A one-goal cushion plus a one-man advantage equaled three points for San Diego FC in its 3-2 win over LAFC on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium — but not without 45-plus minutes of anxiety for the home club. SDFC (3-1-2) picked up three MLS Cup points with Saturday’s win, the first in franchise history at home.

Artem Smolyakov and Cengiz Ünder each score in the first half as LAFC loses to San Diego FC 3-2 in its first trip to Snapdragon Stadium.

Typically, it takes a long time to establish a rivalry. But when you have two cities with a history of disdain like San Diego and Los Angeles, the process can be fast-tracked. San Diego FC’s first meeting with Los Angeles FC at Snapdragon Stadium sure had the feeling of something bigger than your run-of-the-mill early season Major League Soccer