Anders Dreyer scored two goals and added an assist to complete a sensational campaign and lift visiting San Diego FC to a Western Conference-sealing 4-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in both teams’ regular-season finale.
Dreyer finishes with 19 goals and 19 assists in his maiden MLS regular season while helping San Diego (19-9-6 63 points) edge Vancouver on the first tiebreak of total wins for the top spot in the conference.
Amahl Pellegrino added his second and third goals in his seventh appearance for SDFC, which also set a new points record for an MLS expansion team while ending the campaign with consecutive victories.
Manager Mikey Varas’ side will have home-field advantage against the winner of the West wild card match, which will now be played in Portland after the Timbers (11-12-11, 44 points) slid to eighth place with the defeat.
Portland will face ninth-seeded Real Salt Lake, which slid into the final spot with a 2-2 draw at St. Louis.
The Timbers have won only once and earned just seven points in their last 10 matches. Against San Diego they were second-best for long stretches while being outshot 16-11 overall and 7-2 in efforts on target.
But it was Portland turnovers that led to San Diego’s first and third goals.
On the first, Dreyer was the interceptor deep in Portland’s own end. From there, he slid a clever throughball onto the right foot of Pellegrino, who sent a first-time finish inside the far right post from just inside the penalty area.
It was a more possession-based attack that led to Dreyer’s first goal in the 47th minute. He provided an exceptional final touch, a ferocious strike from well beyond the penalty area that beat goalkeeper James Pantemis to the top left corner.
But two minutes later, the visitors essentially put the game away through another transition opportunity.
This time, it was Onni Valakari collecting possession after a successful San Diego tackle, then quickly spotting Dreyer with a long low throughball. Dreyer raced behind the defense, then chipped Pantemis to complete one of his signature performances.
Pellegrino completed his brace when he controlled and finished Jeppe Tverskov’s finish in the 63rd minute.
–Field Level Media
