Tom Krasovic: San Diego FC proves again that it can win without Chucky Lozano

Chucky or no Chucky, San Diego FC can beat any Major League Soccer team.

That was clear long before Sunday night, when the first-year club — minus star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano owing to his spat with coach Mikey Varas — scored two quick goals in its playoff opener and went on to beat the Portland Timbers 2-1 before an announced crowd of 32,500 in Mission Valley.

Creating roars that were louder than for its 17 regular-season home matches, Varas’ club delivered a high-paced, mostly sharp performance.

Scandinavian veterans Onni Valakari and Anders Dreyer scored in the first half. Defender Manu Duah, setting up the first goal, clouted a 25-yard volley off the bar. Feeding Dreyer for his first header goal this season, rookie defender Luca Bombino led him with a crossing pass.

“Very collective performance,” said Varas.

“A festival of football,” said midfielder Luca de la Torre, who grew up in San Diego.

Yet the report on Lozano afterward was encouraging. Varas said he told Lozano that “as long as there’s no setback this week, he’ll be back” for the next game.

If Lozano has his mind right and indeed joins the active roster Saturday, when the best-of-three series moves to Portland’s carpeted field, SDFC’s odds of winning the series and the MLS Cup final improve.

Assuming he’s fit, Lozano remains a very good MLS player who knows how to play within SDFC’s structure, as Varas demands.

He’s not the first international scorer who has some diva to his own game.

Drawing a line with Lozano late in the season, Varas benched him at halftime.

In response, Lozano pitched a fit, for which he apologized Friday on Instagram. Though Varas said Friday the forward was “100% committed to making his way back into the group” he wasn’t listed among the starters or backups, making it two consecutive games missed for disciplinary reasons.

It wasn’t the first ego blow to the Mexico City product since he joined San Diego FC on a contract that made him the team’s best-paid player.

Dreyer, the do-it-all wing from Denmark, established himself as the team’s best player two months into the season. Quick and versatile, he proved such a find that, if not for Lionel Messi being Lionel Messi, the league’s MVP award would go to him.

Although local fans have worn more Lozano jerseys than any other SDFC jersey since the games began in March, there’s no doubt Dreyer became the team’s most popular player by midseason.

The crowd’s roars for Dreyer in pregame introductions Sunday acknowledged that fact.

“A full house like this, it’s different compared to Europe,” Dreyer said.

If Lozano needed to smell more strong coffee, several recent wins by SDFC without him should have done it.

His backup, Amahl Pellegrino, picked up from San Jose in August for $300,000 in MLS transfer money, provided a much-needed, no-frills approach in tallying three goals and three assists in the final two regular-season games.

The 6-foot-3 Pellegrino, who lives to crash the net, provides a vertical stretch to the team’s many combinations. He caused Portland a few problems Sunday.

But Lozano has more skill to offer. The trick for Varas and Lozano will be to get Lozano back into the flow, while also finding minutes for Pellegrino, who has earned them, and perhaps also finding work for veteran Marcus Ingvartsen.

Advantaging Varas as he preached team-first principles since the start of training camp, Dreyer has accentuated the talents of numerous teammates.

You know who else appreciates Dreyer, who led the 30-team league in assists and trailed only Messi in goals plus assists?

Lozano.

SDFC’s signature moment of the regular season was Lozano heading Dreyer’s crosser in the final minutes, beating LA Galaxy before a home crowd and lighting up social media followers.

To win the MLS Cup, reprising that high-caliber connection will likely be needed. There’s a lot of reason here for Chucky and Mikey to get things squared away.