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SDFC fans show their passion. (Hunter Dubberly)<\/p>\n
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The neighbors south of the border came into town and took home a 2-1 victory against San Diego FC in the annual Baja Cup at Snapdragon Stadium. The Xolos entered the friendly with a 4-1-2 Liga MX record, while San Diego entered 8-6-11 in MLS play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas sent out a young starting 11, including three new additions from the club\u2019s Right to Dream Academy. Striker Mohamed Reda, midfielder Mohamed Naser, and winger Mido all had their first starting minutes for the club.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really happy that they can slot in,\u201d said coach Varas. \u201cYou can see that there\u2019s definitely a cohesive alliance style of play across our football organization. It felt and looked like a team out there, which is really important.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tijuana took the lead in the 35th minute, hoping to go into halftime up 1-0. San Diego responded 10 minutes later, as center back Osvald S\u00f8e tapped the ball into the back of the net from a corner kick, leveling the score right before the halftime whistle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SDFC fans show their passion. (Hunter Dubberly)<\/p>\n
Mexican midfield prodigy Gilberto Mora entered the game for Tijuana to begin the second half. He made an immediate impact in the 56th minute, firing a wide-open shot from inside the box that San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos saved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Xolos eventually scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute when Tijuana midfielder Iv\u00e1n Tona rifled the ball into the top-right corner from outside the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lost a little bit of control of the game in the second half,\u201d said Varas. \u201cThey started to put pressure on us because we had too many turnovers that were unnecessary; that\u2019s part of learning. We had a lot of young guys out there, a lot of guys who haven\u2019t gotten a lot of minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the bright side for San Diego, prospect winger Bryan Zamble showcased his proficient attacking ability on the left side of the pitch. The 18-year-old Right to Dream graduate challenged Tijuana\u2019s back line and created several chances inside the box with his fast pace. Zamble has made only one MLS start, but he shows the potential to become a future starter for San Diego.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Club Tijuana head coach Sebasti\u00e1n Abreu complimented San Diego\u2019s style of play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you watch them, they are constantly creating triangles,\u201d said Abreu. \u201c[They\u2019re] playing short passes and using positional play to find that second line and make runs behind the defenders. They have speed out wide, and they like to press in the opposition\u2019s half with an extremely high press.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Azul y Chrome have been struggling in MLS play lately. They have lost three matches in a row, including a staggering 5-0 blowout in their last league match against Philadelphia Union. But despite the recent struggles, the squad is focused on bouncing back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the last three games, [I can feel] that the group is not afraid to hold themselves accountable,\u201d Varas said. \u201c[They\u2019re] quite committed to making sure that we do what we\u2019ve got to do to change the flow right now and flip the script.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
SDFC returns to action on Sunday at 4 p.m. on the road against Lionel Messi and defending champions Inter Miami. San Diego will seek its first victory since Aug. 29. <\/p>\n
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