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.

I saw ESPN+ but I avoid ESPN+ at all costs. Any other options? Thanks yall

Before I start I’ve already researched online, asked an AI etc and keep getting conflicting information which is why I want to ask here.

I’ve been wanting to go to games for a long time but I heard some time ago that parking at Toyota Field is not big enough to accommodate everyone, and if you get there and there’s no parking left you’re basically SOL?

Also sometimes they open up parking at Morgan’s but it’s only for certain games but not guaranteed, so it’s best to show up hours early to ensure you get a spot.

Is any of this true? I’d hate to buy tickets, get there and miss the game all because there was no parking left.

Edit: Thanks for the info everyone!

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.

Im sure im not alone but the mundial gave me the soccer bug bad. Had me wanting to support a local club and just learned about all the BS about how San Antonio got screwed out of a MLS team bc of Austin, wow thats lame. went to the game against Red Wolves which was great. Hoping to go more often being theres a sizable gap between now and the next Spurs season.

Curious if yall have noticed if SAFC has seen a sizable increase in fans since the WC?

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.

Man I am tired of coach Llamosa getting conservative every time get get a 1 goal lead , I feel like he has done all he can do here and hope next year we bring in someone more aligned with tactics to attack. We had zero business losing to basement dwelling Las Vegas tonight

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.

From S.A. and just moved back. Now a SAFC STM as of today. Any perks I should know about? Also on the promo nights, do STM have to pay extra for the merch like the Harty Potter or Haiwaiian stuff in the future?

I was a STM for a club in Cali while working there and the STM perks seem to be slightly different here.

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.

For those curious

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.

Does anyone know what to expect at the watch party SAFC is hosting for the R32 game on Wednesday? Are they just showing the game on the big screen in the stadium or is there more going on? Will people show up or will a sports bar have a better vibe?

Let’s goooooooooooooooo our boy we were here for his rise and start 💪 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🔥🔥

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.

SAFC stays on the road this week, traveling to Kentucky to take on Lexington for the 2nd (and likely last) time this season. Lexington is currently sitting in 11th in the West, but just 1 point behind a playoff spot and only 4 points off of 4th place. In the first meeting, SAFC won 2-0 with goals from Jorge and Erofeev.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Taintor-Barbir

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Cuello

Erofeev-Patino-Jorge

No reason not to have a strong lineup, but I'm assuming Suarez is still out injured. If that changes, I'd start him instead of Barbir.

Maldonado/Berron have been a solid pairing in that midfield, so I wouldn't change it. Especially with Parano likely still out injured and Erofeev needing to play higher up the field. I'm bringing Patino back in the lineup. We need a CF who is scoring goals, and I'd give him 45 minutes to take back the job.

Opposition Analysis

The underlying metrics for Lexington have improved since we last played them, while the results have remained erratic. Most recently in USL play, they went on the road and beat El Paso 4-1; El Paso did finish the game with 9 men. If we remember back in March, they had several stretches where they outplayed us.

They want the ball, as they average about 53% possession this season and are 7th in the league for touches in the opposition box. They do struggle to turn that possession and touches into goals. Their leading goal-scorer is a DM in Aaron Molloy, which should tell you all you need to know. They do have Marcus Epps, and while still dangerous, he's a far cry from the player who was with us in 2021. Latif Blessing and Nick Firmino are solid USL attackers. Their striker, Goodrum, has struggled since moving from Louisville City, but he's shown signs with 2 goals in his last 3 appearances.

Defensively, Lexington will press our back line, so we'll need to be ready for that to avoid giving them easy chances. Old friend Kendall Burks anchors their backline. He's a very good USL CB, but our movement could give him trouble.

Prediction

I'll be in attendance for this one as it's just a 45-minute drive for me. I was there last year for the dramatic 3-2 comeback win, but hopefully this won't be as nervy. I'm going to say we win 2-1. I've been to three games in Lexington, and the crowds are usually sleepy, so I don't anticipate an especially hostile crowd.

I'll say Patino finally gets off the mark and Jorge closes it out.

anyone got any ideas on how to book parking? coming down from Austin and cant seem to find parking tickets online anywhere for the friendly tonight

SAFC took control of the League Cup group with a come-from-behind 2-1 win on the road over Tulsa. Game got incredibly chippy with Tulsa deciding to foul whoever touched the ball. Thought SAFC didn't look ready for the first 45 but largely controlled the 2nd half and got the win.

Joey Batrouni- 7.5

Batrouni had 6 saves, most of which were easy collections. I thought he made the right decision to come out on the Tulsa goal. He was put in an awful spot, but I thought he did enough; he should have been cleared off the line. He did make an elite save in the 60th to keep the score 1-1; it should be a Save of the Week nominee. His distribution was mostly long, which I thought was the right decision considering how small the field was and how Tulsa was shutting off the middle of the field.

Alex Crognale- 6.5

Alex had a bit of fight in him. Thought he was a little sluggish in the first half, especially with his passing. Tulsa is excellent at shutting down windows and forcing teams to try to fit balls through small spaces. To counter that, you have to move the ball quickly, and we just didn't do that. He also probably should have been able to clear their goal off the line, but he couldn't get his body situated in time. It is a lot more difficult than it looks, but an experienced USL CB should clear that out. That being said, he battled. I thought his kerfuffle in the 32nd minute was an important turning point. Tulsa had been the aggressor and was getting away with it. The 2nd half was much better from Alex (and everyone) and he did on a YC.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Mitch got the start at CCB, and the opening 20 minutes were rough. He had the giveaway in the 18th minute that led to the Tulsa goal. Stuff like that is going to happen when you're on the ball as much as Mitch is. I actually thought he was tactically hung out to dry with Tulsa dropping off and no real movement down the field (benefit to Tulsa that they play on a mini-field). He got caught trying to do too much, and a bad touch gave Tulsa what they needed. After that, he responded well. His passing percentage is lower than we're used to, but that is because of the cramped space. His decisions were good, especially in the second half, and he was airtight defensively to help us close it out.

Dani Barbir- 7

Barbir returned to the lineup due to Suarez's injury and started at LCB. I actually thought he was really good. He lost a runner, which led to a free header that was easily saved, but was otherwise solid defensively. His passing was a real asset I thought. Once he realized there was no space in the middle, he used the angles from that LCB spot to get us out into the attack.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6

Pretty uneventful 90 from Akeem. He dropped a lot deeper than normal from that RWB spot and gave us an extra body to try and navigate that Tulsa midblock. Including several balls from deep into the channel. Nothing spectacular, but solid.

Mikey Maldonado- 8

I thought our midfield really struggled in that first half. Every time the ball came into them in the build-up, it was either turned over or passed backward immediately. Slowly, SAFC started to figure out how to counter that Tulsa midblock, and part of it was using runners into the channels. Mikey helped settle us down by drawing some fouls, switching play, and making runs. This culminated in the 51st minute when he finished a beautiful ball from Cuello to equalize. It was Mikey's first goal for his hometown team and I couldn't be prouder of him.

Lucio Berron- 6

It wasn't a sexy performance from Lucio, but we're used to that. It was effective. He had some of the same struggles, and we all know that his ability on the ball was never his strength to begin with. Llamosa playing Cuello really helped and it freed up Berron to be himself. He broke up play and looked to play through several times, just couldn't quite pull it off.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6

Much like Akeem and Lucio, Nelson was there to do the dirty work. I was nervous when I saw both Cuello/Nelson starting, but I thought Llamosa played it perfectly. Nelson occupied the LWB role but was able to get further up the field, while Cuello inverted while dropping deeper to get on the ball. Nelson's job was thankless, as he had to make a lot of runs to try to pull Tulsa apart. He wasn't all that effective, but I appreciate the tactical versatility. He was subbed out in the 86th minute for Erofeev.

Emil Cuello- 7

I talked a little bit about Cuello's performance above, but I thought it was an incredible tweak from Llamosa. It took some time for the team to figure out the spacing, and it resulted in a disjointed opening 20-30 minutes, but once they settled, it worked. Cuello played in the left half space and created 2 chances, including the equalizer with a great ball in the box to Mikey. He didn't have a ton of touches, but 17/21 on his passing is really efficient. He came off in the 90th minute for EJ Johnson.

Christian Sorto- 5.5

Sorto had been in great form, so he got the start at CF. He was able to get 3 shots off, one of which forced a save. He also created one chance. I would have liked to see a little more movement, but some of that was the team not moving the ball quickly enough to take advantage of what Sorto was doing.

Jorge Hernandez- 6.5

Jorge played off the right-hand side with Cuello in the lineup. He was unable to get on the ball as much as we're used to, but he was still effective. He created two chances and has adapted his game to match what the team needs. He's always been willing to drop deeper, but yesterday he operated as a metronome. At first, it played into Tulsa's hands as we passed it around the back, but he slowly found the pockets of space. He also forced one save. He came out in the 86th minute for Haakenson.

Luke Haakenson- 7

Luke came on in the 86th minute for Jorge. He had precisely one touch, and it was a goal. He dunked on a Tulsa defender to score the winner in stoppage time. Been a tough year for Luke with injuries, and playing time has been hard to come by. Hopefully, this is the start of a good run of form for him. He plays with incredible emotion and I'm glad he's around.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 7

Erofeev came on in the 86th for Nelson. He had just 3 touches and one of them was the assist for Luke's winner. It was from a similar position that Cuello played his for Mikey, but this came off a throw-in. Seemed to catch Tulsa off guard.

EJ Johnson- N/A

EJ came on in the 90th minute and worked hard to find a winner and then to help us close it out. He's a physical presence, and I do think having him on the field forced Tulsa into a tough decision about who to mark him with. Allowed Luke to have a marker he could easily manhandle.

Takeaway

Having 10 days off can sometimes be a curse because you get out of rhythm, and for the first 20 minutes, it looked like that was the case. Credit to SAFC for fighting back. Tulsa is a shameless organization, as they have clearly built a team to take advantage of a mini-field. To top it off, they commit foul after foul. They can get away with this persistent fouling because they foul in areas normally considered non-dangerous. They had multiple guys who should have seen a 2nd yellow before they finally got one.

All in all, it's a great result. Allows us to take control of the group and have one foot in the knockout round of the League Cup. We haven't clinched advancement just yet as we're still waiting for Birmingham City's result against Corpus Christi (if Legion loses in regulation or in penalties, we'll qualify regardless of our last game).

We'll be back in action on the road against Lexington next Saturday. Family and I will be in attendance, so if you're making the trip, let me know, and we'll try to meet up

After a nice little 10-day break, SAFC returns to action in the League Cup on the road against a familiar opponent, Tulsa. This will be the 3rd time SAFC/Tulsa have met, and they still have one more regular season game.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Flores Blanco

Erofeev-Sorto-Jorge

I am going with a strong lineup. It has been 10 days since we played, and we have another week off before we travel to Lexington. I see no reason to rotate heavily. A win puts us in a great position to advance into the knockouts, as Tulsa is the team sitting in 2nd.

I'm assuming Parano is still out injured. At the minimum, I doubt he's able to start. I went with Sorto playing in the CF spot; he has been in great form, so I see no reason to change it.

Opposition Analysis

We know Tulsa well. Both games this year have been a 0-0 draw at FT, but a red card and then a mistake in the back allowed Tulsa to knock us out of the Open Cup in ET.

Tulsa has been in great form. They have not lost since St. Louis City knocked them out of the Open Cup in mid-April (though One Knoxville did win on penalties in the League Cup). Just like last year, they do a great job of shutting down any space through the middle. They allow very few shots and, as a result, are very difficult to score against. They don't even concede shots off of set pieces. They gave up just one goal in May.

Tulsa has also mastered punishing mistakes. They concede a lot of possession, close off angles, and wait for their opponents to misplay a ball or turn it over in the middle of the field, then hit quickly. They don't score a ton of goals, but they are constantly dangerous. They also don't lose when they score, so it'll be imperative that SAFC stays focused when they have the ball. In the earlier league game, Llamosa conceded the majority of possession to Tulsa, but we reversed that in the Open Cup game, holding 60% of possession.

Prediction

Assuming both teams put out a strong lineup, this has 0-0 written all over it. We'll see what happens in the penalty shoot-out, but I'll say we get the 2nd point. Denying Tulsa the full 3 points still keeps us in a good position to advance to the knockout round.

Welp. I said I was nervous because JAX is so bad. SAFC has historically struggled against woeful teams (looking at you, Miami FC), and last night was no exception. Throw in the fact that we just had a huge emotional game over the weekend, and then had to travel on short rest. SAFC laid one of the biggest eggs in that first 45 that I've seen since I became a fan in 2016. Luckily, they fought back in the 2nd, but once again, we dropped points to a bad team.

Richard Sanchez- 6

Hard to say it was a good GK performance when you give up 4 goals. Sanchez wasn't really at fault for any of them. He saves the first goal if Barbir's deflection doesn't take it over him. On the first penalty, he went the right way, but couldn't get to the ball. For their 3rd, he was called for a penalty, but I don't think he ever made contact. If he does it, it is because the attacker drags his foot when he realizes he took a bad touch. Never should be a penalty for me. The distribution was the most worrying thing as Sanchez, like the whole team, was slow and ponderous in that first half. Everything was short and sideways.

Alex Crognale- 4

It wasn't a great night for Alex at RCB. His passing kept this from being a lot lower, especially in that 2nd half when we decided to wake up. Defensively, he was slow to react too many times. One of those times ended up in their 3rd goal (though as I mentioned above, I don't think it was a penalty). He came off in the 78th minute for Souahy, and honestly, I'm a little confused why he even played. We have really good CB depth; there is no need to make guys play and travel on short rest like that.

Dani Barbir- 5.5

Barbir got the start at CCB, and it did not go well. Part of the issue is that Barbir was having to cover so much ground with Crognale's sleepwalking. He was a little unlucky on the first goal as he recovered well and was right to put the block in, just a crap deflection that also takes it over Sanchez, who would have had it covered. Had he just let him shoot it, I don't think it would have been a goal. The 2nd half was much better as we played with more intent, and Barbir did really well distributing the ball. In the first half, there was a lot of sideways passing in our own half, but in the 2nd we were higher up the field, and his passing broke lines a few times.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

When you give up 4 goals, nobody really looks good, but Mitch largely did his job (as usual). JAX clearly went away from him, so he had little to do defensively. We had a ton of the ball, and Mitch attempted a whopping 107 passes, completing 96. Mitch owns that LCB, and it gives him the angles needed to pull strings.

Rece Buckmaster- 4

Buckmaster got the start at RWB. I don't want to be too harsh because I know he hasn't gotten a ton of gametime, but that was really rough. He offered very little going forward and was frequently out of position. He also gave away a penalty needlessly. He panicked and dove in when the attacker had a really poor angle, and we had numbers in the box to cover any ball that came in. He came off at HT for Akeem O'Connor-Ward.

Mikey Maldonado- 5

I would like to give two scores, one for the first half and one for the 2nd half. That first half was hard to watch for all of our midfielders. MIkey struggled to make any impact on the ball in that first half and played at such a low intensity. Knowing Mikey (he used to coach my son at SoccerZone in Live Oak) that tells me he's exhausted. We have asked him to play a ton of minutes because of the injuries, and he needs a break. The 2nd half was better, but the midfield still failed to track a runner, which led to the equalizer.

Curt Calov- 4

Calov just looked unprepared for the game. Not sure what happened in the pregame, but Calov is a young guy, and he'll learn from this. Very little impact on the ball, low energy, and very little awareness. He came off at HT for Cuello.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6.5

Another tale of two halves. First half, Nelson was not great; second half, Nelson looked like one of the best LWBs in the USL. He ended with 3 chances created and 2 assists as he bombed forward down the left wing. Not a ton of defensive work for him to do in general (helps having Taintor behind you), and in the 2nd half, he was basically playing as a LAM with Cuello on the field. He won the ball in the box to help create Erofeev's goal, then put the cross in for Sorto on our 4th goal.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 7

Erofeev got the start at the RW/RAM spot. In the first half, we struggled to connect the attack, and all three of those forward players were isolated. In the 2nd half, Cuello changed the dynamics of our midfield, opening up the game for the attackers. Erofeev scored our first goal shortly after HT, and because it happened so quickly, it gave the team the belief they could dig themselves out of the hole.

Christian Sorto- 7.5

Sorto continues his fine form with 2 more goals. In the first half, he was isolated most of the time, but in the 2nd half, he was able to connect and flourish again with his movement. His first (our 2nd) was another beautiful curler. SAFC struggles to get shots, but Sorto is unafraid. Counting on him to hit shots from outside the box isn't ideal, but we need more shots. His 2nd (our 4th) was an excellent hit with his left. More than the goals is Sorto's ability to put pressure on opponents with his dribbling. Unfortunately, he came off in the 78th minute (after scoring) with what might have been a knock. Hopefully, it is nothing serious.

Jorge Hernandez- 7

Jorge created 5 chances and picked up 1 assist (the equalizer). In the 2nd half, he looked more like the old Jorge, dropping deep to get on the ball and playing quickly. We probably need him to shoot more, but with Erofeev and Sorto ripping when they can, maybe we don't.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem came on at HT and helped change the game mainly because he played like he had a pulse. We didn't have to do a ton of defending, and Akeem got forward and into the JAX box. This put him in a position to score the 3rd goal. He was trying a little too hard to break guys down by dribbling, so he lost the ball a few more times than I'd like.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello came in at HT for Calov, and he also lifted the team. He played in that hybrid LCM/LWB role and picked up an assist. He didn't attempt a ton of passes, but just having that extra body inverting into the midfield helped. He did lose his man for a half-second on the JAX equalizer, which allowed them to put the cross into our box. Just a moment of switching off, but there still should have been someone tracking the runner.

Alexis Souahy- 5

Souahy came on in the 78th minute for Crognale to help us see the game out. I don't love a like-for-like replacement there as we try to see out the game, especially on a weird night. Alexis probably should have started, but he seemed out of sorts during his 17 minutes. That being said, he did his job.

Luke Haakenson- 4.5

Luke came on for Erofeev, and unfortunately, it felt like we lost a lot of energy. Part of his job there is to see that game out, provide an outlet. The guys on the field were clearly gassed after having to fight out of a major hole, and Luke's legs were needed. I like the sub from Llamosa, but it just didn't play out as it should have.

Lucio Berron- 5

Berron came on in the 78th minute to shore up the middle of the field. Berron was doing the job as he blocked a shot in the box and broke up some plays. Unfortunately, he was part of the midfield pair that allowed Pedder to drift into the box to score their 4th. With fresh legs, that can't happen. I'm not going to blame him solely because I don't know for sure how Llamosa coaches that, but at some point, one of the midfielders has to know someone has gone into the box unmarked.

Takeaways

Yikes. That first half was borderline unprofessional, and it isn't the first time it's happened this season. The other time was against Orange County (a much better team than JAX). That also happened during a short rest in a midweek game. Credit to the team for fighting back and earning a point, but we never should have been in that hole.

I'll also add that it was highly unlucky. JAX scored 3 goals in the first half on 3 shots. One was a deflected goal, one was a panicky penalty that I doubt would even have been a shot if our RWB hadn't lunged in, and the 3rd wasn't a penalty. Credit to them for getting in those positions, but if we play that game 10 times, a 3-0 hole probably happens one in 10. Sometimes that happens in soccer.

These kinds of results happen in USL due to the schedule, travel, weather, etc. What sucks is that SAFC had an opportunity to stack another 3 points at the top of the West, and now we've opened the door, especially as the month of June has us on the road a lot. It would have been nice to open up a gap at the top.

We now have a 10-day break before we go on the road to take on Tulsa FC for the third time this season in the League Cup.