Moving to a new country and a new league as a professional footballer can be challenging, but what makes it easier? Having a teammate who speaks the same language and comes from the same place. This was the case for winger Anders Dreyer and forward Marcus Ingvartsen. San Diego FC began building their inaugural roster in 2024 with players from all around the globe.
Forward Marcus Ingvartsen signed with SDFC on March 19, 2024, alongside FC Nordsjaelland teammate Jeppe Tverskov. The Club later signed winger Anders Dreyer on January 22, 2025. What started as a familiar connection between the two Danish players quickly grew into something more, both on and off the pitch.
“We only knew each other a little bit from the youth national team. Of course, we knew who each other was, but when he came here, our families also quickly came together,” said Ingvartsen. “It's also been very nice just to have another Danish guy, another Danish family that we are spending quite a lot of time with.”
SDFC’s inaugural season kicked off in February 2025 and concluded in November, when the Club’s playoff run came to an end against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Dreyer appeared in all 34 matches and helped lead the Club with 38 goal contributions (19 goals and 19 assists) in MLS regular season play. Meanwhile, Ingvartsen was sidelined most of the 2025 season due to injury, appearing in just eight matches.
Even while Ingvartsen was recovering from injury, that off-field familiarity began to translate into their play. As a veteran player, the forward made sure to help wherever possible.
“He helped me a lot in the beginning, like one and a half years ago when I arrived. He played this style of play before, and he kind of knows how to press. Then when you speak the same language, it's a little bit easier sometimes to explain things in detail,” said Dreyer. “I think it's been a big help and it's just nice that we can use it out here when we practice and then sometimes it pays off on the weekend and we find each other also there. So that's cool.”
Ingvartsen returned to play on August 17, 2025, against the San Jose Earthquakes, scoring one goal at PayPal Park. He didn’t make another appearance until October 2025, but after a challenging season, the return marked a fresh start.
"It's been great playing this season. Last season I had a tough season, not playing too much, and a lot of injuries. It's been great being out on the field and being able to support and then building that connection with Anders has been really nice,” said Ingvartsen. ”We know each other a little bit from before, but of course, with the language and so on in training and in games, we easily build a good connection and give each other small details and parts throughout the game, so it's been very nice.”
SDFC opened the new campaign with a bang during their 2026 Home Opener at Snapdragon Stadium against CF Montréal, 5-0. Ingvartsen scored his first goal and the fourth of the night. With a left-footed strike off a Dreyer cross, the forward found the back of the net. Dreyer contributed two assists for the night and the first for Ingvartsen in the 2026 season.
“I think it’s nice to have Marcus back in the squad. He didn’t play that much last year, but it’s nice and you can definitely see that he’s a striker, that he loves to be in the box, score with both his feet and also with the head. So that's nice and I think he gives us something different than we maybe had last year,” said Dreyer.
On matchdays, the connection between Dreyer and Ingvartsen is easy to spot. The passes are sharper, the timing more instinctive. But that chemistry is built in quieter moments, on the training pitch, far from the spotlight.
For Ingvartsen, it starts with communication. It comes through constant, subtle exchanges, what he calls “small talk” that add up over time.
“You see each other's strengths and how the other person likes to get the ball and run with the ball and so on. So, it's getting better and better,” added Ingvartsen.
The forward recorded his first brace of the season against the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) on Saturday, May 2. The Dreyer to Ingvartsen connection was on full display once again as the winger's corner kick set up the opening goal.
“When you play more minutes together, you start finding that connection between each other and we talk a lot outside the pitch, but also on the pitch and I think that's very important in like a relationship on the pitch and as a football player that you create that with teammates,” said Dreyer.
Ingvartsen currently leads the Club with seven goals this season, four of them being assisted by Dreyer. The winger has contributed five goals and six assists of his own, with their partnership continuing to produce in key moments.
“On corner kicks we have some situations from a team perspective. So, it was a perfect setup. We have good runs in the box making space for each other,” said Ingvartsen. “I came completely free and then a perfect delivery, so, a perfect example from the training pitch which worked in the game."
The season is underway, but the connection is only getting stronger. Catch the Scandinavian duo in action at Snapdragon Stadium for the Club’s second MLS season.
