"Following a quiet start to proceedings at Snapdragon Stadium, Onni Valakari miscued from Ian Pilcher's right-wing cutback, while Robin Lod failed to get enough power behind his shot after being found by Joaquin Pereyra at the other end. The clearest chance yet fell to Lod early in the second half, but Pilcher's heroic block on the goal line denied the Minnesota man after his shot squirmed past Pablo Sisniega. Minnesota continued to make much of the running, with Amahl Pellegrino leaning back when presented with a decent opening for San Diego, but the hosts' first shot on target would prove decisive."
"San Diego's dream introduction to life in MLS saw them become just the third expansion team to go further than the first round of the playoffs, after eliminating the Portland Timbers in round one. And they are now only the second to reach a Conference final in their inaugural campaign, after the Chicago Fire did so in 1998. They had to bide their time and wait for an opportunity, not hitting the target until Dreyer fired off their ninth - and final - shot of the game."
Anders Dreyer scored a 72nd-minute winner as San Diego FC beat Minnesota United 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium to reach the Western Conference final. San Diego carved out few clear openings but capitalised on their first shot on target after Corey Baird's backheel set up Dreyer's rasping strike into the roof of the net. Minnesota created more chances, with Robin Lod denied by Ian Pilcher's goal-line block and Pablo Sisniega saving Kelvin Yeboah, but they failed to find an equaliser. San Diego will face the Vancouver Whitecaps for a place in the MLS Cup final and achieved a rare inaugural-season deep playoff run.
Read at Soccer News
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