SDFC handed heavy 5-0 defeat at home by Philadelphia Union

San Diego FC suffered a 5-0 home defeat against the Philadelphia Union on Hispanic Heritage Night at Snapdragon Stadium. The Philadelphia Union claimed the victory, marking their first-ever meeting with the San Diego club. The loss came after the San Diego FC team suffered a midweek 1-0 loss to in-state rival San Jose Earthquakes, which ended their five-match winning streak at Snapdragon Stadium.

San Diego FC entered the match in ninth place in the Western Conference postseason standings, just ahead of the LA Galaxy. The match began cagey, and it seemed headed for a scoreless tie until the closing moments of the first half. Midway through the second half, Philadelphia Union's 16-year-old forward Cavan Sullivan scored a goal from a backheel flick, putting his team ahead.

The Union continued their dominance in the second half, with Sullivan doubling his goal tally and adding a brace to the score. Philadelphia FC's Bruno Damiani and Malik Jakupovic also scored, resulting in a 5-0 victory for the Union. San Diego FC's coach, Mikey Varas, acknowledged the team's lack of consistency and promised to make improvements, stating that the team needed to self-correct quickly due to the unacceptable result.