By Tony Álvarez
In a surprising result, San Diego FC closed out their first-ever Leagues Cup appearance with a statement 2-0 victory over Mazatlán FC at Snapdragon Stadium—earning their first ever win in Leagues Cup while simultaneously eliminating the Liga MX side from the tournament.
The home team dominated from the opening whistle, creating several early chances, particularly down the left flank where Hirving Lozano proved dangerous with his constant dribbling and pressure. However, it was a play from the opposite side that nearly opened the scoring, as Hamady Diop’s low cross found Tomás Ángel, whose close-range shot was denied by goalkeeper Víctor Alzaráz.
The breakthrough finally came in the second half, and it was worth the wait. In the 66th minute, Onni Valakari fired a thunderous left-footed strike into the net after receiving a precise pass from David Vázquez on the right. Just eight minutes later, Valakari struck again—this time with his right foot—capitalizing on a feed from Anders Dreyer as he entered the box to double the lead and seal his brace.
Frustration boiled over for Mazatlán in the 78th minute, when Nicolás Benedetti was shown a straight red card following dissent after a foul call, leaving the visitors with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
San Diego comfortably saw out the final minutes to secure a memorable win and officially eliminate Mazatlán—now the tenth Liga MX club to exit the tournament. For the MLS expansion side, it was a historic night: a clean sheet, a first win at Leagues Cup, and a performance that will live long in club lore.
REACTIONS
- San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas
- “We asked the guys that to finish strong (…) I think this helps us a lot, hopefully we'll be playing this tournament again and have revenge in terms of results, but it also helped that they pushed us a little to finish in the best way.”
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH:
- San Diego FC:
- Onni Valakari netted his first two-goal game since joining San Diego.
GAME NOTES:
- After striking out in their first two attempts, San Diego finally captures their first ever Leagues Cup win.
- Mazatlán joins San Diego among the eliminated teams following this result.
- Onni Valakari's brace was his first multi-goal game since March 2023 when he played with Pafos FC of the Cypriot League.
- Mazatlán FC lost their first Leagues Cup game in 2025, and after reaching the quarterfinals in 2024 their run ends here.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT:
- Yellow Cards
- San Diego: Anibal Godoy (12 minute), Aiden Harangi (90+2 minute)
- Mazatlán FC Yellow Cards: Lucas Merolla (17 minute), Bryan Colula (55 minute)
- Red Card:
- Mazatlán: Nicolás Benedetti
LOOKING AHEAD:
- San Diego FC ends their first ever Leagues Cup participation on a high note after their first win in the tournament.
- Mazatlán FC has been eliminated from the tournament.
