SDFC settle for a point in Seattle, 1-1 vs. Sounders

San Diego FC left Lumen Field on Saturday night with a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders, extending the winless streak to nine league matches.

Coming off a 2-2 tie at Snapdragon Stadium last Saturday against So-Cal rivals LAFC, San Diego FC traveled up the West Coast to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Sounders for matchday 12 of the MLS 2026 regular season.

Last week's draw moved the Chrome & Azul’s winless period to eight league matches, having gone over two months without gaining all three points from a game. SDFC’s last victory took place on March 7 in a 1-0 home match over the visiting Sporting Kansas City. 

These two sides split the season series last campaign, with SDFC’s first-ever trip to Lumen Field back on May 28, 2025, ending in a 1-0 Sounders victory. 

Wasn’t an easy task for the visiting side coming into Saturday, with the Sounders protecting home field through an ongoing 20-game unbeaten streak at Lumen Field.  

Following last week’s brace vs LAFC, it was SDFC’s red-hot forward, Marcus Ingvartsen, who got on the scoresheet first, being assisted by midfielder Onni Valakari in the 18-minute to bury the 1-0 chance.

Valakari from outside the top of the box slipped in a pass for Ingvartsen, only needing the quick setup touch for his right-footed shot inside the penalty area, as the ball drifted past Sounders goalkeeper Andrew Thomas and into the left side of the net.

Ingvartsen grew his MLS goal total to eight on the season, currently sitting as the club's top scorer in 2026. 

Only moments after the opening goal, SDFC’s Amahl Pellegrino nearly doubled his side's lead in the 22-minute, with his guided header being pushed away in the last second by Andrew Thomas, denying the score and keeping the one-goal deficit for Seattle. 

Sounders’ forward Jordan Morris thought he had gotten the equalizer in the 31-minute, only for the linesman to immediately lift up their flag with VAR confirming Morris to have made his run in an offside position leading up to the score, as the match remained 1-0 for SDFC.

It was a match-defining final 20 minutes of the game, starting off in the 73-minute with a questionable head-to-arm play inside the penalty box by SDFC's Manu Duah, ending in a no penalty awarded decision for the Sounders. 

Sounders’ Danny Musovski had his 79-minute inside the box leveling chance blast off the right post and away from the goal as Seattle continued to push heavily for the tying score.

The ensuing attack, Musovski was denied again inside the box, this time by the stretching right foot of SDFC goalkeeper Duran Ferree to maintain his side's slim lead.

Third time the charm for Musovski, on the end of a corner kick delivery where he got the finishing touch near the goal area to get the Sounders on 1-1 terms in the 80-minute.

A final 90+5-minute attack saw SDFC squander their chance to steal all three points, starting on a skillful run by forward Alex Mighten, leading to a blocked Anders Dreyer shot falling to the feet of on-form Marcus Ingvartsen, as he lifted the potential game-winner over the crossbar with the final whistle blowing 1-1 at Lumen Field shortly after.

A true end-to-end game between San Diego and Seattle, having combined for 40 total shots and a very tight 51%-49% possession win for the Sounders.

Back-to-back draws for SDFC after holding late leads and clean sheets into the 80-minute mark (LAFC 82’, Sounders 80’)

It’s now nine straight winless league matches for SDFC following a 1-1 draw against Seattle.

San Diego FC’s schedule turns home-heavy over the next two weeks, with three straight matches at Snapdragon Stadium beginning Wednesday, May 13, against Austin FC, with a kickoff at 6:30 p.m.