r/SanAntonioFC

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.

Man we finally had a dang near full stadium tonight , tons of new potential fans in the house and we came out and laid an egg, played some of our worst football of the season. lazy passing bad decisions a weird line up to start the game told me from the get go they were not giving a damn about this game which is weird considering we need the points. Then we came out with zero offense and barely any defense .. opportunity wasted, both with getting 3 points and with impressing new fans … way to go San Antonio 🤦‍♂️

First timer going soon

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.

Coming in from Austin tonight for my first match since the opening season in 2016! Any recommendations on places to grab a bite to eat and a beer near the stadium?

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?

Saw that there's San Antonio Spurs night at Toyota Field against the El Paso Locomotive.

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).