San Diego FC’s Playoff Push Falters in 4-1 Loss at Red Bull New York
San Diego FC Red Bull New York 4-1: that was the final score at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday night, as SDFC’s winless run reached six matches and its Western Conference playoff position remained outside the qualifying places. The first-ever meeting between the clubs turned on a damaging opening half-hour in Harrison, New Jersey, where SDFC’s positive start gave way to three unanswered goals before the break.
Early Goals Put SDFC on the Back Foot
Red Bull New York scored twice inside the opening 20 minutes. Julian Hall and Devin Padelford supplied those goals, and Jorge Ruvalcaba added a third in the 27th minute. By halftime, SDFC trailed by three and had seen its early control of the match disappear.
RBNY kept pressing and finished with 27 total shots, a volume that kept the SDFC defense under sustained pressure. Goalkeeper CJ dos Santos made eight saves despite conceding four times, repeatedly keeping the deficit from growing larger than it already was.
Bakambu Pulls One Back for SDFC
Cédric Bakambu entered as a second-half substitute and scored SDFC’s only goal in the 60th minute. Anders Dreyer provided the assist, his 13th of the 2026 MLS season. Bakambu’s finish was a first-time strike from Dreyer’s cross. Both of Bakambu’s goals for SDFC have come as a substitute.
The goal briefly interrupted RBNY’s control, but SDFC could not build on it. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting restored the three-goal margin in stoppage time, scoring RBNY’s fourth in the 90+3 minute to close out the 4-1 result.
Playoff Hopes Take Another Hit
SDFC needed points to improve its playoff position and entered the match outside a Western Conference playoff spot. The loss extended a winless streak that began before this trip and left the club still outside the postseason places.
The previous match, on Sept. 26, ended in a 3-3 draw at Austin FC after SDFC had led by three goals. That result at Q2 Stadium had already stretched the winless run to five. With this defeat, it grew to six.
Saturday’s match was SDFC’s first trip to Harrison, New Jersey, and its first meeting with RBNY. The club posted the final score and a highlight of Bakambu’s goal on X, while RBNY shared goal highlights on the same platform.
Next Up: Houston at Snapdragon Stadium
SDFC returns home to host Houston Dynamo FC on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium. The teams met earlier this season on April 22, when Houston won 1-0 at Shell Energy Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the clubs.
With the winless streak now at six matches, SDFC will look to end it against a Houston side it has yet to beat. The Oct. 14 match offers the next opportunity to gain ground in the Western Conference playoff race.
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