In late June, San Diego FC went to Vancouver and beat the Whitecaps 5-3 to take over 1st place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. On Saturday night the folks from Canada came to Snapdragon Stadium trying to turn the tables and take back the top of the table.
They came up about 10 minutes short.
Rookie defender Ian Pilcher scored his first career MLS goal in the 80th minute to help SDFC escape with a 1-1 draw, keeping them one point ahead of Vancouver and, perhaps more importantly, giving them the season tiebreaker over a club they’re very likely going to be jockeying with for playoff position.
The Whitecaps took the lead in the 40th minute on a bit of bad luck. A crossing attempt glanced off San Diego defender Manu Duah and by goalie Pablo Sisniega for a 1-0 Vancouver lead. SDFC had several chances to get the equalizer but goalie Yohei Takaoka made a series of stellar saves to keep them off the board.
Takaoka had to literally not see a shot to keep him from making a save. Off an Anders Dreyer corner, the ball found its way through traffic to Pilcher, who unleashed a one-timer around a group of defenders that was shielding the goalie’s view. The ball was rippling the back of the net before the keeper even knew what happened.
San Diego FC is back at Snapdragon on Friday, July 25 to face a Nashville team that brings the second-best record in MLS with them on their first trip to America’s Finest City.