San Diego FC and FC Cincinnati Play Out Six-Goal Epic at Snapdragon Stadium

In one of the most entertaining matches of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, expansion side San Diego FC fought back twice to earn a thrilling 3-3 draw against high-flying FC Cincinnati. The night of May 17, 2026 at Snapdragon Stadium saw seven goals, a red card, and a late penalty drama that left both sides with mixed emotions.

San Diego opened the scoring inside eight minutes through forward Marcus Antwi, who latched onto a through ball and slotted past Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano. But the visitors responded with a dominant spell. Luciano Acosta, the league’s reigning MVP, equalized with a trademark free-kick in the 23rd minute, and Cincinnati took the lead just before half-time when Sergio Santos bundled in a corner.

Wild Second Half Unfolds

FC Cincinnati appeared to take control in the 55th minute when Yerson Mosquera headed home from a set piece to make it 3-1. The Orange and Blue looked comfortable, but the match turned on its head in the 68th minute when Cincinnati’s Obinna Nwobodo was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.

San Diego seized the numerical advantage immediately. Substitute midfielder Alejandro López pulled one back in the 72nd minute with a curling left-footed shot. The home crowd roared as San Diego pushed for an equalizer, and it arrived in the 86th minute: center-back Kortne Ford rose highest to meet a corner and powered a header past Celentano.

Late Drama and Stalemate

Both teams had chances to steal a winner in stoppage time. Cincinnati’s Santos hit the post from close range, while San Diego’s Antwi saw a goalbound shot cleared off the line. The final whistle confirmed a 3-3 draw that extended San Diego’s unbeaten run at home to four matches but denied them a first-ever win over Cincinnati.

For Cincinnati, the result drops them to second in the Eastern Conference behind Columbus Crew, with head coach Pat Noonan lamenting his team’s lack of discipline after the red card. San Diego remain in tenth place in the West but have shown resilience that bodes well for their inaugural season.

Match Stats

• Possession: San Diego 54% – Cincinnati 46%
• Shots on target: San Diego 7 – Cincinnati 6
• Yellow cards: 3 (SD) – 2 (CIN)
• Red cards: 0 – 1 (Obinna Nwobodo)

San Diego FC next travel to face Minnesota United, while FC Cincinnati return home to host Toronto FC in a bid to regain top spot in the East.