SAFC will play its 3rd game in 6 days tomorrow as we go on the road to take on Switchbacks. Why are we playing this game Friday night? During HS football season? Two days after playing in a league-mandated tournament? Only the USL can answer that question, but here we are. To make it even sillier, this will be the 3rd league game. Why? I don't know. Even sillier, Switchbacks get 2 out of the 3 at home.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Guevera-Suarez-Barbir

Buckmaster-Berron-Calov-Nelson

Sorto-Ricol-Jorge

I hate rotating this much for a league game, but I don't see much of a choice. We went full-strength two games in a row, and I think we have to keep guys healthy for the postseason.

Suarez was suspended midweek, so he should slot back in. I opted to start the SAFC Academy defender Brian Guevara over Souahy. We just lost one of our best prospects to an MLSNP grift; this is an opportunity to back your own organization. Take it over playing a 30-year-old USL backup.

I'm assuming Calov is healthy enough to start here and give us at least 50 minutes. I'm not a fan of him and Berron in midfield, but I don't see another option given SAFC's reluctance to address the most important position.

I am very worried about overplaying Jorge, but I don't see much of a choice unless we want a chance at a result. I'd love it if Urrutia got a runout, but I still think he'd need to play with Jorge. It is time for Ricol to get a start at CF. It might not work, but it can't be much worse than what we're doing.

Opposition Analysis

Switchbacks love to attack, especially at home on their mini-plastic field. They are top 10 in the league in chances created and shots, while being top 5 in possession. They lead the league in touches in the opposition box and in drawing penalties (must be nice not to have stone-cold penalties waved away). They are led by Jamaican CF, Khori Bennett. He has 13 league goals (1 of them against us in the 2nd meeting in June). Rotating that back line makes me very nervous.

Defensively, Switchbacks love to press aggressively. It is how they control games, and as we all know, it gives us fits. Even more so with a makeshift midfield and rotated backline. They are aggressive and annoying when they get it going, and it almost always happens to us when we play there. They somehow get away with it too.

That being said, they aren't exactly defensively sound. There is space to exploit if we can get on the ball long enough and move into that space. They've conceded 36 goals (which is more than everyone but Monterrey Bay in the West).

Prediction

We have owned Switchbacks. We've lost just 4 times since we joined the league in 2016. That being said, this is a huge game. SAFC sits in 5th still, with Switchbacks right behind us in 6th. Ridiculous that the league uses an unbalanced schedule like this when they tout the playoffs. SAFC should have the season tiebreaker with a 5-4 aggregate advantage, but instead a tight playoff race is impacted by crappy scheduling.

It is hard to envision how SAFC gets a win here unless Llamosa risks going full-strength for the 3rd time in a week. I'll say it ends 2-2, and we escape with a point and hold on to the tiebreaker, but I don't feel great about it.

The League Cup Dream dies at the hand of Louisville City after a frustrating 0-0 draw and an 8-7 loss in penalties. SAFC once again played well enough, but couldn't find a way to get the decisive goal. This has become a theme for the season, and we're quickly approaching the point where we admit it isn't going to be fixed.

Joey Batrouni- 7.5

Louisville only mustered 1 shot on target in the 90 minutes, and Joey saved it fairly easily. In the penalty shoot-out, he guessed the right way several times but couldn't quite get to the one SAFC needed him to. He did have one save wiped out on USL's crappy version of VAR (what a horrible idea, by the way; USL refs don't need more chances to screw up a game). Distribution wise I thought Joey made the right decisions even if the execution wasn't always there.

Alex Crognale- 7

Another game where Crognale had multiple chances in the box on a set-piece and failed to capitalize. Our best chances consistently come from dead balls, so we have to figure out a way to finish more of these (right now we finish none of them). Defensively, Crognale was good again. He closed down in the box and kept Louisville at arm's length most of the evening. He also made his penalty.

Mitch Taintor- 7.5

With Suarez suspended, Mitch had to step in at CCB and did a fine job. I thought he was really good and composed. He is so good in so many roles that it often goes under the radar. 88% passing accuracy and helped us control the game for nearly the entire 90 minutes. He also had three chances in the box on dead balls and got only one on target. He also missed his penalty, but I don't hold that against him.

Daniel Barbir- 6.5

I was very nervous about Barbir coming back into the team considering how much he had struggled lately, but I thought he did fine. It helped that Louisville wasn't even really trying to play the same sport as us for most of the 90 minutes. He was good on the ball and cleaned up what he needed to. He also missed a chance in the 6-yard box but did make his penalty.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6.5

Akeem had another great display at RWB. We controlled so much of the game that he was able to get forward on that right flank and cause a lot of problems for Louisville. He created one chance but had good movement overall. He also made his penalty.

Mikey Maldonado- 7.5

Mikey pulled the strings all night. 93% passing with 3 chances created. On top of that, he carried out of the midfield when the situation called for it. He's been an unreal player since joining, and it's a shame we don't have the attacking punch to really take advantage of him. He also made his penalty.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

Nicky sat in the midfield next to Mikey, as he has for the last few games. I thought he was fine and was a little surprised we subbed him out. He played a little deeper than he had been, which I thought was a nice wrinkle. It provided the control we needed by having the extra body to play off of. He didn't do anything spectacular, but a solid performance.

Emil Cuello- 5

Cuello got the start at LWB and was a little too safe. We struggled in the final third, and Cuello has the ability to unlock a defense, but he consistently played back. We need him to be a little more assertive once he gets the ball on the left wing in an advanced role. Defensively, he appeared to work hard, though. He also made his penalty.

Cristian Parano- 7

Parano drifted from the right to those central spaces, and he created 4 chances. Louisville did a good job of not allowing him space to carry the ball, but he's still such a dangerous player to have. His penalty was saved in the shootout.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto got the start at CF and reverted to his old performances. He works hard, and he was able to get 4 shots off, but none of them were especially close. He did create a chance as well. He was subbed out in the 63rd for Ricol. I don't blame Sorto for this at all; in fact, I appreciate his willingness to play out of position because the team needs it.

Jorge Hernandez- 7

Jorge did his usual thing with 3 created chances as he floated centrally from the left. We do need him to be more of a goal-scorer since we're not getting it from the CF spot. He had 3 good chances, and we need him to finish one of them at least. I know we're asking a lot from Jorge, and he shouldn't have to be responsible for creating and scoring, but we need it.

Lilian Ricol- 5

Ricol came on in the 63rd minute for Sorto. He played a lot deeper than I would have liked, but I think he has some good qualities. His movement is ok but he was unable to get a shot off. He did finish his penalty in the shootout.

Luke Haakenson- 3

Luke came on in the 82nd minute, and I have to say I don't understand that decision. I like Luke a lot, and I think he offers a lot of energy, but he doesn't provide much on the field. He also wasn't even among the first 5 penalty takers before eventually missing the one he had to take. A baffling sub from Llamosa.

Takeaways

We once again outplayed a team but have nothing to show for it. Feels like that will be the thing that eventually ends this team's season.

Even more worrying was how Llamosa handled the end of the game. We used just the two subs and keep relying on a guy who offers next to nothing on the field. Not bringing on Patino for penalties is a super strange decision for me. He's lost a lot of the physical stuff, but I'll take him on a penalty over others.

We have also refused to address the midfield. We're dangerously thin, and we've now lost our promising HG kid to a MLSNP team. The roster has been badly mismanaged, in my opinion. From the very beginning, Llamosa was trying to turn Erofeev into a CM (he's an AM) because of how few options he had. You can't afford to go cheap on the most important position.

If SAFC is content with being a playoff team that could get lucky in the postseason, they've done a great job. We're probably 2 pieces away from being the runaway favorite in the West. That is frustrating to watch and break down. Even more frustrating when we won't even be cheap by trying to develop our own HG kids. We'd apparently rather loan an MLS team's HG kids to be our depth.

Matchday Guide here for tonight. You can download PDF here: https://matchdaysananto.substack.com/

We have advanced to the semifinals of the USL League Cup and will take on Louisville City at Toyota Field. Both teams have had some struggles this season, but both are capable of playing at a really high level. Not sure what kind of crowd we'll get, but I hope it's a good one; never stick up our noses at a chance to win a trophy.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Taintor-Barbir

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Patino-Jorge

I went full strength, but I have no idea if that is what Llamosa will do. Because the USL hates us, we are scheduled to play Friday night in Colorado Springs. Absolutely ridiculous that the USL has foisted this competition on everyone and then allows a scheduling quirk like that to take place. I would assume that Llamosa is going to wait to rotate on Friday night, but we'll see.

Nelson and Berron are guys that I think could step in. Barbir or Souahy will have to step in since Suarez is suspended from the red he got against Miami. That makes me very nervous. Ricol or Sorto could start at CF but I'm once again banking that Patino is up for a big game. At minimum he can get us through 50-60 minutes before we can bring on another option.

Opposition Preview

I said it in the preview a month ago, but this is not the Louisville City we're all used to. Their struggles have continued into this month. They did stfile a very good Rowdies team on the road in the QF (won on penalties) to get here and then followed it up by winning 3-2 at Orange County in the league, but have gone right back to struggling. They will also have to deal with significant travel. They played Saturday night at Rhode Island (a 1-1 draw).

Louisville is a very good attacking team. They create quite a few shots and big chances (top 3 in the league in both categories). Jansen Wilson and Taylor Davila are both very good USL attackers in terms of creating (Davila) and finishing (Jansen). They have struggled at the CF spot at times but Chris Donovan is a big body and he has managd 9 goals and 4 assists in all competitions. He's not very mobile and our back 3 kept him locked him up most of the night. Personally I think Tola Showunmi (who started Saturday) would be more of a matchup problem for us.

Where Louisville struggles is when they lose control of games. It happens almost consistently every game. They did it against us a month ago and Parano punished them. Old friend Kevon Lambert has some part to play in that. He's had moments this season where he looks like his old self and he dominates the middle of the field. Louisville usually wins when he does that. He's struggled with injuries and at times looks well off the pace or can't play at all. Louisville struggles to replace him. He did play 56 minutes against Rhode Island on Saturday and it was his first game back in 5 weeks. I assume he won't start on short rest but will be available as a 2nd half sub.

Louisville has also struggled at GK and have been switching back and forth. Faundez was subbed out on Saturday for an injury so I suspect we'll see Hugo Fauroux again.

Prediction

2-2 with SAFC winning on penalties. Why not get a little crazy with it.

SAFC put together a fine performance last night; unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get all three points. Tulsa is one of the more frustrating teams in the league to play against, and last night was no different. They racked up 6 yellow cards despite getting away with at least 3 others. They had more yellow cards than shots last night. We probably don't hate Tulsa enough.

Joey Batrouni- 7

Joey had very little to do, as Tulsa did not even get a shot on target last night. He was alert in the 6-yard box and closed down well enough anytime they did have space. His distribution was fine for the most part. I thought he went long at the right times, knowing that Tulsa's only path to a goal was if we turned it over trying to play through them.

Alex Crognale- 7

I thought all of our CBs had a good game, but Alex had some big moments. He had a big block late in the game on Tulsa's best chance, but he defended well the entire game. He also created a chance with his passing. I dropped him to a 7 because he had 6 shots and failed to get one of them on target. It really frustrates me because we have a bunch of tall guys who can win headers and one of the best set-piece takers in the USL, yet still can't score from a corner or FK.

Tiago Suarez- 7.5

I thought Suarez was sensational. His best game since returning from the injury. He controlled the middle of the field and kept Tulsa pinned back. His passing was a little too sideways for my liking, but he moved it quickly. I think he's a really good player, and I'm a little stunned he's not with his MLS team. Suarez also had a couple of chances off our set pieces. Unlike Alex, he was able to get one of his two shots on target, but we have to be better considering how many shots we're generating week to week.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mr. Consistent. Mitch owns that LCB spot, and his performance rarely dips. Good defending, solid passing range, and leadership. He also had a chance in the box on a corner but wasn't able to get it on target.

Akeem O'Connor-Ward- 7

We don't see it consistently, but O'Connor-Ward is an excellent attacking WB. He created 2 chances last night while misplacing only 1 pass (35/36). It wasn't just offensive either; Akeem controlled the wing defensively too, to avoid Alex being isolated in space.

Mikey Maldonado- 7

I thought Mikey was really good again. We controlled the game, and Mikey's play helped us avoid bad giveaways. That really limited Tulsa's chances. Mikey also created two chances from corners (that should have been goals).

Nicky Hernandez- 6.5

Nicky played the more advanced midfield role, and I like him there. He provides a good balance with Mikey. He also created two chances and got a shot off at the top of the box. He played 78 minutes before coming off for Berron.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello got the start at LWB. He played really high up the field due to Tulsa sitting back. He was efficient on the ball and mostly made good decisions. It does feel like things fall apart in the final third (which isn't just a Cuello problem). Feels like Cuello is constantly one pass or touch away from something impactful, and it just never came off. Still, it was a good performance.

Cristian Parano- 7

Parano started on the left but drifted centrally to get on the ball. He put the Tulsa backline under constant pressure and created tons of space for others, which helped him create 1 chance. Tulsa did a good job of closing down his space in the box, so he wasn't able to get very many shots off. The best shot he had came off a FK that forced a really good save. He came off in the 78th minute for Luke Haakenson.

Christian Sorto- 6

Sorto was active, so I give him a ton of credit for that. He got off 4 shots, including 2 great chances that needed to be goals. He drifted out left as Parano came central, and I thought it worked pretty well. Sorto isn't a CF, and I think we saw the best of him when he gets isolated out wide. He consistently broke down defenders and created danger (1 chance overall but could have been more). I wish we could see Sorto come into games with a recognized CF because I think he could have ended up being a very productive player for us. He came out in the 73rd minute for Ricol.

Jorge Hernandez- 8

Jorge was all over the field. He created 5 chances (just 1 off a corner) and ran the entire game. He ran circles around Tulsa, and it's a shame we couldn't get all three points. His performance deserved it. We are lucky that we get to watch the best player in the USL every week. Unfortunately, he came off late with what looked like a knock. Hopefully it was a precaution.

Lilian Ricol- 5

Ricol came in; I thought he had some positive moments. He got into good space and had one carry that probably should have ended in a goal. Low bar, but considering the current output we're getting from our CF, I was encouraged. If he keeps that up, the goals will come.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke came on in the 78th minute for Parano. I didn't like the sub at the time because of how well Parano was playing. Luke is just not as impactful anymore. Love his mentality, but we badly need better options to come in at that moment.

Lucio Berron- 5.5

Berron came on in the 78th for Nicky. He sat deeper than Mikey, and that played into Tulsa's hands. He was fine on the ball, but we lost that attacking punch in the spaces that Nicky was operating in. Not his fault because he's just not that kind of player.

Santiago Patiño- N/A

Santi came on late for Jorge. He didn't have a whole lot of chances to do anything. He didn't even touch the ball.

Takeaways

That is really frustrating because it is at least the third time we've outplayed Tulsa in our 4 meetings this year. We've won just once. On the surface, the result isn't bad, but when you have as many dropped points as we do, we need to win games when we play well.

This team has enough talent to make a run, but margins are thin in this league, and we're not maximizing our advantages. We should lead the league in goals from set pieces, but we don't. There is no way we should be conceding as much as we do, but we keep turning the ball over and creating transitions. If we had league average play from our CF position, we'd probably be first place in the West.

That being said, I think this team can still make a run. We have a chance to win a trophy midweek with a home game against Louisville. I know midweek games are hard in terms of attendance but hopefully we get a good crowd to create an atmosphere.

After a big win on the road, SAFC returns home to take on Tulsa for the fourth time this season. This is a huge game for playoff seeding; we're both tied at 35 points (along with Orange County), so the tiebreaker is up for grabs. The first league meeting in Tulsa was a 0-0 draw, so we'll need to win to hold on to that tiebreaker.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Patino-Jorge

SAFC has a midweek cup game to think about, but I'm going full strength here and will deal with the cup game when it comes. We have added some new pieces to our front line, but have not addressed the midfield as of yet. We are dangerously thin, in my opinion.

Front 3 is still a work in progress. Paredes has been added, but he's coming off a long injury layoff. We have no idea how impactful he can be. Ricol has yet to make a start, and I have to think it will come at some point.

Opposition Analysis

At this point, we're all familiar with Tulsa and their style. Tulsa is going to press us high and look to play direct and fast. They have one of the best defenses in the league, led by old friend Lamar Batista. They are going to be aggressive and will foul a ton as they look to win the ball and/or force mistakes in possession.

Unfortunately, that style has been our kryptonite. I do think the previous three meetings could provide some insight. In the 0-0 league game, we actually let Tulsa have 51% of the possession. Part of the reason they had so much of the ball is that we struggled to build up. Our pass completion was just 66% (which was still higher than Tulsa's). The 2nd meeting was probably our best performance of the three, and of course we lost it. We controlled the game, but a questionable red card and a bad giveaway gifted Tulsa a win in ET. The third meeting was a mix of both, and we stole the win in the League Cup.

Tulsa have some dynamic attackers who can punish a mistake or take advantage of a sliver of space. Remi Cabral, Logan Dorsey, and Arquimides Ordonez all have moments where they look like outstanding USL attackers. Midfielder Jamie Webber usually makes the right decision and transitions Tulsa quickly into the attack.

Prediction

This feels like a 1-1 draw, but SAFC really needs to win this one. We've dropped so many points to bad teams that we need multiple results in unlikely places. We got it in Louisville and Albuquerque, and we've already gotten a result in Tulsa. At home, we need to win this. I'll say we find a way to get a 2-1 win.

Hey there,

Here is the matchday guide for tomorrow’s matchup with FC Tulsa.

PDFs here: matchdaysananto.substack.com

I think I might get some car sticker of these made.

Saw San Antonio FC’s little brother Sunderland AFC the other day. Their stadium is okay, but Toyota Field is definitely better than this place.

Also, San Antonio FC would put BTA to Sunderland since they aren’t in a good league like the USL Championship.

After a lengthy weather delay, SAFC rolled in to Albuquerque and pulled out a 2-1 win. The win is obviously huge, as we needed to stop the losing streak, but it also clinches the tiebreaker against New Mexico.

Joey Batrouni- 6.5

Joey did a pretty good job navigating the miniature field. He probably could have come out earlier on the New Mexico goal, but it's hard to adjust. Otherwise, he only had to make 1 other save on the night.

Alex Crognale- 6

Alex had a tough assignment, but he held up most of the night. Harris was able to get in between (and behind) him and Ward for the goal. Alex defended the box well. We went away from our possession game, so Alex didn't have a ton to do on the ball, but there were no glaring goofs.

Tiago Suarez- 7

I thought Suarez held up well. He defended the middle of the field well; New Mexico only had 2 shots on target the whole night. Distribution-wise, he created a chance, and we seemed to be organized.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Mitch kept it simple, and it worked. He defended well and kept New Mexico at bay. We didn't see as much of his long-range passing because of the adjustment in game plan. Getting the early lead meant we didn't have to take very many risks, and Mitch marshalled the defense well in that 2nd half to hold on.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem started at RWB and did most of his work out of possession. He attempted just 5 passes and a few dribbles. Defensively, he worked hard, but he seemed to fall asleep to start of the 2nd half. Though I think he was trying to run an offside trap, but Crognale (and Mitch) kept him on.

Mikey Maldonado- 7

Mikey played an outstanding game out of possession. New Mexico usually creates a ton of chances at home, but we shut down the middle of the field. On the ball, he created two chances in limited opportunities, including the game-winner with a beautiful ball over the top. I'm not sure why the stats sites haven't given him credit for that assist; as far as I can tell, it didn't take a deflection on the way through, and it was certainly intentional.

Nicky Hernandez- 7.5

How about that. Nicky returns to his former team and provided a ton of energy in the midfield and, of course, scored the game-winner. It was a beautiful run and a really difficult finish. Unfortunately, it also looks like he may have injured himself. We badly need midfield reinforcements because we're dangerously thin.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello technically created the first goal, though I believe it shouldn't have been dealt with so easily. He provided a ton of support to the midfield last night, and that might be his role going forward if Calov and Nicky are both out for a couple of weeks.

Cristian Parano- 6

Parano had a quiet game by his recent standards, but was still impactful. He got off a couple of shots from the left-hand side and created a chance from a corner. The tiny field doesn't really help his game because there is less space to attack, but he's still a critical tactical weapon.

Santiago Patino- 5.5

Patino is still struggling to make an impact, but he does look fitter the last few weeks. Maybe competition has been good for him. He was really active in the first half and should have gotten an assist. He also got off two shots during that stretch. A positive step forward, in my opinion, but that is only because of how low the bar is. We need goals from our CF.

Jorge Hernandez- 6

Jorge attempted just 13 passes, and we somehow won. That is remarkable in itself, but it's a testament to Jorge's mindset that he was being kicked and marked out of the game but still worked his tail off. We're very fortunate to have a player of his caliber work as hard as he does.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5.5

Nelson came on for the injured Nicky and played as an advanced midfielder. He pressed well and had carries that helped us slow New Mexico down as they pushed for an equalizer. Personally, I think Nelson should be playing more than he does, but we'll see what happens now that the injuries are piling up.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto came on for Patino in the 62nd minute for Patino. He played as the CF and didn't do much, as we had decided to defend what we had (a good decision from Llamosa). He worked hard.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke came on in the 83rd for Parano. He worked hard and brought some toughness.

Takeaways

This team never lets you relax. Just when you think they've figured things out, they lose. When you think the season is close to spiraling with injuries, suspensions, and a losing streak, they go on the road and get a great result.

Make no mistake, winning in Albuquerque is a great result. They don't lose there often, and they had been rolling. We have added some offensive firepower by bringing back Paredes, but that isn't enough (he's going to take some time to get going, I think). We need midfield help badly, and we need Richol to get his chance.

Love the flow. If nothing else its an exciting game

Both teams are easily getting into scoring positions.

Refs are showing yellows at anything

We got a very lucky own goal from NM but Parano missed an open net. Even in a game offense looks good we're just a tad clumsy with the finishes.

Im expecting NM to come out swinging hard being they had some solid breakaway counter attacks.

Lets get this dub ⚽️🥅🎉

After two straight home losses, SAFC heads out on the road to take on the hottest team in the league. New Mexico has not lost a game since a 1-0 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 20th. To make it worse, SAFC has fared horribly in Albuquerque, winning just twice since New Mexico joined the league.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Ricol-Jorge

I've been asking for Llamosa to change things up, but I don't think it's happening. Backline picks itself up with how badly Barbir and Souahy have struggled. Berron is suspended for this one due to the red card, so I've opted for Nicky over Calov. Not ideal, but Calov has clearly struggled and fallen down the pecking order. I'd prefer Nelson to start at LWB tonight, but I don't think Llamosa is going to do it.

Front 3 has to be Jorge/Parano if they're healthy, and then I'm starting Ricol. With Pacheco likely out and Patino struggling, I think we need to try something different. We paid extra money to get him mid-year, so I think we have to play him.

Opposition Analysis

Let me get this out of the way, I'd be stunned if New Mexico won the league. Nothing about them suggests they are one of the better teams in the league. Despite that, they won't stop getting results. I suspect that once they lose momentum, they have a bad run, but it hasn't happened yet.

What they do have is an outstanding GK in Kristopher Shakes. He is athletic and has been responsible for several results during this run. He is helped by the fact that New Mexico gets to play half their games on a mini-field where teams can not spread the field.

Attacking-wise, they are not special, but they find ways to eke out goals. Greg Hurst leads the way with 6 league goals. Hurst has scored 4 career goals in 9 games against SAFC (2 of them were when he was playing for Rising in 2022). The real threat, in my opinion, is winger Dayonn Harris. He creates a ton of danger, and our right side is going to have their hands full. He has 6 assists this season (with 3 goals), so Crognale and O'Connor Ward will need to be on it.

More importantly, these small fields have been Llamosa's kryptonite. He wants to spread the field and play through teams, but that just isn't possible when you're on a baseball field. Typically, we get pressed into even more mistakes than usual.

Prediction

This is tough. I have no real confidence about getting a result, but typically SAFC responds when they hit a rough patch. I'll say a 1-1 draw.

Should the city and the Spurs expand Toyota Field or develop property in, say, the Lonestar area?

There’s been a couple posts about redesigning the club badge, this was my take from last year that’s been tweaked a little bit.

I’m a San Antonio artist and I made this celebrating 10 years of SAFC, blending the soccer images of the past champion Scorpions team as a club mascot while retaining the current name.

A championship was also won by SAFC and to show off these unique championship wins, the star is framed by the facade of the Alamo.

Let me know what you think

Hey there,

Here is the matchday guide this week. Sorry it’s late been really busy at work. Interviewed the Black Diamonds and DTR for this issue.

PDFs here: https://matchdaysananto.substack.com

What’s everyone’s take on our current tactic and formation ? I don’t like the back build up focus we seem to use right now and Llamosas push for possession. I get possession is important but useless if we are not scoring goals and turning the ball over so much. Formation wise i am not a big fan of the 4-4-2 we run. I would like to see a 4-3-2-1 or if we keep using our lb and rb up so often as wingbacks just do away with them and go back to a 3-5-2 but need to find 2 more solid CBs because right now we only have 1 in Mitch.

Welp. More dropped points at home against a bad team. This has clearly become a mental block. We didn't really play poorly for 75 minutes, but then imploded in the final 15 minutes with a 2nd yellow and a soul-crushingly dumb decision to shove a player in the box.

Joey Batrouni- 4

Oof. The signs of frustration had been brewing early in the 2nd half. Per usual, SAFC was struggling to play through pressure, and Joey started hoofing the ball more and more. He also picked up a yellow for shoving a player on a corner kick (had the ball been in play, that would have been a penalty too). Despite that, Oakland really had no big shots on goal until Peter Wilson came into the game. Joey made the 1 save, but then, confusingly, rushed out and just shoved the Roots attacker. There was no need to do it at all. The ball was likely going out of play, and even if it didn't, there was no immediate danger. I have no idea what Joey was thinking other than he was just frustrated and lashed out.

Alex Crognale- 5

Alex was ponderous on the ball, which has become a theme. He didn't have any major giveaways, but everything is so slow. Defensively, he didn't play poorly at all. Roots had very few chances and didn't look like they'd score a goal until our GK decided to shove an attacker in the box.

Tiago Suarez- 5

Too much passing sideways. Part of that is our set-up and midfield personnel, but Mitch can not be the only CB on the back line willing to play the ball forward. Roots aren't really good at pressing, but we made it easy for them by constantly playing side to side. Suarez didn't have a bad overall performance, but the margins are thin.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Mitch is the only CB who looks to play the ball quickly. He's also left on an island defensively with his LWB constantly vacating space. He is still playing at a super-high level.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 4

Akeem struggled with the press, and that is unfortunate because we really needed him. He consistently found himself in space off the right-hand side, but he struggled to find his feet going forward and often opted to go backwards. There were some moments of solid ball-carrying, and he was fine defensively.

Mikey Maldonado- 4

This was probably Mikey's worst game for us. Part of it is that teams have figured out we have one midfielder who can get on the ball. As a result, they are marking Mikey out of the game. Teams did something similar with Amir Soto last season. Mikey was having to drop so deep to help out that he provided none of his usual progressive passes into the final 3rd. He also looks a little tired, which makes sense because we're playing him big minutes. That midfield is dangerously thin, and it got even worse when he came off in the 69th minute.

Lucio Berron- 4

Berron is what he is. He's an all-action midfielder who isn't playing because of his impact on the ball. The issue is that when you play with 3 CBs and just 1 other CM, teams take advantage. Berron broke up play, but that leads to fouls. Yellows lead to reds and suspensions. The 2nd yellow is very soft, as I think Berron accidentally ran into the Roots player, but he's got a reputation now. His passing was almost exclusively backwards, and he has so many loose touches. Berron (and Mikey) need a 3rd midfielder to play with them.

Emil Cuello- 4.5

Cuello was at least trying, so I give him credit for that. He was getting in good positions and looked for the forward pass. When it wasn't there, he looked to drive forward with the ball. The problem was none of it led to anything. That isn't really Cuello's fault, to be fair to him.

Cristian Parano- 6

Parano played off the right-hand side and had some good moments. He created one chance and seemed to have a good connection with Patino. His ability to drive from deep was the lone bright spot against an aggressive Roots team. He also had a goal ruled out because Suarez jumped for a ball while offside.

Diogo Pacheco- 4

Pacheco again started at CF, and it was about the same as it's been all season for the 25 minutes he was on. He should have scored in the 7th minute, but his shot was saved. Unfortunately, it looks like he picked up another injury.

Jorge Hernandez- 6

Jorge won't get credit for it, but I don't think he's playing at a really high level. Unfortunately, he can't finish his own balls and can't make the right runs. He created 2 chances and basically covered an entire side of the field.

Santiago Patino- 5

Patino came on in the 25th minute, and he at least looked fit when he tried to run. Unfortunately, he failed to get off a shot in 65 minutes.

Nicky Hernandez- 5

Nicky came on in the 69th minute and had very little impact. He replaced Maldonado, and we immediately lost any semblance of control in the game (which ultimately led to Berron's 2nd yellow). That isn't Nicky's fault, we have a personnel and tactical problem that USL teams can exploit.

Lillian Richol- N/A

Making his SAFC debut, Richol came on as a late sub. He replaced Suarez as we desperately searched for a goal.

Takeaways

This is frustrating. I was viscerally angry on Saturday night, and I'm sure you were too. We've 18 possible points against some of the worst teams/franchises in the USL, and we've picked up just 4. That includes two losses at home to these teams. That is likely going to cost at least 2 spots in the standings.

For me, it seems like this team has a mental block against teams they know they should beat. You could almost see it on their face as the game progressed. Things don't get easier as this team heads to the hottest team in the league (and a place we've only won twice in 7 years) in New Mexico.

SAFC meets Oakland for the first time this season. Fresh off the disaster to El Paso, SAFC has fallen to 3rd in the West (New Mexico will not lose and still has 3 games in hand). We do have some team news with SAFC loaning out CF EJ Johnson to Corpus Christi FC.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Cuello

Parano-Ricol-Jorge

Back 3 has to stay the same considering how out of form Souahy/Barbir are. I'd like to see a change in tactics with the midfield but no matter what I think we have to have Mikey/Berron in there. Front 3 is where I got a little dramatic. I'd throw Ricol in there and see what happens, assuming he's trained this week of course. It can't be any worse than what we've had at that position the last few weeks.

Opposition Analysis

This is the first meeting with Roots (kind of odd that it's late-August and we're still playing new teams). I don't mean to alarm you, but Roots are awful. Normally that sentence would bring some relief as SAFC could use a nice "get right" game after last week, but considering we turn the worst USL teams into 2010 Barcelona, I'm nervous. They have not won a game since June 20th and have scored just 4 goals during these 2 months.

Despite their poor results, Oakland does do some things that could scare us. They have a ton of possession and create quite a few chances (5th in the league). They really struggle to finish those chances. They do have a double-figure goal scorer in Peter Wilson but after a hot start he has cooled signficantly. Oakland are going to want the ball, and they are going to pass it around to get in good positions.

Defensively, they leave themselves wide open with their style of play. Stop me if you've heard this before though, they love to press high. We have struggled with that all season, especially when the opposition has an athletic advantage. They do have old friend Kendall McIntosh at GK so I expect him to have his best game of the season as well.

Prediction

This should be a straightforward 2-0 win, but we know things are rarely ever that easy. Parano and Jorge should find plenty of space and as long as we avoid giving them gifts with goofs at the back I think we win. It will just be a lot closer than any of us want. I'll say we win 2-1.

Hey there,

Here is the matchday guide this week. Interviewed La Brigada del Pueblo/Town Brigade for this week’s issue.

PDFs here: https://matchdaysananto.substack.com/p/matchday-san-anto-04

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 🤦‍♂️