San Diego edge past Puebla in League Cup Group Stage
San Diego beat Puebla 3-2 in the League Cup Group Stage at Snapdragon Stadium on 13 August 2026. The hosts took the lead early through Oswald Soe in the fourth minute, then doubled their advantage inside a minute when Kevin Velasco struck twice in quick succession. Puebla fought back through Diego Vazquez and Dán Thorhallsson before Eduardo Mustre's late brace gave the visitors a dramatic finish. and here's the thing — the result keeps the group wide open.
San Diego's opening goal came at the four-minute mark from Soe, who found space to finish. Velasco then made it 2-0 in the 29th minute before adding a second just after the half-hour whistle. Puebla pulled one back when Vazquez scored in the 76th minute, and Thorhallsson levelled at 2-2 eight minutes later. by then the momentum had shifted completely.
Mustre's double in the final minutes — 87th and 88th — completed the turnaround. San Diego made three changes at the break with Tverskov, Morgan and McVey coming on. Velasco was replaced in the 67th minute, while Soma and Zamble appeared together at 75. The hosts brought on three more players at 80, including Organista and Sanabria, before Mustre's late strikes.
The statistics tell a story of contrasting approaches. San Diego held 63 per cent possession and completed 612 passes against 333 for Puebla. The hosts created four big chances from 14 shots on target, while the visitors managed two big chances from just four attempts on goal. to be fair — the shots accuracy gap was stark: 41 per cent versus 25.
Puebla registered more attacks — 98 to 92 — and attempted 26 dribbles compared to 15 for the hosts. But San Diego were more clinical in the final third, with 126 passes into the opposition half versus 76 from the away side. The visitors made more tackles — 12 to 17 — and won more aerial duels proportionally, but couldn't convert their opportunities.
The result leaves the Group Stage standings fluid. San Diego's three points come after mixed form — a win against Tijuana, defeats to América and Colorado Rapids, plus draws with Minnesota and Dallas. Puebla's recent run includes losses to Austin and Portland, a win over Juárez, and draws with Guadalajara and Cruz Azul. and here's the thing — nobody's safe yet.