San Diego Athletics

SAN DIEGO — Two first-half goals was all USD men's soccer needed on Sunday evening, as Iain Wagner and Taj Eagleston both scored to deliver a 2-1 win over cross town rival San Diego State.

No. 9 San Diego (5-1-1) extended their winning streak to three straight and are now unbeaten in four. The Toreros drew 2,242 fans, the most for a regular season match since UCLA visited on 10/22/17 and drew 2,539 in USD's 3-1 win.

USD set the tone early and never handed it back. The Toreros put seven shots up in the opening 45 minutes to the Aztecs' one, and forced four corners to two. San Diego also got four of those seven first-half attempts on frame while their hosts' counterparts managed none.

Wagner opened the scoring in the 17th minute off a set piece that USD worked twice. Luca Fava's corner from the left was headed clear, Matteo Salcedo settled the loose ball and shielded it away from pressure, and Wagner ran onto it for a left-footed strike from 25 yards out that went inside the bottom-left corner. It was the first goal of the season for the sophomore, who finished the night with four shots.

Seventeen minutes later, the Toreros struck again through their leading scorer. Samy Kanaan laid the ball back for Fava, whose first-time cross from the left side was miscleared inside the box, and Eagleston arrived to bury a first-time left-footer into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty box. It was his third goal of 2026 and his second game-winner in a row.

The Toreros added nine more shots and six more corners after the restart, testing the goalkeeper again and kept the Aztecs pinned in their own end for long stretches. Lucca Adams went the full 90 in goal and was largely untroubled, facing just two shots on target all night and saved one shot.

San Diego State got on the board in the final minute off a corner kick that deflected in, but the Toreros saw out the remaining seconds without trouble.

The final numbers reflected the flow of the match. USD outshot the Aztecs 16-7, held a 7-2 edge in shots on target, leading to SDSU dropping to a record of 2-2-3. Eighteen Toreros saw the field, with Fava, Kanaan and Salcedo all picking up assists.

UP NEXT
San Diego travels to Durwood Soccer Stadium to face off against Kansas City on Sunday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with the match streaming on ESPN+.