San Diego FC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega went seven months and two days between starts.

Four minutes into Saturday’s 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy in Carson, he surrendered his first goal.

Thirteen minutes later, he gave up another one.

“Obviously, the beginning of the game was kind of a reawakening of, like, the level and the speed of the game,” he said.

But Sisniega — and SDFC — soon settled down.

The Mexico City native finished with seven saves in his first start since March 14 as SDFC forged a tie, keeping its dwindling playoff hopes alive. SDFC is 8-12-10 heading into Saturday’s home match against the Seattle Sounders. With four regular-season matches remaining, the club sits five points out of the ninth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

Sisniega spent much of the spring and all of the summer dealing with a lower-back injury. He returned to the bench in mid-September, but did not see the field until Saturday.

“It was obviously disappointing to give up the two goals so early,” he said, “but I think as the game went on, I grew into the game and made a couple big saves at the end.”

Whether Saturday’s start was a one-off or a sign of an increased role remains to be seen.

CJ dos Santos and Duran Ferree have made 14 starts apiece in goal this season, posting nearly identical stats — dos Santos has allowed 24 goals while making 52 saves, while Ferree has allowed 27 goals while making 44 saves.  Sisniega has allowed five goals in two starts.

Ferree is SDFC’s first-ever homegrown player; dos Santos and Sisniega have both signed contract extensions that will keep them with SDFC for the 2027 “sprint season,” with club options for 2028.

The decision to start Sisniega was one of a handful of changes to SDFC’s Saturday night lineup. Captain Jeppe Tverskov and forward Marcus Ingvartsen played 24 minutes apiece after coming off the bench in the second half. Amahl Pellegrino played just the final seven minutes after replacing fellow forward Elias Achouri.

Coach Mikey Varas said he was “betting on fresh legs for our group” during a physically draining week.

SDFC played Houston to a 3-3 tie last Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium before traveling to Carson for Saturday’s match.

Sisniega was admittedly a bit conflicted after his first game back.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result,” he said. “But it just felt good to be back out there, to be with the guys … as a competitor, you want to be out there.”

Unlucky?

SDFC can’t seem to catch a break.

Saturday’s draw came on a night when the expected goals metric said the club should have won by two goals. The statistic listed SDFC’s expected goals at 2.6, with the Galaxy posting an xG total of 0.6.

Three nights earlier at Snapdragon Stadium, SDFC and the Houston Dynamo played to a 3-3 tie on a night when the metric gave San Diego an expected goals total of 3.3; Houston’s xG was 0.9.

That’s two draws that could’ve — should’ve? — been two comfortable wins.

“We create over two xG (and) the opponent creates (0.6), the math makes sense that you win the game — and we’re not winning the game,” Varas said late Saturday. “So that’s why I say for me it’s a good performance, but it’s not enough — and we all know that and (we’re) definitely not hiding from that, and not saying that everything is OK. We know we need wins and we need wins fast. And I think that we’re on our way to making the right steps.”

Duah honored

For the second straight year, San Diego FC defender Manu Duah has been named to MLS’ “22 Under 22” list. The former UC Santa Barbara standout is ranked ninth this year after slotting in at No. 15 last year.

Duah has started 29 MLS matches this year, logging three assists. He scored his first professional goal in SDFC’s Concacaf Champions Cup match over Liga MX’s Pumas UNAM earlier this year.

SDFC coaches moved Duah, 21, from midfielder to defender last season.