Onni Valakari netted the inaugural home goal in San Diego FC history in the 69th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw against the undermanned Columbus Crew on Saturday.
San Diego (2-0-2, 8 points) has achieved road victories against the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, along with a home tie against St. Louis City, making them one of only two expansion clubs in MLS history, alongside St. Louis City (5-0-0 in 2023), to remain unbeaten in their initial four matches.
Max Arfsten netted a goal in the 13th minute for the Crew (2-0-2, 8 points), but the dynamics of the match shifted in the 60th minute when Columbus defender Malte Amundsen received a red card for fouling fellow Danish player Anders Dreyer, so denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
San Diego equalized on a corner kick while the Crew was reduced to nine players, as defender Yevhen Cheberko was undergoing a medical evaluation after sustaining a head injury while blocking a free kick.
Valakari was unmarked for a header from a Luca de la Torre assist during San Diego’s second home encounter.
Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte executed five of his six saves during the second half.
Arfsten, who achieved a career-high of four goals previous season, successfully executed a give-and-go with DeJuan Jones. Arfsten sprinted down the center of the box to receive a return pass from the right side by Jones.
C.J. dos Santos thwarted the Crew’s attempt to extend their lead in the 39th minute by deflecting a drive from Jacen Russell-Rowe aimed at the right corner.
The Crew concluded a demanding sequence of five matches inside 15 days, including two journeys to the West Coast, due to their participation in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, culminating in a 4-2 aggregate defeat over two meetings against Los Angeles FC.
They will encounter an additional obstacle in their March 22 match against New York FC, as Schulte will be absent due to his commitment to the U.S. national team for the CONCACAF Nations League on March 20 and 23.
