Fire FC as the second-ever expansion club to reach MLS Cup presented by Audi.

"Right now, it's about having this mini-moment to recognize the fact that these guys continue to write history," said Varas. "There's nobody who can take that performance away against a very, very good team.

"Next game will be completely different and our focus will be on recovery, the two to three most important points for that game, and then going out there and just playing as hard as we possibly can."

Why San Diego vs. Vancouver is a dream Western Conference Final