Corey Baird’s assists fuel San Diego FC’s playoff run

Anders Dreyer’s left-footed rocket goal in Monday’s playoff win may well be the defining moment of San Diego FC’s breakthrough season.

But before we move on — SDFC plays its next playoff game on Saturday night, hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps at Snapdragon Stadium in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference final — let’s appreciate the pass that set it up.

And the player who delivered it: Escondido native Corey Baird, an MLS veteran who joined his hometown team via trade four months ago.

SDFC and Minnesota United were locked in a scoreless tie in the 72nd minute. SDFC was attacking when Jeppe Tverskov chipped a pass from the touchline toward the goal line, well to the right of the net.

With the ball airborne, Baird began to sprint. The veteran forward arrived at the goal line just as the ball did and, using his heel, passed the ball behind him, keeping it in play. The brilliant touch went straight to Dreyer, who took a few long strides before connecting and blasting the ball past goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and into the top-right corner of the goal.

Anders Dreyer with a ROCKET and @sandiegofc are 20 minutes away from the Western Conference Finals!

Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/mMILy8bMXg

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 25, 2025

“A lot of guys would’ve let that ball go out of bounds,” SDFC coach Mikey Varas said. “(Baird) played it to the last millimeter, and it ended up being one of the big differences in the game.”

Dreyer’s strike was SDFC’s only shot on goal against the Loons, who packed the box and frustrated the home team for most of the match. To create scoring opportunities, SDFC had to get creative.

“We tried to overload on the side. We tried to play quick, get in behind them, be patient most of all,” Tverskov said. “Luckily, it ended up with a goal with one of the things we have been talking a lot about: deep ball in behind, cut back and shot on the nearest post.”

Or, as teammate Amahl Pellegrino said: “We needed quality to score the first goal, and that’s what (Baird) gave the team.”

It’s the kind of play SDFC was banking on in August, when the club acquired the 29-year-old from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money and a chance at another $50,000 for next year.

The veteran of Real Salt Lake, LAFC, Houston Dynamo and FC Cincinnati has fit right in. Baird made his San Diego debut on Aug. 23, starting and playing 42 minutes against the Portland Timbers. He returned to the starting 11 in early October after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, and has been a mainstay there since.

Baird has logged assists in SDFC’s last three playoff matches.

“He’s a giver,” Varas said. “He makes extra runs from behind, even when he doesn’t get the ball.”

And knows, perhaps more than most, just what a championship would mean to San Diego. Baird grew up in Escondido and attended Cathedral Catholic High School for a year before embarking on a professional track that included time at Real Salt Lake’s academy in Casa Grande, Ariz., and a year at Vista Grande High School in the central Arizona town. Baird played collegiately at Stanford, winning three NCAA Championships, before joining MLS. In 2018, Baird — playing for Real Salt Lake — was named the MLS Rookie of the Year.

He jumped at the chance to join SDFC.

“As soon as a team was announced, it was a mission of mine to try to get back here in some capacity,” he said.

And to be a part of it?

“It’s so special that this city has a soccer team now, and seeing what we’ve made after just 12 months ….It’s awesome,” he said. “I’m so excited to see where it goes.”

For now, it could go straight to the MLS Cup championship game. A win on Saturday night would move San Diego FC to the final, where it would face either NYCFC or Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Should NYCFC and SDFC both win, the match would be held at Snapdragon Stadium.

All because of one highlight-reel goal, set up by an amazing assist.

“We’re in a (conference) final now,” Baird said. “Hopefully, I’m gonna help ‘em a little bit more on Saturday.”