SDFC hold off Toluca 3-2 in Champions Cup thriller

Nine-man SDFC protects home turf in Round of 16 CONCACAF Champions Cup classic

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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SDFC defeated back-to-back Liga MX champions Deportivo Toluca F.C. 3-2 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 matchup at Snapdragon Stadium. Despite going down to nine men due to two red cards, SDFC scored three unanswered goals to take a narrow lead into the second leg next week.

Why it matters

This victory over the highly-regarded Toluca squad is a major accomplishment for SDFC, who are looking to make a deep run in the prestigious CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament. The resilience shown by SDFC to overcome the adversity of playing two men down for most of the match demonstrates the team's strong mentality and character.

The details

SDFC fell behind early after a red card to forward Marcus Ingvartsen led to a Toluca penalty conversion in the 16th minute. But SDFC equalized in the 32nd minute through a goal by midfielder David Vazquez. Vazquez then scored again in the 57th minute to give SDFC the lead, and Anders Dreyer added a third goal in the 72nd minute. Toluca scored a late penalty to make it 3-2, but SDFC held on for the victory despite being reduced to nine men.

  • The match was played on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.
  • SDFC defeated Pumas UNAM 4-2 on aggregate in the First Round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup prior to this match.
  • SDFC will travel to Estadio Nemesio Díez to face Toluca in the second leg of this Round of 16 tie on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

The players

SDFC

The San Diego soccer club competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Deportivo Toluca F.C.

The Mexican soccer club and back-to-back Liga MX champions that SDFC faced in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16.

Marcus Ingvartsen

SDFC forward who was sent off with a red card in the 12th minute.

Marcel Ruiz

Midfielder and captain of Toluca.

Jesús Gallardo

Toluca defender who scored the opening goal from the penalty spot.

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What they’re saying

“I think anybody who is in the stadium will remember this night, because the team not only found a way to get the result, but they found a way to continue imposing themselves, even though a lot of things went against us tonight.”

— Mikey Varas, SDFC Head Coach (Post-match press conference)

“These guys just showed so much character and resilience in terms of coming out with a real proactive attitude. You've seen a lot with a lot of teams, they got the 1-1, so okay, let's just hang on for as long as we can. I think we pushed it to the limits for as long as we could.”

— Mikey Varas, SDFC Head Coach (Post-match press conference)

What’s next

SDFC will travel to Estadio Nemesio Díez to face Toluca in the second leg of this Round of 16 tie on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

The takeaway

SDFC's victory over the highly-regarded Toluca squad, despite playing with nine men for most of the match, demonstrates the team's strong mentality and character. This result sets them up well to advance to the quarterfinals of the prestigious CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament.