SAN DIEGO (Monday, Nov. 29, 2025) – San Diego FC (SDFC) concluded its inaugural Major League Soccer season on Saturday night with a 3-1 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final. The match was played before the Club’s fourth consecutive postseason sellout, with 32,502 in attendance at Snapdragon Stadium.
Vancouver opened the scoring eight minutes into the match through forward Brian White. Three minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead when a shot by Ali Ahmed deflected off a defender and then off goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega before crossing the goal line. White added his second of the night late in the first half, redirecting an Ahmed pass off his chest from close range to extend the lead to 3-0.
SDFC responded in the 60th minute when Hirving “Chucky” Lozano converted a right-footed strike to narrow the deficit to 3-1. SDFC continued to apply pressure throughout the second half in search of additional goals but was reduced to 10 men following a straight red card issued to Sisniega in the 79th minute.
San Diego concludes its inaugural MLS campaign as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, registering 19 regular-season victories and setting a new league record for most points (63) by an expansion club. With the achievement, SDFC also secured qualification for the 2025-26 Concacaf Champions Cup and became only the second expansion team in MLS history to advance to a Conference Final, joining the 1998 Chicago Fire.
Goal Scoring plays:
VAN – 0-1 – Brian White (Andres Cubas and Ali Ahmed),8th minute: White slid on a ball and sent it in with his right foot past SDFC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega to open the scoring. White scored off a pass Andres Cubas from left to right after SDFC could not clear the ball from the box.
VAN – 0-2 – Pablo Sisniega (Own Goal), 11th minute: Vancouver extended its lead after an own goal by SDFC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega. Vancouver’s Ali Ahmed sent a shot that deflected off defender Manu Duah and then hit off Sisniega’s back and into goal.
VAN – 0-3 – Brian White (Ali Ahmed and Andres Cubas), 45+: White added his second of the night by scoring with his chest while standing near the goal line off a cross by Ahmed from left to right.
SD – 1-3 – Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (Jeppe Tverskov) 60th minute: Lozano received a pass from Tverskov on the run and curled a right-footed shot from just outside the box past goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, cutting the Vancouver lead to 3–1.
Postgame Notes:
· With tonight’s loss against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, San Diego FC finished its participation in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs and concluded its inaugural MLS season.
· Tonight’s loss is also only the Club’s 11th defeat in all MLS Competitions (19-9-6 in regular season).
· Tonight’s result was the first time SDFC lost to Vancouver Whitecaps this season (won June 25 at BC Place and tied July 19 at Snapdragon Stadium).
· SDFC has a combined 20-9-4 record against Western Conference teams in the regular season and post season.
· SDFC is 1-1-1 all-time against Vancouver Whitecaps across all MLS Competitions.
· Designated Player Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored his second Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs goal after coming on as a substitute at the start of the second half.
· Lozano finished the postseason with three goal contributions (2 goals, 1 assist).
· Lozano has a combined 11 regular and postseason goals and a combined 11 assists for a total of 22 goal contributions in MLS.
· SDFC captain Jeppe Tverskov earned his second career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs assist during Lozano’s goal. He has a combined 15 regular season and postseason assists in MLS.
· Designated Player Anders Dreyer now has a combined 39 regular and postseason starts.
· Only Dreyer and Onni Valakari have played in all of SDFC’s regular season (34) and postseason (5) matches this season.
· Defender Manu Duah started in five consecutive Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matches and made his 18th MLS start and 19th appearance for SDFC. He has a total of 23 appearances with the Club across all competitions, including three 2025 Leagues Cup matches.
· Marcus Ingvartsen came on as a substitute for Onni Valakari in the 71st minute. He returned from injury on Oct. 18 against Portland in the Club’s MLS Regular Season finale.
· Goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega made his third Audi MLS Cup Playoffs start for SDFC and his fifth MLS postseason appearance in his career.
· Sisniega’s own goal in the first half was the second SDFC own goal against Vancouver this season. SDFC had an own goal in the team’s last meeting, a 1-1 draw at Snapdragon Stadium on July 9.
· Goalkeeper Duran Ferree made his MLS debut when he came on as a substitute for Amahl Pellegrino in the 80th minute as a result of Sisniega’s ejection.
· SDFC had 554 passes completed compared to Vancouver’s 469.
· SDFC out-possessed Vancouver 51 to 49 percent.
Match Information
Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final
No. 1 San Diego FC vs. No. 2 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 – Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
Scoring Summary:
VAN (0-1) – Brian White (Assisted by Andres Cubas and Ali Ahmed) 8’
VAN (0-2) – Pablo Sisniega (Own Goal) 11’
VAN (0-3) – Brian White (Assisted by Ali Ahmed and Andres Cubas), 45+2
SD (1-3) – Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (Assisted by Jeppe Tverskov), 60’
Misconduct Summary:
VAN – Edier Ocampo (caution, 5’)
SD – Onni Valakari (caution, 27’)
SD – Manu Duah (caution, 66’)
SD – Hirving Lozano (caution, 75’)
SD – Pablo Sisniega (ejection, 79’)
Lineups:
SAN DIEGO FC: GK Pablo Sisniega; D Luca Bombino, D Christopher McVey, D Manu Duah, D Ian Pilcher (Franco Negri, 46’); M Onni Valakari (Marcus Ingvartsen, 71’), M Jeppe Tverskov –C–, M Aníbal Godoy (Luca De La Torre, 46’); F Amahl Pellegrino (Duran Ferree, 80’), F Corey Baird (Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, 46’), F Anders Dreyer.
Substitutes Not Used: D Paddy McNair, D Pedro Soma, M David Vazquez, F Alex Mighten
TOTAL SHOTS: 6; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 16; OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES; 4
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC: GK Yoheii Takaoka, D Mathias Laborda, D Ralph Priso, D Edier Ocampo (Giuseppe Bovalina, 88’), D Tate Johnson, M Emmanuel Sabbi (Kenji Cabrera, 74’), M Thomas Müller –C– (Ryan Gauld, 61’), M Sebastian Berhalter, M Andres Cubas (Jeevan Badwal, 89’), M Ali Ahmed (Jayden Nelson, 89’), F Brian White.
Substitutes Not Used: GK Isaac Boehmer, D Joedrick Pupe, M Jean-Claude Ngando, F Rayan Elloumi
TOTAL SHOTS: 6; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8; FOULS: 22; OFFSIDES 4; CORNER KICKS: 1; SAVES: X3
Referee: Joe Dickerson
Assistant Referees: Ryan Graves, Logan Brown
Fourth Official: Chris Penso
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
Weather: 61-degrees, clear
Attendance: 32,502
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
