Elias Achouri was introduced Saturday as the player San Diego FC believes can transform its attack.
A few hours later, the players already in uniform offered another reason for optimism: The present season might still be salvageable.
SDFC defeated FC Dallas 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium, riding Alejandro Alvarado’s first goal of the season and a resolute finish that had been absent throughout the club’s prolonged slump.
The result was not secured until the third minute of stoppage time, when defender Manu Duah blocked Logan Farrington’s right-footed shot from the center of the penalty area.
Only then could San Diego exhale.
Alvarado supplied the decisive goal in the 50th minute of his first start this season. His previous seven appearances had come as a substitute. He was replaced by David Vazquez in the 73rd minute.
Goalkeeper CJ dos Santos needed to make only one save as SDFC earned its second victory in 15 matches across all competitions.
The breakthrough came hours after the club introduced Achouri, its third designated player, during a news conference inside Snapdragon Stadium.
The Tunisia national team winger was presented to supporters before kickoff but could not play while awaiting his P1 visa and international transfer certificate.
Sporting director Tyler Heaps called Achouri a “perfect fit” and made the club’s immediate objective clear.
“We have to take three points at home,” Heaps said.
San Diego did.
The decisive moment arrived five minutes into the second half. Alvarado collected the ball in a central position outside the penalty area and drove a right-footed shot into the bottom corner, beating Dallas goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The goal was important. San Diego’s ability to protect it mattered more.
SDFC entered the match having dropped 14 points in the final five minutes of games, according to Heaps. The latest failure came Wednesday in Colorado, where the Rapids scored in the 95th minute to hand San Diego a 1-0 loss.
“If these games were 85 minutes, I think we would be third or fourth in the table,” Heaps said. “Unfortunately, this is football. We need to make sure we can play through 90 minutes.”
This time, San Diego did.
“This game is a game of inches, and it’s a game without mercy sometimes,” dos Santos said Friday. “It’s about keeping that mental focus for as long as humanly possible.”
Dallas striker Petar Musa presented the greatest threat to that focus, but San Diego neutralized him. The Croatian entered with 13 goals, including a hat trick in the teams’ 3-3 draw in March.
Coach Mikey Varas had warned that Dallas would play directly toward its center forward before attacking through transitions and crosses. SDFC limited those opportunities and kept Dallas from registering a shot on target until late in the match.
At the other end, San Diego played with greater pace and clarity than it showed in Colorado, where it managed only two shots on target.
SDFC finished with 69.4% possession, a 19-7 advantage in shots and an 8-1 edge in attempts on target.
The performance offered an early glimpse of the competition Heaps hopes to create through five summer additions, none of whom played Saturday.
Achouri eventually will bring a different profile to the attack.
“He’s a dynamic winger with special one-on-one ability, especially in the attacking third,” Heaps said. “We think he’ll continue to improve our team and give us the best chance to win trophies in this city.”
Achouri said he expects to create chances from the left side, beat defenders one-on-one and deliver service into the penalty area.
“I’m very happy to be here,” he said. “I hope I can do my best on the pitch and help the team.”
Achouri also dismissed comparisons to Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, the club’s original designated player, who remains separated from the team.
“Lozano is Lozano,” Achouri said. “I’m Elias Achouri, and I will do Elias Achouri things. Why make a comparison? He’s a top player, and I will show that I’m also a top player.”
Heaps said Achouri’s signing was independent of Lozano’s status. The club remains engaged in discussions intended to find Lozano another opportunity, and Heaps said SDFC hopes to reach a resolution during the current transfer window.
San Diego improved to 5-7-5 with 20 points, moving into 11th place in the Western Conference. Dallas fell to 7-5-5 with 26 points, ending its three-match unbeaten streak.
One victory did not erase San Diego’s difficult first half of the season. It did provide the club’s newest addition with a different picture of the team he is joining — one capable not only of taking a lead, but finally holding it.
SDFC next visits Minnesota United at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1.