u/TomasClark7

Yikes. SAFC finally had some momentum and had used the Spurs to garner some attention in and around the city, but they promptly fell flat on their face. I don't think it was as bad as the scoreline indicated, but a lot of the same issues came roaring back. Combine that with some really poor officiating and being ruthlessly punished for individual mistakes in a poor 25-minute stretch, and you get a 3-0 loss at home.

Batrouni- 5.5

Probably a bit harsh on Joey without me having all the information. The first goal probably should have been saved. He was too far off his line, and the shot itself was saveable. He even got a hand on it, but because he was caught so far out, he couldn't keep it out. The 2nd goal was a miscommunication, as I think Tiago thought Joey had stepped up to help in the build-up (like he had been doing). I don't know their specific triggers and reads, so I won't blame Joey entirely. 3rd goal: he did what he could to force a great finish. Joey also made a couple of nice saves to keep it from really being embarrassing.

Alexis Souahy- 4

Earlier in the year, I said that I thought SAFC had one of the best CB groups in the league. I was wrong. Both Barbir and Souahy have fallen off a cliff. Whether that's from lack of game time or they are both just not good system fits is open for debate, but at this point I'd rather see Angel Mercado get some minutes than either of those two. Souahy was lost on several occasions as he tried to defend and offered very little other than the safest of passes as we tried to navigate their press. He came out in the 71st minute as we changed formations in a desperate attempt to find a goal.

Tiago Suarez- 4.5

Back-to-back games for Tiago where he had a big goof. The red card over the weekend is forgivable, as I'm not sure it's a red, but last night he gifted El Paso a goal. I believe he thought Joey had stepped up in the build-up, and maybe he should have, but regardless, you can't let that ball leave your foot without knowing your surroundings. He's a young player, so mistakes like that are going to happen when you play with the ball as much as we do, but it is disappointing that it came in such a big moment. The goof really seemed to mess with his confidence, as he didn't look like the same player (also might be a residual impact from the red card). We'll need him to bounce back.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Mitch did what he could. He probably should have stepped up to stop the ball on the first goal, but he was marking two players because our midfield fell asleep. Ideally, Mitch just steps up and takes out Mendez at the beginning, but it is hard to blame him when his positioning is what forced a 35-yard shot. That should never be a goal. The 2nd, there is nothing he could do. On the third he's being asked to mark 2 guys in the 6-yard box, which is diabolical defending. Maybe he could have done better, but it's an outrageous situation to put a CB in. His passing was a net positive, as he routinely played over the press. Shame we couldn't do anything with it.

Rece Buckmaster- 4

Woof. Rece hadn't played in a long-time and I think we saw why. We really missed Akeem's energy and positioning at RWB. Rece just isn't that level of player nor is he a good enough athlete to cover a flank the way Akeem does. He also provided nothing but safe passing, either.

Mikey Maldonado- 5.5

Mikey struggled to mark the midfield as he was basically being asked to be a 1-man midfield. Getting that balance right has been a struggle for Llamosa all season. Mikey was excellent on the ball, though. He created 3 chances. He also flashed some carrying since El Paso was man-marking across the field in the press.

Curt Calov- 4

For the life of me, I can't understand where Calov was supposed to be playing. There were times his positioning suggested he was trying to play as an attacker. Whatever he was doing, it was all wrong. He attempted just 11 passes, which is far too passive for a midfielder in this tactical set-up. Berron is usually not great on the ball, but he provides the OOP work to carry the load for Mikey; Calov did none of that. Llamosa made the right decision to sub him at HT.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5

I don't think Nelson was bad as he created 2 chances on the night, but it wasn't impactful. I wish we could combine Nelson and Cuello into one player; together they'd make a hell of a LWB. As it stands though we have two solid but unspectacular players out there at that spot.
Which is fine as long as the team doesn't implode around them; unfortunately, we did for 25 minutes last night.

Nicky Hernandez- 4

I assume Nicky was supposed to be in the Parano role as one of those AM spots. We've seen him there before and do well. It didn't work last night. I'm not sure if that is because Calov was so out of place that the entire midfield was destabilized, but Nicky is a veteran midfielder. He can't let the struggles of one young player make him that invisible. He refused to track any runners from the midfield. He made next to no impact on the ball. He was subbed out at HT for Berron.

Santiago Patiño- 5

Patiño obviously didn't score, but I thought it was a step forward for him. He got off 5 shots, which had been a real struggle. His carrying didn't work, but seeing him at least try was progress. It is a sad state of affairs that the bar is that low, and it's why SAFC has brought in another forward. Ricol is probably going to walk straight into the lineup and get his chance.

Jorge Hernandez- 6

Jorge had been in sensational form. Unfortunately, a trend has been brewing for a while, and that is USL defenders flat-out targeting Jorge when he's on the ball and when he's off it. In the first 20 minutes of the game, El Paso was allowed to blatantly foul Jorge without making a play on the ball. Miami did it too, and had it not been for the coaches' VAR, would have gotten away with it too. El Paso should have gotten at least 4 yellows in that first 20 minutes. Does it change the game? I don't know, but considering we really only played poorly for 25 minutes, I think it's fair to say it at least had an impact. Llamosa and SAFC need to be more vocal about this; Jorge is a remarkable player and allowing the league to tee off on him for a full season is outrageous. I have no problem with hard fouls and sending a message, but they should be met with yellows as soon as it happens. You can't let teams get free shots on him because your refs are afraid. On the night, Jorge still created three chances before coming off in the 78th minute.

Lucio Berron- 6.5

Berron came on at HT and immediately stabilized the midfield. We controlled the 2nd half, and that was thanks to Berron simply being in the right spot. He was also fantastic on the ball, which has been something he's improved dramatically in. He misplaced just 1 pass in that 2nd half. We need him and Mikey to stay completely healthy the rest of the season.

Cristian Parano- 5.5

Parano got some rest but had to be brought on at HT due to how atrocious we were to close out that first half. He came on and played on the left, which was a change. He created 1 chance and got off a few shots. I thought it was a good performance, just a shame it came when we were already down 3-0.

Emil Cuello- 5

Cuello came on in the 63rd for Buckmaster, and he stayed on the right. Even out of position, he was a big upgrade on what we had out there, and he created 1 chance.

Diogo Pacheco- 4

Pacheco came on in the 71st and didn't make much of an impact, despite us having the majority of the ball. No shots, no chance creation, but he did at least try to carry the defense and drew a foul. He was even able to play with a CF, so I can't even blame that. It was just 19 minutes, so I won't be too harsh, but we need him to be a sub off the bench who can make an impact. That doesn't look like a role he's suited for.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Haakenson came on and played as a CF for Patino. It's not sexy when he comes on, but it looks effective, and that is what we want from a situational sub. He got off a shot (and probably should have scored) and did little else.

Takeaways

That 25 minutes was really deflating, but I would caution us from overreacting. We've seen this kind of thing before from this group, and it seems to happen when they have a busy schedule. Fatigue can't be an excuse but I saw that performance against Louisville and the guys looked physically exhausted; then they had to play down a man for 50 minutes in the midweek game.

I'd also say that El Paso were a little lucky. This wasn't a situation where they outplayed us and dominated the game. They took advantage of a rotated squad (specifically that midfield) who played passively and poorly in that first half. They also came in and decided that they were going to kick and hit until the ref stopped them, knowing our guys would be exhausted. Credit to them for that, and the result sucks, but I'm not going to overreact just yet. We also had a stonewall penalty denied when the El Paso defender literally stuck his arm out to stop the ball. We were very unlucky to be down 3-0 at HT; on balance, it probably should have been 2-1 at worst. At that point, I think the 2nd half plays out very differently.

What I will say is that there is no reason to see some of the older vets anymore. Souahy and Barbir are making costly mistakes, and I'd rather see opportunities go to Angel Mercado. In the midfield, I wouldn't give up totally on Calov, but that is a MLS franchise's secondary prospect. Landry Walker is a better prospect than Calov ever was (or will be). If we're going to develop a young player, why not our own? Especially when he is the profile of midfielder this team needs. The organization needs to trust its own. Mercado, Walker, and Urrutia (who made the bench last night) should get the first opportunity. If they fail or aren't ready, then go out and loan in someone like Calov (there are dozens of players like him playing in MLSNP).

SAFC has addressed the forward spot with Ricol. It now needs to address the midfield depth. Whether that be loaning in someone else who can properly replicate what Berron brings to this team or playing the young guy we've spent years developing in the Academy.

Another big home game as SAFC looks to keep the Copa Tejas in the 210. Despite the rivalry, this is still a huge league game. We still currently sit in 2nd in the West, but New Mexico United has 3 games in hand and is just 2 points back. I would expect we get some rotation considering the travel and minutes we've put on the first choice, but Llamosa seems to be locked in right now.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Souahy-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Flores Blanco

Sorto-Patino-Jorge

Backline is tricky because I am worried about Mitch/Alex playing this many minutes, but I don't think we can risk rotating both of them right now. Suarez only played 33 minutes midweek and will be suspended for the semifinal, so I'm keeping him in the team.

I'd like to rotate Buckmaster in here, but we haven't seen him in months, so I'm not sure he's available. Calov has been a late-game sub in both games this week, so I think he's in line to start here next to Mikey.

Front 3 is even harder to predict. Jorge/Parano are in incredible form, but we have to manage them properly to keep them healthy. I'd rotate Parano for Sorto and see if Santi can give us 60 active minutes. We do have a new CF that we brought in today, so we might see him off the bench.

Opposition Analysis

El Paso had a really rough 6 weeks where they won just 1 game, but they have recovered nicely. They've won 3 of 4 games, though none of them have been sexy, and all three wins came against pretty mediocre teams. Because of their strong start, they still sit 5th in the West.

El Paso isn't really impressive, and them cooling off was pretty predictable if you remember my preview from our first matchup. Rubin was finishing at an unsustainable level early and has cooled significantly. That doesn't mean things can't turn back in their favor at some point, and they have the players (especially the attackers) who can take advantage of any relaxed play.

Rubio Rubin has 10 league goals, and there are signs that he's regaining the form he had in the Spring. He has scored twice in the last 4 games, so the CBs will be busy to make sure he doesn't have a sliver of space. He had an incredible finish against us in that first match.

Defensively, El Paso is going to press and then look to play direct (amazingly, so many coaches and rival fans complained about Marcina, but at least a dozen franchises are running variations of his principles that he brought to the USL). We have struggled with that at times (most notably when Tiago was out injured), but El Paso isn't especially athletic like those teams that cause us the most problems.

Prediction

I think we're going to have another choppy game. El Paso will remember the meeting back in April where they fell behind 2-0 and erased it before losing to a Parano last-minute winner. I think we'll see a 1-1 draw for the 2nd weekend in a row.

After a chaotic game, SAFC finally breaks the Miami FC curse and wins 2-1 to advance to the League Cup semifinals (they were drawn against Louisville City at Toyota Field). In true SAFC fashion, it had to be done in the most bizarre way possible. I was pleasantly surprised that Llamosa is taking the competition seriously with a strong lineup.

Joey Batrouni- 8

Joey was called into action several times and had to make at least two great saves. When we went down to 10-men kept the backline together. His ability to read the game allowed us to still play forward. It was an excellent performance from Joey.

Alex Crognale- 7

It is at least in part a credit to Alex that we did not need to make a defensive sub after going down to 10-men. He played well in terms of reading the game defensively. He had fewer responsibilities on the ball as Mikey was dropping deeper to help out with Tiago out, but was still efficient in what he was asked to do.

Tiago Suarez- 4

That is tough. Tiago was the first player sent off due to the ridiculous coach's challenge that USL is experimenting with. I hate that call being given as a straight red; I hate it even more that it came because a ref wanted to be the first to make that kind of decision. Tiago was playing well for the 33 minutes he was on the field.

Mitch Taintor- 7

It wasn't a sexy performance from Mitch, but it was still impressive. We spent about 40 minutes down a man, but it didn't matter. Mitch fought like hell with some really good defending in the box. His passing wasn't as effective with us not being able to stretch the field, but his willingness to look for those options kept us from being pinned in.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6.5

Credit to Akeem because he had to sit way deeper once we went down to 10, and he defended really well. On the ball, he didn't have as much of a chance to get forward, but that was more of an issue with our team tactics than his performance.

Mikey Maldonado- 7

Mikey (and Lucio) took on a much bigger role with the red card, and they delivered. Mikey only misplaced 1 pass, and dropping him deep so we could still build up was crucial. Some of Mikey's best work comes out of possession, though; he reads the game really well and always seems to be in the right place. Whether that be to receive the ball to help us play through a press or to cut out passing lanes.

Lucio Berron- 7

Lucio had another good game. He had just a 66% pass completion, but I thought he made good decisions on the ball. His best asset, though, is his energy and toughness. Despite us being down a man, Miami was unable to control the game. That was due to Lucio's (and Mikey's) ability to read the game and clog the middle. Miami doesn't do well with the ball anyway, but even with a man advantage, they were forced to play direct and play low-percentage balls. Berron also created a good chance in the box with a nice slotted ball to Pacheco.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello came back into the lineup at LWB. Interestingly enough, after the red card, Cuello was pushed even higher than normal. He essentially operated as a LW, and I think it was a brilliant move from Llamosa. Because we have such a strong spine, we didn't have to go into a shell and still pulled Miami apart. Cuello didn't have a ton of impact on the ball in that left half-space, but just his presence was important. Cuello came out in the 80th minute for Nelson.

Cristian Parano- 9

My goodness, what a player. Parano is in some kind of form. His first goal was clinical with a CF-style run into the box and a beautiful finish. The 2nd goal was Peak Parano. Another great run from Cristian, and Jorge found him with a peach. He still had a lot of work to do to finish it. Despite the goals, his ability to drive at defenders creates so much space for everyone else that even having a man advantage can't really help. Parano came out in the 80th minute for Nicky.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco again got the start at CF, and I do appreciate his runs. He's not a CF, and dropping to 10 men certainly didn't help him, but he works. He should have probably had a goal with that Berron chance. The most impressive thing is the work rate. He defends on set pieces and presses with a purpose. When you're surrounded by elite players, that is sometimes all you need.

Jorge Hernandez- 8

Another 2 assists for Jorge. The first was a pretty standard (for him) ball, but that 2nd assist was unreal. In total, 5 chances created on the night while also dropping deep to help in the midfield. His ability to get on the ball and set defenses up is unmatched. Unreal player. He was subbed out for Calov at the tail end of the game.

Dani Barbir- 4

Woof. We haven't seen much of Barbir, and we saw why last night. As soon as he came on, our defense became unsettled, and it resulted in him losing his marker and allowing a goal. It wasn't all bad, as he did settle down and mostly defended well. Hopefully it was just him knocking some rust off.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5.5

Nelson came on for Cuello in the 80th minute at LB. He played deeper than Cuello but still managed to occupy forward space. He scored an offside goal; Jorge should have shot himself, but I do appreciate Nelson making that run to support.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

Nicky came on in the 80th minute, and I thought he really helped us settle the game down. Miami had just scored, and the game was starting to get stretched. Nicky played on the right-hand side and stabilized the game (I really like a 3-man midfield, and we saw it with Mikey/Berron/Nicky). Wasn't anything flashy, but being tidy on the ball as he played us forward a few times and defending down the wing were really valuable at that stage of the game.

Curt Calov- N/A

For the 2nd game in a row, Calov came on as a super late sub with no real chance to have an impact.

Takeaways

The red card decision made it a discombobulated game, but SAFC seemed to have found its swagger. Parano and Jorge are an unreal pairing, and there are very few teams who could lose a CB to a red card and not be forced to replace him in the lineup. Credit to Llamosa for having the stones to go for it, knowing there would be no way we'd hold out for an hour.

SAFC will now host Louisville City on September 8th at Toyota Field. Hopefully SAFC runs some promotions to get fans in the stands for it. This team deserves a great atmosphere.

After a good result on the road at Louisville, SAFC returns home for the QF of the League Cup. We'll take on Miami FC, whom we bizarrely struggle to beat. Since winning the first match-up in 2022, SAFC has lost 3 and drawn once. We drew them 0-0 earlier this year at Toyota Field.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Barbir-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Cuello

Sorto-Patino-Jorge

This is tricky. We played a relatively strong lineup on Saturday to get a result (which I agreed with). I suspect we'll see Barbir in some capacity, but I don't know which CB will be rotated. Suarez is the youngest, so I assume he stays in. I picked Crognale to be rested, but I could see both he and Mitch rotated for at least a half, with Souahy also getting a start.

We haven't seen Buckmaster in a long time, so I don't think he'd rotate in at RWB, but Akeem being overplayed makes me nervous. Mike, Curt, and Cuello were all subs on Saturday, so I assume they start.

Front 3 is the hardest to predict. Parano is still coming off a long injury lay-off, and I would try to save him for the 2nd half. Jorge has also played big minutes, but with no Erofeev, I think we have to risk it. I've brought in Patino just because we need someone to eat some minutes. Patino is known for rising to the occasion in big games, so maybe playing a knockout game gets him going.

Opposition Analysis

Miami had a really good April/May and was comfortably a playoff team. Since June, though, they've struggled. They've won just 1 league game in June/July/August (a 2-0 win over Indy XI). Somehow they still sit 8th in the East. I hope that because they are still in a playoff position, we'll be immune to whatever curse we have against the worst teams in the league.

I do not know what kind of rotation they will use, but they do have some talent. Those who are USMNT nuts will remember Joel Sonora, who played for the U20 teams a few times and played professionally in Argentina for a long time. Eloy Room is a good GK despite closing in on 40. Jurgen Locadia has 7 USL goals. Milesi is also a good USL LB.

Miami is really thin just about everywhere else, though, and there really is no reason we shouldn't be winning at home. They don't do anything well, and in the first matchup we should have won but wasted several good chances. They don't press particularly well, but on rewatch, they are pretty aware of their limitations and lean into things that rattle opponents.

Prediction

We win this 2-0. Miami FC isn't good (I don't think they are even close to a playoff team in the West). After being eliminated last year at home to Hartford, we can't have it happen again. At some point, we have to stop losing to bad teams at home? Right?

Well, I finally got a prediction right. In all seriousness, I thought that was an encouraging performance. SAFC rolled into a crowd of about 12K and outplayed a solid team in their own stadium. Stats don't really reflect performance levels either due to our glaring hole at the CF spot. We even got some rotation as we keep our eye on the League Cup QF on Wednesday (Louisville City also rotated some guys).

Joey Batrouni- 6.5

Despite giving up the goal, I thought Joey was solid. Louisville City's goal came because Suarez was allowed to be tackled off the ball, which freed up Akale to slot it home. He only really had one other save to make from a long shot from Jake Morris. I was most impressed with how he played with his feet. SAFC controlled most of the game, and Joey seems to have gotten more comfortable. Especially compared to the last time I saw him in Lexington back in June. We're still not very efficient going long, but that is because we don't have a CF who can hold up play.

Alex Crognale- 6.5

Alex got the start at RCB, and he was composed on the ball. Louisville didn't press the entire game, but Alex handled it when they did. He also was constantly looking for those balls over the top. Defensively, he was solid. Louisville City has a really good attack outside of the mix-up on the throw-in that led to their goal. I thought everyone on our backline did well. Alex also had a chance to equalize off a corner routine, would have been an outstanding goal.

Thiago Suarez- 6.5

Suarez worked his socks off. He had a really tough matchup with Chris Donovan (who is really big), and I thought Suarez did well to match the physicality as the game progressed. Louisville City clearly went after him, and it's how their goal happened. As the game wore on, though, he responded. He also only misplaced 1 pass and was a big part of our ability to control the game.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch was in his usual LCB spot. The first goal was a mix-up as we had two guys (Mitch and Suarez) marking 1 and it left Alex on an island. Mitch mistimed his jump, and we were punished, but after that the entire backline settled in and really stifled Louisville City. I say it a lot, but his long passing is such a weapon. 15/24 on his long balls last night, and every time it was the right read.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem has really grown into the season. He pairs really well with Parano on that right-hand side because he can tuck underneath and carry while teams know they have to send multiple guys to try and box in Parano. He's also athletic enough that he can help out Alex and provide midfield support.

Lucio Berron- 6.5

On the ball, this was one of Berron's better performances in my opinion. I have been vocal about my concerns, but Lucio was good last night. I'd like him to be a little more progressive, but I'll settle for efficient. Efficient allows us to recycle possession so we can find new angles for Jorge and Parano to get on the ball. On the other side, he does what he always does, and that is battle. He puts his body on the line (blocked two shots at the top of the box last night) and generally annoys opposing players.

Nicky Hernandez- 6.5

Nicky got the surprise start in the midfield. He looked healthy and fluid on the ball, and he's comfortable moving into several zones on the field. He created two chances. He doesn't add a whole lot defensively, which was a problem at times last night. Louisville didn't press high, but they would swarm in that mid-block and look to play quick. Nicky needed a little more awareness, but if we're not going to play with a traditional CF, we have to have more attacking players on the field, and Nicky provides that. Nicky was subbed out in the 72nd minute for Mikey.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5.5

Nelson got the start at LWB and at times was playing as an outright winger. Having Mitch on his side really frees him up. We did a great job of setting him up in the Final third, but every time the move fell apart because we lack a presence in the middle of the field and Nelson was forced to recycle possession. I don't think he was bad last night, but our lack of a CF meant his impact wasn't as great as it could have been. He also had a good chance to equalize right before HT but hit the side netting. He came out for Cuello in the 72nd minute.

Cristian Parano- 8

Parano puts so much pressure on defenses, and he's in excellent form right now. He's basically playing through the middle as our front 3 is kind of fluid at the moment, but there were times he moved out wide to try and create space (that we could not take advantage of because we have no CF). Obviously, we have to talk about the goal. That should be the goal of the week, if not the goal of the season. Everything about it was perfect: the stutter to generate just a sliver of space for the shot that seemed to hang in midair as it bent into the top corner. I had the side-angle view, and it felt like it was slow motion. Louisville fans around gasped at the sheer beauty of it.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco is the latest non-CF who has been shoe-horned into the CF role. To his credit, I think he tried, but he's at his best when he can play off of someone else occupying bodies. When he has to occupy the bodies himself, it doesn't really work. His effort and commitment were there, though, and he made a couple of nice runs. He had one great chance to equalize in the first half, but his header just went over the bar, and he had another shot saved. All in all, it wasn't the worst performance we've gotten at CF this year; we just need someone willing to stay central and battle to free up Jorge and Parano. Louisville was able to mark him out of the game most of the night with just one guy. He came off for Luke in the 78th minute.

Jorge Hernandez- 7.5

Jorge was everywhere. He dropped deep to get on the ball, he floated out wide, and he moved centrally to play as a forward. Jorge is simply one of the best players in the USL. He created 3 chances last night, including the goal. Speaking of the equalizer, the shot from Parano was sensational, but that was only possible because of Jorge's work rate to win the ball back that high up the field. He faded into the 2nd half as Louisville was allowed to beat him up off the ball (it is unreal how little protection he gets, even more noticeable live), but he was still battling. He did have a chance to equalize right before HT; without a CF, we need him to finish those.

Emil Cuello- 5

Cuello came on in the 72nd minute and moved out to the LWB spot. We equalized shortly after he came on, and Louisville countered with their own attacking moves. Cuello impressed me with his willingness to defend (which has been an issue). He won at least two 50/50 balls in an open sprint. He did get lost a few times, but nothing major. He was inches away from putting Pacheco and then Luke in on goal with two nice through balls.

Mikey Maldonado- 6

Mikey came on for Nicky in the 72nd. I do think he solidified the midfield, which allowed Jorge to stay higher up the field (which led to the equalizer). The problem was when Jorge and Parano faded, we lost a little bit of control in the game. Mikey helped close down the middle of the field where Louisville was forced out wide, where they created very little despite having a lot of possession the last 5-10 minutes.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke came on in the 78th minute and fought like hell. He got real physical with the Louisville City backline and made several nice runs as he tried to provide an outlet for the final stages of the game. He also isn't a CF, but it is clear he has such a high soccer IQ that he can probably play anywhere. Didn't have a ton of impact, but I appreciate the effort.

Curt Calov- N/A

Calov came on for Parano in the 89th and didn't have a chance to do much of anything.

Takeaways

We're not in the business of celebrating draws, but I came away encouraged. That was a solid performance on the road in a tough environment. Louisville City has the best atmosphere in the league when they're able to get buy-in from their SG and fans. Makes me jealous that we won't ever be able to replicate that.

One of the best attacking teams in the league created next to nothing at home, and if we had a CF, I think we would come away with at least 2 more goals. That has to be addressed if we want to seriously contend for the title. Parano, Jorge, Mitch, and Mikey are 4 of the 20 best players in the league. Joey is also already one of the better GKs in the league. Alex, Thiago, and Akeem aren't far behind. Give this team a goal scorer, and it's the best team in the West in my opinion.

Last thing I'll say is that it makes rooting for this team so much better when the players are so likable. After the game, my kids got to meet Mitch and Jorge, and both guys were awesome. They were willing to take pictures and talk with them. Those are two SAFC Legends, and I hope they retire with our organization. Even if they don't, I'll root for them forever.

SAFC is back out on the road this weekend as they travel to Louisville. After a rocky June, we've stabilized the season with two straight wins. Despite the consternation, we still sit 2nd in the West and just 3 games behind Orange County. We've dropped winnable games, so it would be nice to pick up an unexpected 3 points.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Nelson

Parano-Patino-Jorge

Llamosa hasn't changed unless the schedule dictates it. We do have the League Cup QF next Wednesday, so I think we'll definitely see some rotation this week, just not sure which game we'll see it. I'd prefer we go full-strength against Louisville City because we need to make up some of the points we dropped to bad teams.

Opposition Analysis

Louisville City has not been the dominant regular season force they've been the last few years. They currently sit 4th in the East and a staggering 11 points off first-place Tampa Bay. Speaking of which, they are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Rowdies where they blew a 3-0 lead. Fans are restless, and there is real pressure on them to get back to the best in the East.

Despite the angst, Louisville City is still very good. They are one of the best attacking teams in the league as they lead the way in shots on target and are 3rd in the league in big chances created. Jansen Wilson is a very good USL attacker. He has 7 goals in the league. They also have Mukwelle Akale, who used to always score against us when he was with New Mexico United.

Defensively, Louisville City has struggled. They do have old Kevon Lambert, who anchors their backline (they have been setting up in a back 3 most of the year), but they really struggle to close off space in the midfield. Their attacking prowess also seems to hurt them as their wingbacks bomb forward and leave tons of space on the flanks.

Louisville City has also taken a step back at GK from recent years. Danny Faundez was the starter going into the year, but after a disaster against Riverhounds back in July, he was replaced for the last few games by Hugo Fauroux. Fauroux was in net for the 5-goal disaster last week, so Faundez might find his way back. Either way, Louisville City is shaky at the back. Getting shots on goal will lead to good things.

Prediction

I think this ends 1-1 and I'd take it. Louisville City is going all out for this game. They are running at least 3 or 4 promotions to try and get the stadium packed. They are also facing real pressure for the first time in years. Simon Bird is likely coaching for his job the next few weeks. SAFC is going to be walking into a crazy atmosphere.

I'll take a 1-1 draw on the road. I'll be in attendance and hope to be able to give some support. Hopefully it goes better than the last time I was in attendance (the 2-0 loss to Lexington).

SAFC put in their best performance in a month and got a 3-1 win over Indy XI. It was refreshing to see, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come. Feels good to get our result early in the weekend so we can relax today and just enjoy the games.

Joey Batrouni- 7

Joey remains solid. He didn't have a ton to do until late in the game, but he controlled his box. I would have liked for him to save their goal, but everyone fell asleep on the goal. What did impress me was that he looked more composed against a high press. Indy did not play well, but part of that was because we didn't panic as we had been against a high press.

Alex Crognale - 7.5

This might have been Alex's best performance. He completed 100% of passes and looked the best he's looked against a high press. He was given a lot of help with Mikey dropping deeper, but he still executed and looked comfortable. He also defended at a high level.

Tiago Suarez- 7

Getting Suarez back has helped tremendously. The more comfortable he gets, the better we have looked. 96% pass completion and helped us control the game, and he had little to do defensively. He did get caught ball-watching a few times, including just stopping on the play for their late goal. He had a tough assignment though with Rondon playing most of the game centrally.

Mitch Taintor- 7.5

Mitch dominated his side of the field. With Rondon drifting centrally, he teamed up with Suarez really well and cleared just about everything out of the box. He didn't get to switch the ball as much as Indy really worked to take that away, but he did move the ball quickly against the press.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Coming off his good game last week, Akeem was good again. He created two chances and has become a real attacking threat when we control games. He's able to bomb forward and provide overloads in the midfield, and it makes us a lot better. Indy had no idea how to account for him.

Mikey Maldonado- 8

Mikey is in some kind of form. He controlled the game from midfield and picked up an amazing assist for Parano's first goal. Just a masterclass display from Mikey, and it should land him on the team of the week.

Lucio Berron- 7

This was Berron's best game of the season by far. He created 3 chances and genuinely looked comfortable on the ball. He also provided the defensive work in the midfield that he is known for. If Berron can find a way to replicate that kind of performance, I think it's a game-changer for the season. He was subbed out in the 73rd minute for Calov.

Emil Cuello- 7

Cuello was also good from his LWB spot. He was given credit for the first goal, and it came at an important time. SAFC had spent 25 minutes in control and badly needed a goal. Besides the goal, he created 3 chances as he combined well with our attackers in the Final Third. He came out in the 81st minute for Nelson.

Cristian Parano- 9

Parano had himself a ball game. 2 goals with excellent movement. Parano has tucked in centrally, and he drove at Indy several times. His ability to skip by defenders is something we need. He's gotten healthy at the perfect time. Outside of the two goals, he created 1 chance. He's also getting shots off, which is something we miss without a true CF. He came off in the 73rd minute for Nicky Hernandez.

Christian Sorto- 6.5

Sorto continues to start at CF. Yesterday I thought he had a really good game. He combined well with Jorge and Parano. He created 2 chances and got the assist for Cuello's goal. The most encouraging thing is that he was back to getting shots off. His goal-scoring is obviously streaky, but we need him to actually get shots off to progress to the mean. He came off in the 73rd minute for Pacheco.

Jorge Hernandez- 7

This was a vintage Jorge performance. 6 chances created and 1 assist. He was able to get on the ball and cause havoc. This version of Jorge has been missing for a couple of months. It is nice to know that he still exists and is in there. He came off in the 87th minute for Patino.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

Nicky came on for Parano, and he played deeper in the midfield. We were already up 3-0, so we had kind of taken our foot off the gas, but I liked him playing deeper. He was efficient on the ball and closed down the space.

Diogo Pacheco- 5.5

Pacheco came on for Sorto. He didn't really have a chance to do a whole lot at CF (he moved over when Patino came on). He did press well.

Curt Calov- 6

Calov came on in the 73rd and played in the midfield. He was efficient on the ball and created a chance. For the first time all season, it seems like we have our full midfield healthy and in good form at the same time.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5

Nelson came on in the 81st minute and didn't have a chance to do much. Indy was able to get a foothold into the game. Not really Nelson's fault, but he didn't do much.

Santiago Patiño- N/A

Santi returned from his red card suspension to make a brief cameo in the 87th minute. Didn't get a chance to do much of anything. At least he didn't get sent off.

Takeaways

SAFC badly needed a performance like that. Hopefully it is something we can build off of as we head into the back half of the season. I said earlier that Indy did not play well, but some of that was because of us. It's also important that we were able to take advantage of a team playing poorly by burying them.

I've been a little down on the team lately, but with a healthy Jorge/Mitch/Parano/Mikey, we have 4 of the 20 best players in the league, in my opinion. That is as good a foundation as anyone in the league. SAFC has an opportunity to win a title if it can clean up 1 or 2 of the holes (mostly at CF) we have. Whether that be with additions or the pieces we do have finding another level of consistency.

SAFC returns home on Friday night (hopefully we get a good crowd) to take on Indy XI. We got the result last week despite not playing particularly well against Brooklyn. Indy is hanging on in 7th place in the East, so hopefully that makes us immune to whatever ails us against the worst teams in the league.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Croganle-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Flores Blanco

Nicky-Parano-Jorge

To be clear, I don't think Llamosa will change much, but I had to stop myself from making sweeping changes. Berron and Cuello are probably going to start over Calov and Nelson, but I think we need some different names.

On the Front 3, I went really aggressive. Adding Nicky helps the midfield, and we're essentially playing without a CF anyway. It won't be pretty and won't result in us scoring 3+ goals, but I believe it will solidify the midfield. It also can't make our attack much worse than it already is.

Opposition Analysis

Indy is coming to Toyota Field on the struggle bus. They have lost three straight games and have failed to score in all 3 of them. That has been a theme for them all season as they've only scored 18 goals in league play. Bruno Rendon leads the way with 7 league goals. He mostly plays on the RW for them and is usually always involved. We'll need to be careful about the space we leave between Cuello (or whoever starts at LWB) and Mitch.

I hesitate to talk about their tendencies because most teams press us, but that is not typically Indy's game. They do not normally press especially high, rather sitting in a mid-block and waiting for a specific trigger. I would expect them to press us for at least portions of the game, though, as we've shown it's a real issue for us. Even if they don't, I worry about our midfield if we roll out Berron again. Mikey can't keep being asked to cover an entire midfield.

Indy is not a great team, but they are solid defensively and can be dangerous if you turn the ball over. Which is our exact weakness. They have beaten some of the best teams in the league. They started the month of July with a 2-0 win over Charleston.

Prediction

I am losing confidence in us by the week. The squad feels like it's 1 or 2 players short. That being said, Mitch is still one of the best CB's in the league, Joey is maybe the most talented shot-stopper, Mikey is upper-tier CM, and very few teams have Jorge/Parano. We have enough here to finish in the top 3 in the West. Just can't keep dropping points to bad teams.

We're at home, so I think we find a way to win 2-0.

Whew. SAFC travelled to Brooklyn and got the 1-0 result (on what looked like a 9v9 field). It wasn't pretty, and outside of, like, 20 minutes, it was downright frustrating, but 3 points is 3 points.

Joey Batrouni- 8

Joey saved our bacon again. Officially, he made 3 saves, but the best of the bunch came in the 66th minute with a one-handed palm from a free header in the box. He had another insane save in what has become a habit. We were playing on a comically small field, so Joey had to be extra alert, and he barely put a foot wrong. He struggled with his long-range passing, but that isn't really his fault.

Alex Crognale- 6

Alex, along with the whole team, really struggled on the ball. 64% passing for a team that wants to control games as we do just isn't anywhere near good enough. He did get credit for creating two chances, one of them on a successful diagonal. I thought Alex really struggled defending in space. The small field hurt him when it came to his passing (and his first touch), but it probably saved him a few times when it came to defending. Several times, Brooklyn players breezed past him but ran out of real room before the ball was played.

Thiago Suarez- 6.5

This was better than last week, but still not back to the level Suarez was at pre-injury. He was clearly struggling to adjust to the field dimensions, but once he did, I thought he was fine. He's clearly still developing when it comes to learning how to use his body, as there were a few times he was out foxed (or out muscled). Once he figures that out, he's going to have a long career playing professionally. He reads the game really well already, and several times cut out dangerous balls into the 6-yard box.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch saved us several times by cleaning up sloppy build-up play. His willingness to look for those diagonal switches is crucial, and we missed him last week when he was out. The small field made those balls even more difficult, but we were under so much pressure that we just needed to have some willingness to play them. He did have 1 or 2 frustrating giveaways, but with how little space we were given, it's hard to blame him too much. Defending, he locked down that left-hand side even when we were under siege in the 2nd half.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem had a really good game. SAFC selected him to be MOTM, and while I would have chosen Joey, I don't think it was crazy. He created 3 chances (2 of them really good that should have been goals). He doesn't officially get credit for an assist on the goal because Parano scuffed the first shot and scored on the rebound, but he should, in my opinion. His most important skill-set was his dribbling, though. He carried the ball out of an insane press from Brooklyn, drawing several fouls and allowing us to breathe. His defending was also really important as he filled in to help Crognale and close down the midfield.

Mike Maldonado- 6.5

Mikey had a good game. No idea what we'd do if Mikey ever has to miss time. He was basically operating as a one-man midfield in the build-up. He was in a knife fight most of the 2nd half to keep us from being overrun. I wish we had 2 more of him to play in the midfield.

Lucio Berron- 4

Oof. All of Berron's flaws are exposed playing the way we do (and playing him in a 2-man pivot). Even more so when we're playing on a mini-field and have no space. His technical ability is just not at a high enough level to play the way we do.

Emil Cuello- 3.5

Cuello is almost the exact opposite of Berron. Where Berron lacks in technical ability, Cuello is at his best. His calmness on the ball is a benefit; the problem is it doesn't happen enough when he's at LWB. Where he struggles is the physical side of the game. Cuello struggles to get back and defend, which leaves tons of space for Mitch to have to defend on his own. We don't control games enough to have Cuello play at LWB, and I'm not sure he's athletic enough to play in the midfield. He does get forward, and he got three shots off last night. Unfortunately, one of those was at a moment where he should have just taken the ball to the corner late in the game.

Cristian Parano- 7

Parano played as a forward, his hustle/determination is what got him the deserved goal. He played a lot more centrally than he normally does. He made a great run and stuck with it to finish for our only goal. We're going to need him to score a lot more goals the rest of the season. A lot of our team struggled in the tight field, but Parano seemed to be really comfortable. He was efficient on the ball and got off several shots. He was subbed out in the 73rd minute for Pacheco.

Christian Sorto- 4

I do feel really bad for Sorto. We've put him in an awful spot by asking him to play out of position and not giving him any real support. Once again, he was largely invisible. He did drop deeper to try and get on the ball and help us out as Brooklyn squeezed us, but it had little impact. He's working hard, but we need more to maximize Jorge and Parano. He was subbed out in the 73rd for Curt Calov.

Jorge Hernandez- 6.5

Llamosa is clearly trying to lessen the load on Jorge, but part of me wonders if he's gone too far. We're struggling to get him the ball in dangerous positions. Both chances he created came off corners, and we all know he's a better player than that. This team desperately needs him to be a star, and right now we're not setting him up to impact games the way he used to. He was mostly set up centrally, but instead of a traditional CF he's playing underneath Parano. That is not a recipe for success in my opinion.

Curt Calov- 4.5

Calov came on in the 73rd minute and was unable to help us gain any control in the game. Brooklyn was all over us well before he came on so it isn't his fault, but part of a substitute's job is to impact the game quickly. Calov had one really bad turnover that could have cost us big time.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

It's good to have Pacheco back. He came on and played as a CF and that may be where we need to play him going forward. He did get a shot off but couldn't do much else.

Nicky Hernandez- 5.5

Nicky came on in the 89th and created a chance. I thought he probably should have come on earlier but maybe we're still be cautious with him.

Takeaways

A win is a win. Credit to the guys to going on the road and getting the result despite not playing well overall. The field was a disgrace and we overcame. That being said, the performances still aren't good enough. The blue print on how to beat us is out. Teams are pressing us relentlessly and our technical deficiencies are on full display. Our lack of verticality keeps us boxed in and our loose first touches and sloppy passes mean we can't play through anyone consistently.

If we're going to seriously challenge in the West we need some help and/or a tactical tweak. Mitch, Jorge, Joey, Mikey, and Parano are good enough to carry us but we need the right pieces around them. I'd start with a CF and then maybe a CM, but I am skeptical that we're going to see any new faces.

SAFC heads out on the road to take on expansion franchise Brooklyn. It's a big game because SAFC badly needs a win, but I'm already having nightmares considering our historic struggles against bottom of the table teams.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Flores Blanco

Parano-Johnson-Jorge

I would be tempted to make major changes, but I don't think Llamosa will do that. Batrouni has done nothing to lose his place. Taintor is back after his suspension and, in theory, I like what Suarez brings to that CCB spot. I'd be fine with dropping Crognale for a bit. Souahy doesn't exactly excite me but I think he could be useful just to give a break to Alex.

I'd also love to bring in a 3rd midfielder (Nicky) to play with Mikey and Curt, but I don't think that will happen either. Assuming we don't change tactics, the middle two are obvious now that it is official that Erofeev will miss the rest of the season.

The front 3 is a little more precarious. Llamosa has been playing Nicky in one of those three attacking spots. I don't mind that because he is certainly capable of dropping into the midfield to provide some more balance. I'm starting EJ Johnson at CF. I don't think Llamosa will do that, but I don't need to see Sorto be completely isolated. We need a focal point to play through the middle.

Opposition Analysis

Brooklyn is...bad. They currently sit 11th in the East. Unlike in the West, the East is not really jumbled. Brooklyn is a full 6 points out of a playoff spot despite having played an extra game. They are flat-out bad.

They typically want to have possession (average about 50%), and they do get a lot of shots off. Those shots are typically low percentage and don't lead to goals, but with our luck I'd hate to be one game where all their low percentage shots turn into goals.

Good news is they don't press particularly high either, as they like to wait until the opponent moves into the attacking half. Means we shouldn't be giving away gifts like we did last week, but I do worry about our ability to create meaningful chances.

Defensively, Brooklyn is poor. Not sure we'll be able to take advantage of it, but there should be plenty of opportunity for us to create chances. They've conceded 26 goals on the season, which isn't quite Sporting JAX/Loudoun United bad but it is close.

Prediction

Oh boy. This should be a straightforward 2-0 (at minimum) win, but we struggle so much with these bad teams that I'm legitimately nervous. To top it off we're having to travel a long way to what is sure to be a sleepy atmosphere.

I think we find a way to win a scrappy 1-0 game and we're all just thankful we aren't embarrassed further. More importantly we can't keep dropping points to bad teams. We still 2nd in the West but we're only 1 point ahead of New Mexico United and they have 2 games in hand. We're just 3 points ahead of Tulsa who is in 5th place (and they have 2 games in hand too). This is a must-win.

Yikes. Another game against a bad team and SAFC drops points. This time at home in a 2-1 loss. A frustrating result, but the underlying issues have been there for a long time, so I can't say I'm shocked. For fun, we also picked up another red card.

Joey Batrouni- 7

None of the goals we conceded were Joey's fault; in fact, I think he almost saved a point. Lights should have equalized long before they did, and even at 1-1, he made an impressive double save while the rest of his defense just watched him. Unfortunately, he couldn't pull off the triple save. Joey is one of a handful of guys who can feel good about their performance last night.

Alex Crognale- 3.5

All of Alex's limitations were on display last night. He was ponderous both on the ball and in possession. In the preview, I wrote that Lights could only generate chances one way, and we were determined to play right into their hands. Alex's passing percentage is high, but don't be fooled by that. He missed a ton of reads and played balls directly into Lights' triggers. There were a few times he was able to release some of the pressure by playing long, and it worked. Shame it didn't happen enough. On their first goal, he had a chance to close down, but because he doesn't trust his pace, he had to give acres of room, and it cost us. On the 2nd goal, he is literally just standing in the 6-yard box watching Batrouni tries to keep the ball out of the net. Okyere literally runs right in front of him to poke the ball home. That should be the last time he plays for a while. There has to be a standard of performance and effort. Rather play Academy kids if we're going to have seasoned pros watch us get scored against.

Thiago Suarez- 5.5

I will cut Suarez some slack because he's been out for a while with an injury, but that was a poor performance. Especially since we know how well he can play. As with Alex, his passing percentage was high, but we needed him to be progressive, and he just wasn't. Most of his passes were sideways (that isn't all his fault), with only a few breaking that first line. Defensively, he was soft on their first goal. He had a chance to win the ball out of the air and lost out to a dude who didn't even jump. The ball still shouldn't have ended up in the back of the net, but it never should have gotten to that point. He's a young player, and his midfield really let him down, so I'm hoping that is the worst he'll look in an SAFC shirt.

Daniel Barbir- 4.5

Woof. Barbir has a reputation as a good USL CB, but he's really struggling right now. Defensively, he was lost on several occasions. I have no idea how he lost his marker on their first goal. On rewatch, you can see him look at Rodriguez, and he somehow still loses him. It's a great ball in, to be fair, but that just can't happen. On the 2nd goal, he's beaten to a 50/50 in the box and can't get off the ground to help out his GK. On the positive side (I'm trying really hard), I do think his willingness to play the diagonal switch really helped us to avoid disaster earlier.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 5

Akeem had been playing well, and he had moments last night, but not enough of them. He mostly had to hold the width as Lights pressed us. He also had a chance to put us 2-0 up. It was a great play from him, with everything but the finish. It was really the only chance we could create outside of the goal.

Mikey Maldonado- 6

Mikey had some really good moments on the ball. I think we're asking too much of him, which led to some disruptive moments. He had some loose touches that led to turnovers. That being said, he was able to create 1 chance, which is far and away our best midfielder. He also struggled to keep up defensively and was played around far too easily.

Curt Calov- 5

I don't think Calov was bad. When he got on the ball, I thought it was mostly good stuff. I believe the problem is that we're not striking the right balance with a 2-man midfield. Calov was easily marked out of the game by a mediocre USL team, and that just can't happen. That being said, I thought it was a mistake to sub him out when we did. Berron came on for him in the 63rd minute, and I thought it made us demonstrably worse.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello got the goal, and it was a really nice finish. After that, I thought he was fine. Didn't really make an impact, but I do think he was at least trying to play us into dangerous situations. The problem is that none of it came off. He came off in the 84th minute for Luke Haakenson.

Nicky Hernandez- 5

Nicky got the start and tried to play that hybrid 10/8 role that Erofeev had really perfected. He created a chance, but with Lights pressing us so high and our midfield being marked out of the game, Nicky had to drop deeper and could not get the balance right. He ended up not really impacting the attack and not really helping us play through the press. For me, that is tactical, and the coaching staff needs to adjust. He came off in the 71st minute for Nelson Flores Blanco.

Christian Sorto- 4

After a purple patch of goal-scoring form, Sorto has struggled to make an impact. He is not a CF yet we persist in playing them there because other players have not panned out (more on that later). He wants to get on the ball and drive at players, but as a CF, we just can't let him do that. That means he's kind of just a warm body playing up top. He tries to press, but it's not really effective.

Jorge Hernandez- 6.5

Jorge created 2 chances, including the assist for Cuello's goal in the 7th minute. After that, we struggled to work the ball to him in dangerous places (the other chance he created came off a corner). Llamosa has worked to get us away from Jorge FC, but now I fear we don't use him enough. He was subbed out at HT for Parano. Hopefully, that isn't another injury.

Cristian Parano- 5

Parano came on at HT for Jorge and was unable to really do anything of note. Some of that is the same problem we had with Jorge. We struggle to get the ball into our attack. He had 1 or 2 nice dribbles but we just couldn't get the ball to him in dangerous spots. We have major tactical issues.

Lucio Berron- 3.5

Woof. This isn't all Berron's fault, but we got a lot worse when he came on. It is almost like he hides from the ball, and since he's returned from his injury, he doesn't look completely fit. He's behind a lot of plays, and it leads to fouls. His passing percentage is high when he's on the ball, so I don't think it's a lost cause, but we need him to grow into that role if we're going to play a 2-man midfield while teams press us high.

Santiago Patiño- 2

Yikes. Patino finally got his goal last week, so I was ready for him to get going. Instead, we did the opposite. He came on in the 63rd minute with an opportunity to get the winner. He ended up being sent off in stoppage time after doing basically nothing for 30 minutes. He did have 1 shot, but he looks to have lost all of his explosiveness. The red card was supposedly for pulling a Vegas player's hair. The rewatch doesn't have a clear view, but he definitely makes a motion to the player's head. I know he's frustrated with how this season has gone, but that is embarrassing. SAFC needs to think about bringing in another player; we can't wait any longer.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5

Nelson came on in the 71st minute. He played higher up the field as a LW and created one chance. I actually didn't think it was a bad cameo, but this can't be our attacking sub when we need a goal. That isn't a knock on Nelson; he shouldn't be put in that spot.

Luke Haakenson- 4

Luke came on in the 84th minute for Cuello. I assume we were trying to capture some of the late-game magic that we found in Tulsa, but it didn't work. He didn't have much of a chance to do anything.

Takeaways

We've had 12 possible points against 3 of the worst teams in the league and come away with just 3 points. That is unacceptable, and it has become a pattern.

I really like Llamosa, but I don't think SAFC has the squad (nor am I confident you build it in USL) to play the way he wants. It is really hard to control games without technically superior players at every position on the field, and we absolutely do not have them.

The back 3 with a 2-man midfield is played out with this personnel. Mikey/Calov/Berron can work, in my opinion (or at least needs to be given a chance), but we have to be willing to drop a CB. Just about every USL team is pressing high with decent athletes and we're playing right into their hands every game. Doing it with players who often need multiple touches to control the ball and play it to the next man.

Fresh off advancing out of the League Cup group, SAFC jumps back into league play with another home game. This time, they'll take on Lights, and it's a pretty important game in the standings. Lights are not very good, and we need to keep pace with Orange County, which currently sits in 1st place in the West.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Barbir

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Calov-Flores Blanco

Nicky-Patino-Jorge

With Batrouni's red card against Monterrey Bay being rescinded, he is available for selection in this one. Mitch, unfortunately, will have to miss out due to his red card. I'm hoping that Suarez will be available for this one since he has been training with the team for the last week or two. If he's not, I assume Souahy will start.

Midfield 4 kind of picks itself. Calov has been really good, so I wouldn't drop him while he's playing this well. I prefer Nelson over Cuello, but I don't think Llamosa agrees with me.

Front 3 is a little trickier. Patino finally scored, so I would keep him in the lineup.

EDIT: Original had Erofeev in place of Nicky but he's going to be out for an extended period of time. I'd go with Nicky to keep his spot from last week.

Opposition Analysis

Lights are pretty mediocre. They currently sit 11th with a GD of -4. That being said, they have scored 21 goals (good for 6th most in the Western Conference and 1 more than us despite 1 fewer game).

Most of that is because of Johnny Rodriguez. Lights do not create a ton of chances (about league average), but Rodriguez has scored 9 goals, including 4 goals in their last 5 games. He has scored three times against SAFC since making his USL debut in 2020 (twice with Roots and once with Lights). All three goals ended up costing SAFC points, as they were equalizers. He's a tricky forward who can float out wide from central areas. Our back 3 will have to be mindful of his movement.

Winger Christian Pinzon usually provides the service, as he's racked up 5 assists. Lights are not very good, but they do have players who can make life uncomfortable if we decide to shut off like we have in the past.

Defensively, the Lights struggle. They've conceded 25 goals on the season, and several of them have been ugly. They run an aggressive press to try and turn teams over, but it is often disorganized, and once you break through that first wave, you can carve them up. I will say that with Mitch out, Suarez's potential absence could be a real problem. We've looked shaky at times, trying to play through even mediocre presses. We'll need Mikey to drop deeper and help.

Prediction

We win 2-1. We have to stop dropping points to bad teams, especially at home. We've already dropped 6 points to the two worst teams in the league (MB and Sporting JAX), and that can't continue. 2-1 is closer than I would want, but with the suspensions and injuries, I'll just take 3 points.

For the second year in a row, SAFC advances to the knockout round of the League Cup. They closed out the group stage with a 2-0 win over Chattanooga. Kind of an odd performance, but two goals within 90 seconds of each other were enough to get it done.

Richard Sanchez- 7.5

It almost felt good seeing Sanchez back in goal. It was a vintage Sanchez performance with him coming out as a sweeper, playing through pressure. I must say I thought we looked a lot better dealing with the high press, though the level of competition might have something to do with that. I really respect Sanchez for remaining professional as a backup. Every time he's been called upon, he's had the right mentality.

Alexis Souahy- 8

Souahy stepped in at RCB, and I thought he was really good. 88% pass completion on 77 attempts is really solid. Having Sanchez in goal really seemed to help everyone dealing with the press, but he wasn't just playing sideways. 8/12 on his long balls, leading to several important switches. Defensively, he's always been solid, and that continued last night.

Daniel Barbir- 7.5

Barbir was also excellent. 80/85 on his passing, including the line-breaking passes that we had been missing since Suarez went down. He lost his man a few times, which led to some chances for Chattanooga, but overall, I thought he was really good.

Mitch Taintor- 8

Mitch started at LCB and looked the best he's looked in weeks. He probably should have had a goal off a set piece in the first half, but other than that, he hardly put a foot wrong. He locked the left side down, which allowed Nelson to stay advanced up the field.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

This was Akeem's best game in a while. He bombed forward at the RWB spot. He completed 90% of passes and created a chance. Our ability to handle the press really allowed him to get in a more advanced role. I think that suits him and makes us better.

Lucia Berron- 6.5

Berron got the start in the midfield. He sat as our deepest midfielder and did his job. He broke up play when he needed to, but he also did a lot better job in possession. He made quick passes and moved the ball into our attack. It was nothing spectacular, but it was what the team needed and freed up Calov to shine. Berron came off in the 81st minute for Mikey Maldonado.

Curt Calov- 8.5

Whoa. Calov has now stacked several really good performances. Last night he was outstanding. He obviously scored the banger just before HT, but it was more than that. With Berron sitting deep, Calov was free to carry the ball forward, and he created 3 chances.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6

With us controlling the game, Nelson was free to stay further up the field as a LWB. His passing/positioning in the final third was solid. Much like Berron, it wasn't anything spectacular, but it was what the team needed. Last night felt like the first time all season we got to see Llamosa's plan with the wingbacks really shine.

Nicky Hernandez- 7.5

Nicky got the start as the RAM, and I thought it was really good. We've badly needed some depth at those attacking options with the injuries. Nicky's off-ball work is outstanding, particularly in finding space and his pressing. He also got the assist for Patino's goal, and it came from a simple move that we've lacked. Really happy to have Nicky back. He came off in the 69th minute for Diogo Pacheco.

Santiago Patiño- 7

Finally. It's been a long season, but Patino has finally scored his first goal since October of 2025. It was a vintage Patino finish, and hopefully it gets his season going because SAFC desperately needs his goal-scoring. Outside of the goal, he provided energy and movement. He came off in the 81st minute for EJ Johnson.

Luke Haakenson- 5.5

Luke got the start at the LAM spot and provided work rate. He pressed well to win the ball back and dropped back to help defend in our half. Outside of that, he didn't do much. He had just 14 touches in 69 minutes. He came off for Sorto.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco came on for Nicky and helped us see out the game. We really faded in the 2nd half, and Pachedo didn't have much of a chance to create anything. He did drop back and win the ball a few times.

Christian Sorto- 5.5

Sorto came on for Haakenson. He did complete 6 of his 7 passes but they were all recycling possession. In a 2-0 game that isn't necessarily bad, but nothing that really gets me going.

Mikey Maldonado- 6.5

Mikey came on for Berron to play in the midfield and help us see the game out. He created a chance and was really efficient on the ball. I thought he was a calming presence in the midfield. Glad he was able to get some rest.

EJ Johnson- 5

EJ came on for Patino and didn't have much of a chance to do anything as we were just trying to see the game out. He completed just one pass but he did work hard to close down when Chattanooga was able to get on the ball.

Takeaways

It was a good performance overall, though some of the same issues are still glaring. Having a CF who finishes off chances in the box really helps, so hopefully Santi's goal is a sign of things to come.

For the 2nd year in a row, SAFC advances out of the group stage for the League Cup. We'll find out who they are drawn against tomorrow.

After the disappointment of last weekend, SAFC remains at home for its final League Cup group game. SAFC is in the driver's seat to advance to the knockout round, but they still can't relax yet. They are currently first on 8 points, and Birmingham sit in second on 6 points. The Legion plays Tulsa FC at home and needs to win in regular time to have a chance. Lucky for us, Chattanooga is a mediocre team in League One, and we get them at home.

Starting XI

Richard Sanchez

Souahy-Barbir-Taintor

Buckmaster-Berron-Nicky-Flores Blanco

Parano-Patino-Erofeev

I went with a little rotation. SAFC announced that Batrouni's red card from Saturday was overturned, so I suspect he'll be rotated this week, knowing he will be able to play against Lights on the 18th. I'm also not sure he'd be cleared to play, considering the hit he took.

Backline is trickier due to injuries. I'm resting Crognale, but with Taintor suspended for the next USL game, I'd go ahead and play him here (though I am unsure if his suspension can be served in a League Cup game). Personally, I'd love to see Angel Mercado get some minutes with Suarez out.

I'm resting Maldonado in the midfield and giving Nicky a start. In the attack I think the priority needs to be getting Patino off the mark. We need goals, and unless we sign someone, it'll probably need to be him figuring things out. I'm resting Jorge, but would play Parano to get him match fit.

Opposition Analysis

The Red Wolves sit in last place in the Group, as they haven't won a game (they do have two losses in penalties). They drew 1-1 with Legion before losing on penalties, and that is the only Championship team they've played all season.

In League One, they are 10th and just 4 points off a playoff spot, with 3 games in hand on 8th place. Since they are already eliminated and on the road, I suspect they might rotate guys themselves to keep them fresh for the regular season.

In League play, Chattanooga almost exclusively hits in transition and is fairly dangerous doing it. They average about 39% possession but are top 5 in the League in chance creation and top 10 in shots per game. They do a good job of forcing turnovers in the midfield, which has been a real problem for us at times this year. Having to play Berron without Suarez really makes me nervous.

Prediction

2-1 SAFC win. We should be beating League One teams at home. We're in a bit of a funk right now, and I'd appreciate a comprehensive win, but this team has really struggled in the games they should win. As I said above, I'd love for us to trust Landry Walker, Angel Mercado, and Leo Urrutia. I think these guys can play, and I'd rather see them and live with their mistakes than see the same old mistakes from older guys.

Woof. SAFC again drops points to a last-placed team in a 0-0 draw with Monterrey Bay. The game never really had any flow, and the 2nd half saw one of the worst referee displays we've seen in a long time. Old school USL vibes with a "Ref You Suck!" deservedly breaking out.

Joey Batrouni- 6

Yikes. Batrouni was only called to make one save in the 49th minute. His distribution still needs some work in my opinion, but some of that is down to us not being able to win any 1st or 2nd ball. Joey's night ended in the 63rd minute due to a red card decision that could have lasting ramifications. The decision itself was scandalous, as there is no way it is a straight red card. Joey comes out of his box to win a header and wins it first. He is then clattered with both players going down and needing attention. It isn't a foul on Joey, but even if you thought it was, it certainly isn't a straight red. It was not a DOGSO as Mitch was there to defend the goal. Just a truly awful decision from referee Sergii Demianchuk. Hopefully, this decision can be appealed to the league and overturned.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6

Akeem got his start at RWB. His passing was accurate, but none of it really led to anything. His positioning has improved in recent weeks as he is clearly mindful of Crognale's lack of speed behind him. I think that probably takes away from the weapon he could be in the final third. He was unfortunate not to score as he had a nice shot that hit the post at a perfect angle and bounced straight back out. When he finds himself in the box, he's usually dangerous; we need to have more of that.

Alex Crognale- 7

Crognale was in his usual RCB spot he anchored the backline. He cleans up a lot of stuff in the box and reads the game really well. I also really liked that his passing was more progressive. He consistently looked for Akeem pushing forward. Monterrey ended up with just one shot on target despite having 63% possession. The whole backline did their job in my opinion.

Dani Barbir- 6.5

Barbir started at the CCB spot and did the job defensively, but we really miss Suarez's passing out of that spot. We're so much easier to press, as Barbir just has to pass sideways every time, and it's usually into pressure. That isn't his fault, just not his skill set. Barbir came out in the 85th minute as SAFC tried to push for a goal with 10 men.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Mitch started at LCB and was excellent. He cleaned up defensively, and I can't imagine how static we'd be without his passing. He played at least 3 diagonal balls that broke us out of the press. Unfortunately, Mitch was also the victim of a horrendous refereeing decision. Mitch had picked up a yellow in the 27th minute and made it deep into stoppage time. Ilijah Paul decides to throw Mitch into the ad board, which was a really dangerous play. Somehow, Paul escapes with just a yellow, and in the ensuing fracas, Mitch is given a 2nd yellow. At no point did Mitch push Paul; he grabbed him, but did not yank. That he would get a yellow for being thrown into the board is ridiculous. I'm not sure the league can overturn a 2nd yellow, but at a minimum, Paul needs to have a multi-game suspension.

Emil Cuello- 4.5

Cuello got the start at LWB. He played fairly advanced, but just couldn't create anything consistently. In fact we rarely got him on the ball. I do think it helps having someone look to play us forward on the wing, but Cuello just doesn't put his stamp on games enough, and we badly need the skill set he supposedly possesses.

Mikey Maldonado- 7

Mikey sat in the middle of the park, and I thought it was really good. With Calov, he can cede some of the playmaking as he attempted just 24 passes, but he did create 1 chance. His positioning is so good, and it allows him to break up so many plays. He's certainly not flashy but he continues to have a great season.

Curt Calov- 6.5

Calov got a rare start, but I thought he looked solid for the most part. He's still learning how to play how Llamosa wants in that 3-4-3, but he looked more comfortable than he's ever been. His ball carrying, in particular, was a real asset last night. His coming out in the 56th minute did not help us, in my opinion, as Berron was a step down.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 5

Erofeev got the start as an attacker and mostly played off the left. We didn't have much of the ball, so Erofeev didn't have a lot of impact on the ball. He did create 1 chance, though it was a long shot and not anything notable. I wish we could get him more involved because good things happen when he's involved. He came off in the 56th minute for Parano.

Jorge Hernandez- 5.5

Pretty quiet game from Jorge. At times, he was our most advanced attacker, and that just doesn't make sense to me. He created just one chance from a corner. He had some nice turns into space and drew his fouls, but we need more from Jorge. He, of course, had the penalty miss in the 85th minute. SAFC has struggled with penalties for several years now, and I don't understand why. The penalty decision itself was another horrendous call, so I can't say it's unfair, but Jorge has to bury those.

Christian Sorto- 3.5

I feel bad for Sorto. He's being asked to do something that doesn't fit in his skill set. He was unable to make an impact and often found himself in Jorge's way, who was playing centrally. We need a real CF.

Lucio Berron- 5

Berron came on in the 56th minute for Calov, and I thought it was the wrong sub at that time. We lost any ability to control the game, and we soon went down to 10 men. That isn't Berron's fault per se, but I don't think it's unrelated. Once down to 10, he did do a lot of necessary defending and clogging the middle of the field, so it was useful. We just need to find the right time to use him.

Cristian Parano- 5

Parano came on in the 56th minute for Erofeev, and I thought he looked bright and healthy. He created 1 chance. Then, of course, we went down to 10, and Parano looked like he hurt himself trying to work as a one-man press. We were out of subs, so he stayed on and limped through. Hopefully, that isn't a major setback.

Richard Sanchez- 6

Sanchez came on in the 65th for Sorto after the red card. He provided a level of calm because we've seen SAFC unravel after a red card. He didn't have to make any saves, but commanded his box and didn't do anything ridiculous to help us save at least a point.

Santiago Patiño- 4

Patino came on in the 85th for Barbir as we tried to go for a goal despite being down a man. He didn't really have a chance to much, but he did look fitter than he has in the past.

Takeaways

It is really disappointing that we've secured just 3 points out of a possible 9 in three games against Monterrey Bay and Sporting JAX. They are the two worst teams in the league, and that just can't happen.

The referee was awful, but we have to win that game at home. Losing games in July will put us on the road in October and will end our season. We make attacking look so laborious, and we have no presence in the box. I understand we want to be solid at the back, but you have to score goals. More importantly, you have to create chances, and we don't do that nearly enough.

This has been a long 6 weeks due to travel, so hopefully things will settle down. It's now July, and we still don't have a consistent way to create and score goals. It's now a serious issue.

SAFC finally returns home after spending the entire month of June on the road. They'll take on Monterrey Bay, who currently sit in last place in the West. They have won 4 of their last 6 games and sit just 2 points out of a playoff spot. This will be the 2nd time we've played them this season, as the two teams played to a 0-0 draw back in April.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Barbir-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Flores Blanco

Erofeev-Patino-Jorge

I'm assuming Suarez is still out, so the lineup remains unchanged. If he's healthy, I'd slot him in at the CCB role.

Erofeev has to start, in my opinion. Good things happen when he's on the field.

Opposition Analysis

We've already gone over Monterrey Bay before, so we don't need to rehash that. I'll just say that they don't do anything particularly well. Remarkably, they are about league average in everything, so it's no surprise that after a rough start, they've progressed to the mean with a run of good results. They do lead the league in fouls per game so I expect a choppy game as we aren't far behind.

They do have former USMNT player Sebastian Lletget, and as he's gotten more comfortable, they have looked a lot better. When we played them in April, it was only his 4th game with them, and it was his first and only full 90. He doesn't produce G/A as he's lost a lot of explosiveness, but he still has the mind of a quality midfielder.

Riley Bidois found some goal-scoring form that carried them in late May and early June, but he has struggled with some injuries. Not sure if he'll be back, but if he is, we'll have our hands full.

Defensively, Monterrey gives up a ton of goals off setpieces. Unfortunately, that is an area where we have struggled. With Jorge we should be a lot better than we are.

Predictions

SAFC wins 2-0. Historically, we have struggled with last-place teams (as we saw with Sporting JAX a month ago), but at home, coming off a 10-day rest, I think we'll win. June was a rough month, and it has seen us drop to 2nd place.

If we want to stay in contention for the 1 seed, we can't afford to drop points at home to mediocre teams.

SAFC closed out the busy month of June with a 2-1 road win over Switchbacks. This clinches the season tiebreaker (5-4 win on aggregate) and keeps us in 2nd place in the Western Conference.

Joey Batrouni- 7

I won't lie, I was frustrated with Joey early. He saved the penalty, but he didn't punch it away from danger. Some of that is just bad luck, as it was such a poor penalty; there wasn't enough power, and it just died in no man's land. Surprisingly, Joey didn't really have much to do as most of his "saves" were routine catches. In the 4th minute of stoppage time, he did come out perfectly to preserve the win.

Alex Crognale- 8

Welcome back, Alex. The extended rest seemed to have done Alex some good. He looked physically refreshed, albeit a little rusty on the ball. from his RCB spot. Switchbacks are a fluid team, and that can be hard for teams to deal with. The play of the game, though, is of course Alex's go-ahead goal. He overpowers the Switchbacks defender and heads it down perfectly.

Dani Barbir- 7

Barbir played in the CCB spot. I thought he defended well, but we really miss Suarez's ball-playing in the middle of the field. Barbir cleared everything out of the box. He did have a chance to give us the lead earlier, but on a set piece, he badly scuffed wide. It would not have been an easy finish, but it's one we need to get on target, considering we aren't creating a whole lot in play. Still, though, I thought it was a good game from Dani.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch went back to the LCB spot where he seems to be at his best. Mitch is clearly more comfortable on the left, and it really helps us stretch the field. We didn't have a ton of the ball last night, so his overall passing numbers are low, but he was effective. Defensively, Mitch had several interventions that kept Switchbacks from getting through on goal. It was a solid showing, and I'm glad he avoided major injury in Lexington.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 5

Akeem started at RWB, and those first 20-30 minutes were really rough. Switchbacks set up specifically to take advantage of our shape. We kind of struggled to navigate their press; as a result, Akeem was caught up too high. This, of course, led him to give away a penalty. What I will say is that the call was really soft. He did not push, pull, or hinder Hanye from playing the ball. He was out of position, and he did put his hands out and brushed him, which allowed the attacker to shamelessly throw himself to the floor. The ref can't fall for that, but he did. Akeem did settle and get a little better as he dropped deeper to cut off that space.

Lucio Berron- 5.5

This was the quintessential Berron game. He attempted just 14 passes as one of two midfielders, and that was a real problem with us trying to play through their press. Several times, Berron had time to receive and play us out, but instead hoofed it up the field or played it straight back. The flip side is that Berron covered a lot of ground. He broke up some plays and had no problems batting as the game got chippy. I get why Llamosa wants him on the field.

Mikey Maldonado- 6

Proof of our inability to get on the ball is Mikey's attempt at just 16 passes; he completed 15, but we just couldn't get him on the ball enough. That is the 2nd game in a row, so hopefully it isn't the start of a trend. Mikey certainly had the willingness to mix it up. Things got really chippy with Switchbacks throwing several cheap shots off the ball at Jorge. Mikey responded, and it ultimately cost him a yellow card. Llamosa decided to sub him out. I assume that was to make sure we didn't finish the game with 10 men. I love Mikey sticking up for his team, but we need him on the field in winning time.

Emil Cuello- 5

Cuello started at LWB, and he also struggled to start the game. It was his really bad touch that got us caught up in the field. Normally, that is a strength of Cuello's. He settled down and committed several professional fouls while also helping us get some semblance of control. Watching him defend can be an adventure, but he does just enough to avoid disaster.

Jorge Hernandez- 8

I watched Jorge in person last week, and he didn't look like himself. Last night looked a little more like it. He created 3 chances and tallied two assists. The first was a great ball to Erofeev for the first goal, the 2nd was from a corner. More than that, Jorge looked more energetic, despite the fact that Switchbacks (along with the rest of USL) have decided they can tee off on Jorge off the ball. I was glad to see SAFC fight back a little to protect their most important player. He was subbed off in the 80th minute for Luke Haakenson.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto continues to get starts at CF, and I appreciate him battling. That isn't really his game, but he is sacrificing for the team. His hold-up play was instrumental for the first goal. He was still unable to get a shot off, but pressed well. I really hope we can get our CF situation figured out so Sorto can go back to playing the role we signed him for. He was subbed out in the 79th minute for Santiago Patino.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 7.5

Erofeev returned to the starting lineup and made an impact. His goal in the 28th minute was simple, but it was also something that rarely happens in the USL. Erofeev drifts into space and takes a first-time shot. Too many times in the USL, we see attackers try to take a 2nd or 3rd touch. Because he went for the first time, none of the Switchbacks defenders or GK could react quickly enough. Beyond the goal, Dmitriy created two more chances. Someone should probably explain why he was dropped for the last couple of weeks. He was subbed out in the 72nd minute for Nicky Hernandez.

Nicky Hernandez- 5

Nicky replaced Erofeev in the 72nd minute after we were already up 2-1. He didn't do a whole lot on the ball, but he ran around and mixed it up to help us see it out. He ended up having to play a lot deeper when we subbed out Mikey. I don't love that as I think Nicky is better playing further forward, but we survived.

Cristian Parano- 6

It is good to have Parano back. He came on in the 72nd minute and had one big Parano-style run that got us out of our own half. He also completed all 5 of his passes while pressing well. Hopefully, we can keep him healthy.

Santiago Patiño- 5

Patino came on in the 79th minute for Sorto. With how chippy the game was, I was stunned that Patino didn't pick up a yellow, but he made it through the 11 minutes without picking up one. He seemed committed and healthy as he battled and won a couple of headers. Not what we signed him for, but I appreciate the effort.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke played on the left-hand side as he replaced Jorge. Luke's versatility is a real asset, as he can play in like 5 positions and can help you see out a game or get a goal if you need it. He got on the ball a little bit and played with energy.

Takeaways

I can't stand the Switchbacks. They seem like such a loser organization, and I love beating them. Importantly, it is a big win as it now clinches the tiebreaker over another team. Hopefully it won't be necessary, but you never know. We also seem to be getting healthier, as only Grieve and Suarez were on the injury report. We stay in 2nd place and now get another 10-day break before we return to Toyota Field on July 4th.

On a side note, I felt a sense of sadness last night, as it feels like we've lost a bit of our SAFC community over the last few years. We used to have at least two podcasts to talk about SAFC and were active online. Life happens. I know people are in different seasons in their lives, but last night felt like a big moment with a chippy road win on a national broadcast, and we had no real traction online. Which is odd, considering we're owned by the Spurs, yet they seem to act like the soccer team doesn't exist.

Maybe it's just different for me because I live in Kentucky, so it's just me and my family rooting. Hopefully, wherever you are, you were able to celebrate with a bunch of invested SAFC fans.

SAFC is coming off their 10-day break and on the road again (the USL schedule is borderline insane and potentially unsafe in my opinion). This time, they take on Switchbacks. This is the 2nd time we've played Switchbacks, with the first game a 3-3 thriller at Toyota Field in early May.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Taintor-Barbir

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Flores

Jorge-Patino-Erofeev

Crognale missed out against Lexington with an illness, so I'm assuming he's recovered and will start. Taintor has had 10 days to recover from his cramp, so hopefully he's able to start as well. No word on Saurez, so I'm rolling with Barbir at LCB.

Llamosa seems to really love starting Berron when he's healthy, so I assume he keeps his place. I'd move Erofeev to the attacking role that Cuello has been in.

I'm also bringing Patino back. Not sure if he's hurt, and they aren't saying anything, but the experiment with Sorto at CF has faded. I prefer to save him as a sub in case we need him.

Opposition Analysis

Switchbacks currently sit 7th in the West and just 5 points behind us with a game in hand. They are perfectly mediocre, which has been a struggle for us lately.

Switchbacks are about league average when it comes to chance creation, but they do get in dangerous positions a lot and finish what chances they do get at a high rate. Some of that is probably unsustainable, but it has lasted longer than I thought it would.

Defensively, Switchbacks have struggled to lock things down, as we saw in Toyota Field. Duke Lacroix and Garven Metusala are currently with Haiti for the World Cup. Neither has been able to really play a big part due to injury and international duty, and Switchbacks have struggled to keep clean sheets. SAFC is decimated with injuries in the attack, so hopefully it's a chance to get some things going.

Prediction

I don't feel good about this one. Switchbacks are really good at home, and they have a weird one-sided rivalry with SAFC. We have had a much needed 10 days off after traveling all over the country. If we can get some of our guys back from injury, I'd feel a lot better.

Under Llamosa, SAFC has done a really good job responding to embarrassment/disappointment, so at minimum, I think we'll get a good performance. I'd take a 1-1 draw and finally put this month behind us.

Yikes. That was rough to watch in person, so I can only imagine how frustrating it was to have to sit through. SAFC lost 2-0 on the road and never really looked like they were going to get a result. Even worse, we appeared to lose another player to an injury.

Joey Batrouni- 5

Joey didn't have much to do, as Lexington only had three shots on goal; unfortunately, they scored on two of them. On the first goal, Joey takes 2-3 steps off his line, thinking he can claim the ball. Not sure if we can expect him to save if he stays on the line and tries to force a perfect finish, but it would have been better than what he did. 2nd goal, there isn't anything he can do.

Alexis Souahy- 5

Souahy got the start at RCB and was fine. He had a lot of passes, but all of them were in our own half and didn't help us play through that Lexington press. He played a ball under pressure several times, which led to transitions. Defensively, he was ok, but that 2nd goal was a shambles for everyone. He initially tracks the eventual runner, but then runs to the ball because no one else is, which leaves someone unmarked in our 6-yard box. Not sure who screwed up first or the most, but at least 4 guys should have done better.

Mitch Taintor- 5

Mitch started at CCB, and it's safe to say he's in a dip in form. His passing is still very good, as he completed 50 of 52 passes. Most of them were in our own half, but almost all of them were breaking us out of the press. Defensively, though, it appeared he was dealing with something that was slowing him down. I noticed in person that he seems a little hesitant, whereas he's at his best when he's aggressive. On the Lexington 2nd goal, Mitch hesitates for a second or two as Nelson is bypassed, and he doesn't win the ball. To make it worse, he injured himself and had to be subbed out (for Haakenson). He immediately starts stretching like it's a cramp, so I hope it was just a precaution. Otherwise, that is 3 CBs now down with injuries.

Dani Barbir- 5.5

Barbir got the start at LCB, and I thought he was one of the few guys who seemed up for the game. He consistently tried to break lines with his passing and even carried into space to try to break that press down. One guy alone can't really solve that, though. Defensively, he allowed the goal-scorer to cross his face for a free header in the box. Someone should have been tracking the run out of the midfield, but a CB can't let someone run in front of him like that. Thought he played well outside of that, though.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 4

Akeem was in his usual spot at RWB. He had to do a ton of defending as Lexington kept us pinned in most of the game. I was really disappointed in his passing. 70% is a healthy number on the surface, but he consistently played into the Lexington pressure and put our midfielders (who did not play well) in even more pressure. The defending was ok, but Rodrigues is in front of him on the 2nd goal, and he doesn't make much effort to get there. Not sure it would have mattered, but a little more urgency would have been nice.

Mikey Maldonado- 5.5

Saturday was an adventure for our entire midfield. In the first half, I thought Mikey was struggling to keep up with the game's pace. That said, he's such a good player that he avoided any disastrous giveaways. He completed 50 of his 54 passes. On the Lexington 2nd goal I think Mikey believed he and Joey had the danger covered but Alexis running over opened up the space. I don't know how Llamosa is teaching his guys to handle that, but I'm inclined to think Mike was likely playing it right. In the 71st minute, Mikey switches back to the CCB role that Mitch had been playing. He was sitting right behind the goal on that side and could hear Mikey's frustration with our build-up. Just seemed like everything went wrong.

Lucio Berron- 4

Rough day for Lucio. Lexington put a lot of burden on our midfield to play through that pressure, and that isn't his game. He lost possession 10 times, mostly in the middle of the field. Several times, he left guys out to dry because he was 1-2 steps out of position. That said, he worked hard to mitigate a lot of the danger, and we were not well set up to deal with Lexington. He was late to close down the initial cross on the first goal, and he can't give players that much space on the edge of our box like that.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 4

Nelson got the start at LWB and was unable to really impact the game. We were pinned back so deep and could not break through that press. As was the case with most of our guys, all the passing was done in our own half, and whenever we tried to connect forward, it was intercepted or way off target. Nelson also ended up in the midfield on their 2nd goal and lost his duel to Rodrigues. He has to be able to win that, or at the very least take a foul by bringing him down. Even worse, he has no real urgency to track the runner (Rodrigues) who ended up scoring.

Jorge Hernandez- 5

Not Jorge's best night either. With the whole team struggling, you really needed your stars to deliver, and they just didn't. Lexington really targeted Jorge out of possession and made him work to get free. As a result, he couldn't get the ball in spots he wanted, and he lost it 15 times. When he did get on it, he had to play it safe more often than not. 1 chance created (off a corner) is not what we're accustomed to, and we're not set up to overcome it with all the injuries we have.

Christian Sorto- 3.5

Woof. Sorto was completely disconnected from the rest of the team (tactically). 21 touches, and he lost the ball 8 times. Most notably, though, was his lack of movement throughout the game. Some of it was how disconnected we were, but he was really making no effort to find pockets of space. He came out in the 83rd minute, and that was too late.

Emil Cuello- 4

Cuello started the LAM role that he had last week, and it did not go nearly as well. With Jorge being marked out of the game, we really needed him to get into the game, and that didn't happen. When he was able to get on the ball in space, he did nice things, but they just didn't happen enough. He came off in the 70th minute for Dmitriy.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 5.5

Erofeev came on in the 70th minute. I think Llamosa was trying to get him on when it was still 1-0, but unfortunately, the 2nd goal happened before he could get on. Once on, I thought he was a major improvement. He dropped deeper and completed all 13 of his passes (just 9 fewer than Cuello had in 50 fewer minutes). Not sure why he's been dropped from the lineup, but that probably needs to be rectified.

Luke Haakenson- 3

Luke came on in the 71st minute for an injured Mitch. He touched the ball just 3 times and really did nothing of note except provide some energy. He was playing in that LAM role that Cuello was in, and we just couldn't get him on the ball.

Nicky Hernandez- 4

Nicky came on in the 83rd minute for Jorge. He only completed one pass but did carry the ball. We need to get him healthy so he can be a real option going forward.

EJ Johnson- 4

EJ subbed in for Sorto in the 83rd. He didn't get much of a chance to impact the game, but he seemed livelier and may have been a better fit at CF.

Takeaways

That was a total dud. I'd like to rage and be mad, but before I do, I think we have to acknowledge that, once again, SAFC finds itself in a mid-season injury crisis. Greive, Pacheco, Parano, Suarez, Crognale (though his is just an illness they say), Patino, and Calov are all missing (not all of them are listed on the injury report, interestingly enough). Mitch was also subbed off with an injury. Going into the game, 7 guys who were expected to be big parts of our squad, and then an 8th picks up another one. At least 4 of them were relied on to be starters. Not to mention, Berron is just returning, and Jorge is clearly playing through something. As long as that continues, the performances will be up and down. That will cost us some results.

The good news is that SAFC has some options. We have at least 3 Academy kids who have played with the first team or been called up to a senior national team. Angel Mercado is a CB who Puerto Rico just recently called up for their Friendly against Saudi Arabia. Landry Walker (a DM) and Leo Urrutia (an attacker) both played for the team last year during the injury crisis. Trust your development team and give them the chance to fill the holes in the squad right now.

Now that we've got that out of the way, the low intensity/energy has become a real problem. This was happening for portions of games, even though we had a full squad, and dates back to last year. Can't happen. Lexington didn't even play all that well, but they controlled the game, and we never looked like we were going to threaten them.

We have another 10-day break, so hopefully some guys can get healthy before we return to take on Switchbacks at home.