San Diego FC claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Saturday night thanks to a late penalty from Anders Dreyer.
Dreyer stepped up in the 89th minute to convert from the spot and hand his side all three points in a tight contest.
The penalty was awarded following a video review that identified a handball foul by LAFC defender Ryan Porteous inside the box.
It was Dreyer’s eighth goal of the current season, adding to a career tally that now stands at 27 goals in 53 appearances.
However, the Danish winger’s evening ended on a sour note after he received a red card in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The dismissal means Dreyer will serve a suspension and miss San Diego FC’s next fixture, leaving the side without one of their most influential attackers.
CJ Dos Santos was equally important to the result, making three saves to record his first shutout in six starts this season.
The goalkeeper was in impressive form, having posted 10 clean sheets across 30 starts last year, and he will be hoping this shutout signals a return to that consistency.
LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had a relatively quiet evening by comparison, being called upon to make just one save throughout the match.
The result was a significant blow for LAFC, who had scored 11 goals across their previous four matches and came into the game with considerable momentum.
San Diego’s victory moved them to a record of six wins, seven losses, and six draws, keeping them in contention in a competitive Western Conference table.
LAFC’s record now sits at ten wins, six losses, and four draws after the defeat ended what had been a productive recent run of results.
South Korean star Son Heung-min saw his four-match scoring streak come to an end on the night, unable to break the stubborn San Diego defence.
The result also offered a measure of revenge for San Diego, having been on the wrong end of a dramatic 2-2 comeback draw when the two sides met in April.
