Anders Dreyer receives red card in SDFC’s League Cup-opening loss at Snapdragon Stadium

Alexei Dominguez’s two-goal performance and a late-match red card for Anders Dreyer shaped a disappointing Leagues Cup debut for San Diego FC, which lost 3-2 to C.F. Pachuca on Tuesday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

Dreyer, SDFC’s winger and a candidate for Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player award, was shown a red card for violent conduct in extra time when he became entangled witha Pachuca player. The booking immediately puts Dreyer’s status for Friday’s match with Tigres UANL into question.

“I’m sure he’d like to take it back,” SDFC coach Mikey Varas said of Dreyer’s red card. “But these things happen. There was a little frustration with the time management… and he was getting manhandled a bit.”

The bitter ending for SDFC (0-1) came in stark contrast to the stellar night for Dominguez. Pachuca’s 20-year-old forward scored twice; his rocket of a kick in the 67th minute gave the Liga MX club a 3-0 lead.

Emmanuel Boateng scored in the 88th minute for SDFC’s first breakthrough of the night, while Luca Bombino scored in a header during the 10th minute of a lengthy extra time.

The late flurry amid a chippy closing stretch was not enough for SDFC to climb out of a deep hole.

For Pachuca (1-0), Tuesday’s performance carried over a promising, 3-0 start to its Liga MX season into the annual tournament between teams from Mexico’s top league and MLS.

Things unraveled quickly in the first half for SDFC, which came out as the aggressor for the opening 20 minutes.

SDFC dominated possession, resulting in close but ultimately fruitless opportunities early.

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano’s attempt in the 18th minute caught the lower left post, while Jeppe Tverskov snapped a contested header in the 14th minute that sailed just wide-right of goal.

Pachuca, meanwhile, capitalized on SDFC’s first major miscue. Dominguez fired a well-placed cross to a streaking Victor Guzman, who went unchecked just long enough to force goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega out of the net.

Sisniega’s initial block caromed back off of Guzman and bounced just out of reach of defender Manu Duah’s last-ditch effort to prevent the score. The goal may not have been executedcleanly, but Guzman celebrated with a cartwheel into a backflip.

Striking first ignited an aggressive attack from Pachuca through the latter minutes of the first half. Sisniega, who has manned goal in every match since CJ dos Santos was bloodied in a July 5 loss to the Houston Dynamo, faced a barrage of shot attempts before intermission.

Varas said dos Santos Is available, but after the goalkeeper required surgery on his injured nose, the club will not rush him back. Varas praised Sisniega’s performance since stepping in full-time on July 12.

“Pablo’s been doing quite well,” Varas said. “We’re rewarding Pablo and how he’s been training but also how he’s done in games.

“It’s the cycle of competition,” Varas added. “CJ will get his opportunity again.”

Sisniega made his fourth save of the half in the third minute of extra time, but Dominguez followed up his initially deflected attempt to score on the rebound.

The resulting 2-0 score going into halftime left the home crowd in a stunned silence.

SDFC attacked to open the second half, but again failed to break through. Lozano was off the mark on a pair of attempts shortly after the break, while Dreyer booted a laser that CarlosMoreno stopped for one of the Pachuca goalkeeper’s four saves.