Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was left out of the San Diego FC squad due to an internal matter as the Californian expansion side picked up its first playoff win.

San Diego picked up a 2–1 victory in front of 32,500 fans at Snapdragon Stadium against the Portland Timbers, putting them within a game of the Western Conference semifinals. 

Despite being in attendance with his family, meeting up with minority owner and San Diego Padres star Manny Machado, plus taking in warmups and post-match festivities, Lozano was left out of the matchday squad. 

According to a report from The Athletic, Lozano’s absence was due to a verbal altercation in the locker room after he was unhappy about being substituted at halftime in a game against the Houston Dynamo on Oct. 4. 

After leaving him out of the squad for the final match of the regular season, an eventual 4–0 win over Portland, head coach Mikey Varas explained, “We had a situation we’re dealing with internally.”

Meanwhile, Lozano took to his personal Instagram to offer his insight on the situation. 

“I’m a passionate and competitive person who always wants to give everything for the team. Sometimes, that same intensity can lead to reactions that don’t reflect who I am or the respect I have for everyone around me,” the 30-year-old said. “I didn’t react in the right way, and I’ve already taken responsibility, addressed it, and moved forward.

“What matters most to me is continuing to grow—as a player, as a teammate and as a person. Every day I’m learning, improving and doing my best to contribute positively to the team. I’m fully focused on what’s ahead, on the goals we share and on helping San Diego achieve everything we’ve been working for.”

Varas added further comment on Sunday following the win, seemingly keeping the door open for Lozano’s return as soon as game two. 

“Like we said, we had a situation that we’ve been handling internally, and we said we would take it day by day, week by week, and we think Hirving’s response has been really positive in the training,” he said.

“He's working really hard. He's showing a lot of commitment to getting back into the team, and we had already communicated to him before this game, that bar, as long as there's no setback this week that he'll be back.”

The first signing in club history, Lozano enjoyed relative success in his first MLS season, scoring nine goals and 10 assists, but was overshadowed by Danish star Anders Dreyer in an MVP-caliber campaign.

San Diego FC return to the pitch for game two on Saturday at Providence Park in Portland, looking to sweep the first-round series and advance to the final eight of the MLS Cup playoffs.

If they do so, they would face either the Seattle Sounders or Minnesota United. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Chucky Lozano Didn’t Play for San Diego FC in MLS Cup Playoffs.