Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scores second-half winner to keep SDFC atop the Western Conference
San Diego FC (SDFC) secured all three points tonight with a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC at Snapdragon Stadium. Winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored the game’s lone goal to help SDFC maintain its place at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Lozano broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, calmly slotting a right-footed shot past Nashville SC goalkeeper Joey Willis following a quick setup from Anders Dreyer. Dreyer nearly found the back of the net himself when SDFC was awarded a penalty in the 81st minute, but his attempt was saved by Willis in the 83rd. Dreyer later scored into an open net, but the final whistle blew just before the ball crossed the line.
Nashville pushed for an equalizer in the closing moments, but SDFC’s young back line held firm, aided by key saves from goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega. The win marked the first-ever meeting between the two clubs and capped a three-match MLS homestand for SDFC, who finish the month of July with a 2-2-1 record.
SDFC now turns its attention to its first-ever Leagues Cup campaign, beginning Tuesday, July 29 against Liga MX side C.F. Pachuca. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. PT, with live coverage on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Tickets are available at SanDiegoFC.com/Tickets.
Goal Scoring Plays:
SD 1-0 – Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (Anders Dreyer) 53rd Minute: Lozano opened the scoring with a right-footed shot inside the near post after receiving a quick pass from Anders Dreyer near the center of the box. The play began with Jeppe Tverskov, who found Dreyer in space before the Danish midfielder set up Lozano’s finish.
Postgame Notes:
- With tonight’s 1-0 win against Nashville SC, SDFC earned its 14th win in Club history and its seventh win at home.
- SDFC is now 14-7-4 with 46 points through 25 games this season and currently sits in first place in the Western Conference standings.
- SDFC held 56.3% possession compared to Nashville’s 43.7%.
- SDFC completed 609 passes to Nashville’s 408.
- SDFC handed Nashville SC, a team that went 12 matches unbeaten, its second loss in its 16 matches.
- SDFC leads MLS in second half goals this season with 27.
- SDFC is now 2-2-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season.
- SDFC is now 7-3-4 at home this season.
- SDFC is now 11-1-0 when scoring first.
- SDFC is now 6-5-0 in one-goal matches.
- SDFC is now second in MLS in scoring with 48 goals. Inter Miami CF leads with 49.
- Winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored his seventh goal of the season.
- Lozano now has 15 goal contributions (7 goals, 8 assists).
- Winger Anders Dreyer helped set up Lozano’s goal, earning his league-leading 16th assist of the season.
- Dreyer has 27 goal contributions (11 goals, 16 assists) this season.
- Dreyer is the only SDFC player to appear in all 25 MLS matches this season.
- SDFC’s starting defensive back line featured some of the Club’s youngest players for the second consecutive match tonight: Oscar Verhoeven (19), Pilcher (22), Bombino (19) and Duah (20).
- Goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega made his fourth consecutive start for SDFC since CJ Dos Santos broke his nose against Houston Dynamo on July 5, marking his 55th MLS regular season appearance.
- Sisniega registered four saves against Nashville SC tonight, his highest mark in a match this season.
- Defender Manu Duah made his third start for SDFC and fifth appearance, also his third MLS start and fifth appearance.
- Veteran midfielder Aníbal Godoy returned to action tonight, coming on for Tomás Ángel in the 66th minute. He last played in a 4-3 loss against Houston Dynamo on July 5.
- Forward Emmanuel Boateng reached a career milestone by surpassing 10,000 career MLS minutes played. He entered the match for Lozano in the 76th minute and now has 10,003 minutes across 221 MLS appearances.
- Defender Christopher McVey missed his second match of the season due to injury. He had previously started and played every minute in SDFC’s first 23 MLS regular season games. He had logged 2,070 minutes – the only SDFC player to feature in every minute of the campaign until that point.
- Defender Paddy McNair returned to action from injury when he came on as a substitute for Luca de la Torre in stoppage time (90+1).
Next Game
SDFC will next host Mexican side C.F. Pachuca on Tuesday, July 29 at Snapdragon Stadium in its first-ever participation in the Leagues Cup. Kickoff for the match is set for 8 p.m. PT, with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Match Information
2025 MLS Regular Season
San Diego FC (14-7-4, 46 pts) vs. Nashville SC (14-6-5, 47 pts)
Friday, July 25, 2025 – Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
Scoring Summary:
SD (1-0) – Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (Assisted by Anders Dreyer) 53’
Misconduct Summary:
NSH – Walker Zimmerman (caution, 18’)
NSH - Jeisson Palacios (caution, 32’)
NSH – Daniel Lovitz (caution, 69’)
SD – Luca Bombino (caution, 71’)
SD - Jeppe Tverskov (caution, 88’)
Lineups:
SAN DIEGO FC: GK Pablo Sisniega; D Ian Pilcher, D Oscar Verhoeven, D Manu Duah, D Luca Bombino; M Onni Valakari, M Jeppe Tverskov -C-, M Luca de la Torre (Paddy McNair, 90+1); F Tomás Ángel (Aníbal Godoy, 66’), F Anders Dreyer, F Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (Emmanuel Boateng, 76’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK CJ Dos Santos, GK Jacob Jackson, D Hamady Diop, D Franco Negri, F Alex Mighten, D Aiden Harangi
TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 11; OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES; 4
NASHVILLE SC: GK Joe Willis, D Daniel Lovitz, D Jeisson Palacios, D Walkeer Zimmerman -C-, D Andy Najar (Julian Gaines, 90’), M Patrick Yazbek, M Hany Mukhtar, M Alex Muyl (Ahmed Qasem, 72’), M Edvard Tagseth (Gaston Brugman, 72’), F Jonathan Perez (Jacob Shaffelburg, 62’), F Sam Surridge (Teal Bunbury, 72’)
Substitutes Not Used: D Jack Maher, M Bryan Acosta, M Gaston Brugman, F Teal Bunbury, D Josh Bauer, D Julian Gaines, F Ahmed Qasem, GK Brian Schwake
TOTAL SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 19; OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 2
Referee: Drew Fischer
Assistant Referees: Kathryn Nesbitt, Kali Smith
Fourth Official: Servando Berna
VAR: David Barrie
AVAR: Craig Lowry
Weather: 67-degrees, Sunny
Attendance: 28,114
SDFC HEAD COACH MIKEY VARAS
On how it feels as a coach to see a gameplan come together:
"Yeah, I think, listen, we asked these guys to go for the game. The way that you do that is have discipline for our structure, for our game plan, for our principles, but also to play with freedom and to find that balance and to go for it. To be decisive in your actions, and I thought the team did a really good job of that. That's a really, really good Nashville team. Really well coached with mature players, a really mature roster with a lot of talent on it. They played very well, and the guys stepped up. At the end of the day, you get a clean sheet against a team that scored a ton of goals in the league. That's massively important. You can see our back line growing up, game by game. You have fireman actions from Pablo, from midfielders, from defenders. You have the front three working back to help defend as a team and I just think it was a really good performance. I think in possession, we were so brave with the ball. We really took them out of their game because they're very fast and they can they can combine really quickly, but they couldn't get on the ball as much as I'm sure they would have wanted to. For me, I'm so proud of the group because, yes we have talent in the team and yes we have a style of play that they commit to and that helps us and can be our competitive advantage, but this group also has a ton of character and character was a massive factor in this game and that's what makes me so excited."
On defender Manu Duah interacting with the crowd and the energy they provide the team at crucial points in a match:
"I mean the crowd is part of our team every single, The fans sitting in this stadium, especially La Frontera, I mean they're part of our team, they're part of our family. And so, it's not so much...for me, it's normal that we will engage with them, because they're part of this. And yeah, I really like that he has that personality. They help us win. I'm always so thankful for them."
On the impact of forward Tomás Ángel despite not getting on the scoresheet:
"I think the obvious thing is that he's not scoring, uh, goals, um, or getting the final, uh, pass, but we shouldn't minimize the work that he is doing. He's doing a tremendous job pressing. He's doing a huge amount of defending work for the team that helps liberate a little bit Hirving and Anders. So, of course, any number nine wants to get into more dangerous positions to help impact the goal, but what I will say is, he's still adding a lot to the team. In terms of just that energy that he brings and really mature and disciplined defending. As strange as that sounds to say about a number nine, but that's important. Because we talk about being an ‘and’ team. So, we want to be a team that, yeah, is creative on the ball and can play well in possession and defends as a team and runs hard and fights.”
SDFC FORWARD HIRVING “CHUCKY” LOZANO
[Translated from Spanish]
On his goal tonight and the overall result:
“I feel very happy that I was able to score and get the result for the team and for the club. We had a rare setback, but we were able to get back on track. There are a lot of things we need to work on, but we are on the right path. We are going to continue to work hard to be on the right track.”
On his MLS All-Star experience:
“It was a very nice experience being an All-Star. It’s something new and different for me, and I enjoyed it. But to be back and play with my team is first and try to help San Diego grow and help it become an important team in MLS.”
On comparing this time in his career in MLS as team heads into Leagues Cup:
“I feel good about it. I had two stops due to injury. I think I’m on a good path. As I said before, I am continuing to work to get better. I must keep working and improve on things because I want to be the best version of me and be in the best possible physical form. I think I’ve done it well and we have to keep working.”
SDFC MIDFIELDER JEPPE TVERSKOV
On how the club was able to overcome Nashville's physicality and earn three points:
"It's a very good team, we knew that beforehand. It was a good game, we actually just talked about it. It was a fun game to play, also. Two teams that want to play their way and I feel like we had the upper hand. We did great in the build up and with being patient, and it ended up opening up for us. I think overall a very good game for us in general."
On what this past week has been like experiencing the MLS All-Star Game and now a victory at home:
"Yeah, it's been fun, it's been special. It's been very American I would say, with a lot of media and a lot of people in general. I think for me at least most a mental thing, being able to get through all this spectacle as it's been. It was a fun experience, I looked forward to it with the guys, it's nice also for a couple of the guys to go."
On competing against Mexican teams in next week's Leagues Cup:
"It's something I am also looking forward to. It's fun also trying to play against teams from another league and another style. I've heard a lot of very, very positive things about the Mexican teams in general, so yeah it's going to be fun. But I think for us, we play at home, we play, you know, the way we want to play, how our style is, I think that's our competitive edge against those teams, so I think you're going to see a San Diego FC that tries to play as we've done in the league and try to be dominant on the ball."
On what he saw when he played forward Anders Dreyer through on goal when forward Hirving "Chucky" Lozano scored:
"Yeah, we have two good guys at the top and I think they were going in transition and I picked up the ball and you always know when a team is going in transition, that's usually where the space is on the other side, on the other end. So yeah, one through ball and then they were almost two against one. Those guys, they finish when they get chances like that."
