San Diego FC’s three-goal lead vanishes in draw with Austin FC

San Diego FC blew a three-goal lead in a stunning second-half collapse, surrendering three goals in the final 17 minutes to draw Austin FC 3-3 at Q2 Stadium. A match that appeared firmly in San Diego’s control unraveled late, as Austin completed an unexpected comeback.

Aníbal Godoy opened the scoring five minutes after halftime before an own goal from Mikkel Desler doubled San Diego’s lead in the 57th minute. Marcus Ingvartsen then made it 3-0 in the 64th minute after combining with Anders Dreyer and Cédric Bakambu.

Austin answered through Brandon Vázquez in the 73rd minute before Christian Ramirez secured a four-minute brace to erase San Diego’s three-goal advantage and force the draw.

Both teams had their depth tested Saturday night, with several players unavailable due to international duty and injuries.

San Diego was without forward Elias Achouri (Tunisia), midfielder Onni Valakari (Finland) and goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos (Cape Verde) due to international duty. Forward Amahl Pellegrino, midfielder Gabriel Pirani and defender Sam Vines were also unavailable with lower-body injuries.

Austin were without five players: Guilherme Biro (suspension), Przemysław Płacheta (lower body), Brad Stuver (illness), Myrto Uzuni (Albania) and Joseph Rosales (Honduras).

San Diego’s starting lineup featured five defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Ian Pilcher, Manu Duah, and Oscar Verhoeven—the same defensive alignment that helped San Diego earn a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami last week.

Austin’s attack was active in the opening 45 minutes. They fired off seven shots but couldn't find the back of the net. Despite the opportunities, the visitors controlled 60% possession. San Diego had zero attempts in the first half.

With the game knotted at zero, head coach Mikey Varas subbed on veteran striker Cédric Bakambu for David Vazquez. Bakambu signed with the club earlier this month and had appeared in three matches before Saturday.

Five minutes into the second half, Verhoeven sent a cross inside toward Marcus Ingvartsen and Bakambu, but neither got their head on the ball. San Diego midfielder Aníbal Godoy pounced on the rebound and scored his first goal of the season.

Moments later, San Diego doubled its lead thanks to an own goal by Mikkel Desler in the 57th minute. Austin goalkeeper Damian Las made a questionable challenge inside the box and was out of position when Ingvartsen attempted a cross to his teammate. Bakambu headed the ball toward the net, and Desler’s clearance was unsuccessful.

San Diego then scored its third goal in 14 minutes. Anders Dreyer approached the box and made a short pass to Bakambu, who gave it right back to Dreyer. He found Ingvartsen between multiple defenders, and the forward finished with one touch to give his team a 3-0 lead.

The Danish duo connected yet again. This was Dreyer’s 11th league assist in 2026, and Ingvartsen netted his first goal since mid-May, bringing his season total to 12 goals.

No lead is ever safe for San Diego sports teams.

Brandon Vázquez, a San Diego native, gave Austin life in the 73rd minute with an incredible diving header that bounced right in front of Duran Ferree and over his head.

This was his first goal of the season. Vázquez had nine goals across all competitions the year prior. Ervin Torres assisted the goal.

Austin’s veteran forward Christian Ramirez (82’ and 86’) then scored two goals within four minutes to tie the match—an incredible turn of events late in the match.

Jon Bell sent a bouncing pass past several San Diego defenders, and Ramirez scored via header. A couple of minutes later, he scored the equalizer to erase Austin’s three-goal deficit. Ramirez got behind the backline, received a pass from Jon Gallagher, and put the ball in the bottom left corner.

The home crowd erupted when the equalizer entered. Austin completed an incredible comeback, while San Diego suffered a stunning collapse.

Eight minutes were added, but neither team could break the 3-3 tie. Both teams left Q2 Stadium with one point as they enter the final seven games of the regular season. San Diego and Austin are both eyeing a late playoff push.

After the international break, San Diego will return on Oct. 10 when they travel to New York to face the Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium. New York has won consecutive matches against Columbus and New York City. Julian Hall, an 18-year-old forward, leads the team with 10 goals.