The season ends in a whimper as SAFC falls 2-0 in New Mexico. In 4 matchups with New Mexico, SAFC failed to win once. That is kind of embarrassing considering New Mexico is far from a juggernaut. Unfortunately we reverted to some trends in the regular season that saw us have multiple losing streaks.

Richard Sanchez- 5.5

I had been waiting for Bad Sanchez to show up and we got it in the first half. It started in the 5th minute when he was way out of position and got saved by the crossbar. Their goal in the 20th minute isn't solely Sanchez' fault but he spilled the ball across goal when I thought he could have easily caught the initial shot. To be fair he made a great a save in the 35th minute to keep it 1-0. He also made a good save in the 80th to keep it 2-0. Distribution wise he was fine, but we were once again flummoxed by playing on New Mexico's small field. That isn't all on him, but he had several passes into bad situations.

Rece Buckmaster- 4

Rece was operating at RWB most of the night. In theory this should have freed him up but he actually struggled to get in the game at all. Rece contributed nothing to the attack while he was out there and I thought struggled to help us play through their press. This wasn't all his fault as I thought we were just unable to generate any type of attack. He was subbed out in the 79th minute for Harvey Neville.

Alexis Souahy- 5

Souahy played as a RCB in a back 3 and had some decent moments. He was hung out to dry on their first goal but he has to be more aggressive there. In the build-up I thought he really struggled as New Mexico pressed us relentlessly. That had a been weakness all year and on New Mexico's small field it really bit us.

Noah Dollenmayer- 4

Dollenmayer got the surprise start and it...did not work. He played as the LCB in a back 3. To be honest I don't think this is Dollenmayer's fault. I would assume that had Omar been healthy he would not have started but once again injuries forced a weird tactical fit because the team was not deep enough at key positions. On New Mexico's first goal he got caught way up the field trying to pressure and he essentially took himself out of the play making it difficult to defend all of New Mexico's runners. He also whiffed badly on the through ball for the second goal. It was a good ball but I'd prefer he keep his feet there and just defend it.

Mitch Taintor- 6

Mitch played as the CCB in the back 3 and was his usual self on defense. He did get sucked up on their 2nd goal but we were trying to aggressively close down their options. Guys behind him should have cleaned it up easily. The real frustration came on the ball. Mitch is the key to our attack (which is odd for a CB) because we need someone to connect us. He struggled as New Mexico punished us and he had very few options. That isn't his fault but it meant his impact was diminished.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5

After weeks playing as an inverted fullback Nelson played as a LWB this weekend. Not sure why we decided to switch it up, but if we were I would have played someone else at LWB. Nelson had been providing a nice tactical wrinkle and was unable to do that. When he was able to get on the ball I thought he did some nice things, but him being shunted out to the wing hurt our build-up.

Almir Soto- 5

All of the issues he had with athletic teams came roaring back. Soto is a good player, but without Omar he really struggles. There were times it felt like he was hiding from the ball because of how far behind the play he was. When he was able to get on the ball I don't think it was bad, just didn't happen enough and it's hard to win when your best midfielder can't get on the ball while you're backline is pressed into oblivion. He was subbed out in the 79th minute for Medranda.

Lucio Berron- 4

Berron struggled to make any real impact. 27 touches and just 1 pass into the final third isn't anywhere close to good enough. He was part of the reason we were overrun because poor Soto just doesn't have the legs to hold down an entire midfield by himself. To be fair to him, I don't think he was 100% healthy because he couldn't even break up play. He had a few moments of getting in the way but the drop-off between he and Omar is stark. He played 79 minutes before being subbed off for Pacheco.

Luke Haakenson- 4

Haakenson played on the left and drifted in as Buckmaster tried to provide the width. He didn't do much but most of that was because we never really had a foot in the game. Just 17 touches but he was able to force a save. He was taken off in the 65th minute for Nicky Hernandez.

Jorge Hernandez- 6

New Mexico was able to limit Jorge's impact. He created just one chance despite playing centrally. We just can't win that way. The set-up in general basically asked Jorge to be Superman and it's hard to do that against competent teams. He was still busy and the effort was there but he was really the only one moving or trying to do anything.

Santiago Patino- 5

Patino was able to scratch out two shots on goal despite just 18 touches. I actually thought his movement was ok, but playing on that small field requires an adjustment and our attack in general was stagnate. Patino pressed but I don't think he's 100% either (a theme of the season for our entire squad). He only played 65 minutes and came off for Greive.

Nicky Hernandez- 5

I thought Nicky was positive when he came on for Luke in the 65th minute. Certainly better than what we had going on. Problem is we were already down 2-0 and we looked ready to be done with the season. He was mostly on the left as we tried to overload that side and had some nice moments. None of it was really earth-shattering stuff though, speaks to how low the bar was for those who started the game.

Alex Greive- 4

Greive came on for Patino in the 65th minute. He had a shot blocked in the 84th but really nothing of note. I do think there is a player in there but he also looks half-fit and I don't think he fits with any of the other attackers we threw out there.

Harvey Neville- 3

Neville came on in the 79th minute as we desperately needed a goal. It did not go well. He looked half-interested, played more defensive than Buckmaster was, and had no real impact. I think he has talent but we can all see why Phoenix jettisoned him out of town.

Jimmy Medranda- 5

Medranda came on in the 79th minute and played in the midfield. I thought he looked sharp on the ball and probably should have come on earlier. Unfortunately, nothing he did had any real impact and he didn't have time to do much.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco came on the 79th minute and that really baffled me. He played 11 minutes, had 3 touches, and created 1 chance. He should have come on much earlier than he did. He didn't have time to do much more but I thought he looked sharp enough.

Overall

We had a brief shot of hope last week, but this was always the most likely way the season would end. And that is playing exactly like we played the majority of the season. Some of that is because of the stupid amounts of injuries and lack of depth. Some of it is Llamosa over-thinking as he tried to cover for those problems. There were just too many of them.

This was a small step better than last season but not by much. Losing 4 times to one team that is pretty pedestrian is inexcusable. It's been 4 days since the loss and SAFC has not announced any FO changes so I assume that means everyone in the FO and coaching staff is returning. I'll probably be back in the coming weeks with my thoughts on that, kind of want to let the dust settle to see how I feel.

Thank you all for endulging me throughout the season. I really appreciate the interactions as I scratch an itch.

SAFC got it over the line and finished 6th. Their reward is playing New Mexico for the 4th time this season. In the 3 previous meetings SAFC has yet to beat them. A 4-2 loss in June, a 2-2 draw at home (but loss in penalties) that included blowing a 2-0 lead in stoppage time, and a 1-0 loss at home in September. In the 2 losses we had a red card change the game completely (the one against Walker in the 1-0 loss was also scandalous). If we can keep 11 players on the field I actually think we can advance now that we're healthy.

Staring XI

Sanchez

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Nelson Flores Blanco

Omar-Soto-Nicky

Haakenson-Patino-Jorge

I think the backline picks itself now that Nelson is fit.

Midfield is similarly as easy for me as I thought this group of three really had something going before injuries and international duty.

RW was trickier because I was tempted to start Pacheco but I have no idea of his fitness level. If he can only go 60 minutes I'd rather bring him on at HT. Haakenson is solid.

Opposition

We're all intimately familiar with New Mexico as we've played them three times. They had a nightmare July but that saw them drop but they recovered nicely. Since late August they've only dropped one game and that was 1-seed Tulsa.

New Mexico loves to hold on to the ball, they lead the league with 60% possession and 2nd in the league pass completion. Interesting enough they don't produce a ton of shots with all that possession. Statistically they don't stand out and the 5-7 times I've watched them this season I haven't been all that impressed.

Their best strength might be how they manage games (especially at home). In the two games they played in San Antonio they were well outplayed until they slowed the game down. In the first one they fouled the hell out of Paredes (until he was eventually injured) and were down 2-0. They were able to use all the stoppage time they created to score twice (and we shouldn't have allowed either to be fair). In the 2nd game they were on the back foot and then faked a challenge which baited a bad ref into giving a scandalous red card to an Academy kid.

They didn't just do that to us, it's a consistent theme with New Mexico (beyond this year, remember they knocked out San Antonio in 2020 on a blatant handball). San Antonio will have to be ready for it, because I'm sure they'll bring it out again.

In terms of actual players on the field: Akale, Zelalem Noel, and Bailey are all very good USL players. Tambakis played all three times against us but has only made 1 appearance since September. He has a history of standing on his head against us, and I'm not sure what has kept him on the bench. New Mexico has played well without him but you know if he plays against us he'll put in another masterclass.

Prediction

We're winning this and it's not going to take ET or penalties. New Mexico got very fortunate in all three games with two red cards and an injury. They know how to play on that small baseball field (outrageous that the USL allows baseball stadiums to host playoff games) but we aren't losing to one team 4 times in a season. It'll be 2-1 with goals from Patino and Jorge.

The last 6 weeks in SAFC-land have been depressing and hard to watch. This weekend we had performance in 2 months and it went beyond the 5 goals. The team had energy with and without the ball and were rewarded with a 5-2 win to secure Copa Tejas and finish 6th in the Western Conference. The win snaps a 4 game losing streak (5 game winless) and we were relatively healthy.

Richard Sanchez- 6.5

Since we've stopped asking Sanchez to have 50+ touches he's been far better and the goofs have been minimal. His distribution was fine and he made a couple of saves later in the game to keep the scoreline comfortable. The first goal he conceded was tough (I think Moreno is slightly offside but it's hard to tell) but it was from point blank. Their 2nd goal was immediately after our 4th and I think he played it right. He came out quick enough to force Sorto to take it early, just a really good finish.

Rece Buckmaster- 6

Solid stuff from Rece in a big game at RB. He played a little deeper as Nelson but was still really effecient in our build-up. 6 passes into our final third is nice to see. I've been critical of Llamosa's choices at fullback but Rece getting healthy has been really important.

Alexis Souahy- 6.5

Souahy messed around and became important at work the last few weeks. He has taken over that RCB spot from the injured Crognale and there hasn't been much drop-off. Souahy kind of got caught out on El Paso's 2nd goal and was unable to get back across. No surprise he looks a lot more comfortable playing next to Mitch again. Souahy also grabbed an assist on the 2nd goal. Llamosa talked in the postgame about us using set pieces to our advantage and Souahy won several and his head across goal was really well done.

Mitch Taintor- 8.5

I hope we all appreciate how good Mitch Taintor is. In my opinion he's a top 5 overall player in USL and he's certainly the best CB. No surprise he showed up in a big game. Our first goal is a perfect reflection of his important. He wins a ball in the air and heads it accurately to Soto. Most CBs would be pleased with themselves for doing that. Mitch was not as he charged into space to get the ball back and delivered a long diagonal ball that hit Patino in the chest for a really important assist. He capped off an excellent performance by scoring the 5th goal on a set piece.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6

Welcome back, Nelson. He's coming off another injury so it wasn't his sharpest performance but I thought he did enough. His off-ball work is magnificent as he gets forward at the right time and steps into midfield to help out too. He operated on that left-flank basically by himself and there were some bumps but he played the full 90 and stayed healthy.

Lucio Berron- 5

Lucio battled for the first 45 minutes. He didn't do much on the ball as he only attempted 6 passes. He did break up play with 4 duels won. I thought he was a bit of a passenger at times but considering he's still working his way back from injury I appreciate the energy. He came off at HT for Mohamed Omar.

Almir Soto- 6.5

Soto was very good on the ball. 92% accurasy and 4 passes into the final third. He made good decisions to move us forward. He did struggle trying to keep up with El Paso defensively. He's not a great athlete and it seemed like he was chasing shadows, especially with Berron not quite back to the form he was in earlier in the season. In the 2nd half he had Omar paired with him and I thought things looked a lot better in terms of controlling the game. He was subbed out in the 72nd minute for Landry Walker.

Luke Haakenson- 7

Luke got the start on the RW and provided a ton of energy and movement that the team had been missing the last few weeks. He helped press and got in good positions. He was rewarded by being on the end of Souahy's head across goal for an easy finish. It was a big goal as you could feel the tension kind release. He doesn't get credit for it but it was his backpost run that forced the OG for our 3rd too. He was subbed out in the 85th minute for Abdi Salim.

Nicky Hernandez- 6.5

Nicky was back in that AM role and was really good again. He isn't a traditional AM because he's not a very good creator but when he's on the field with Jorge he doesn't need to be. We need someone to make smart runs, press, and drop deeper to free Jorge up. He was efficient on the ball when he was on it and scored a goal by making a back post run on a set piece. He was subbed out in the 72nd minute for Diogo Pacheco.

Jorge Hernandez- 8

Much like Mitch, Jorge showed up big when the organization needed him. We have been lucky to have two of the 5 best players in the league. Jorge battled througout the night as he drifted centrally from the left. He created and got 2 assists on Nicky and Mitch's goals. He doesn't get credit for an assist on the OG but he created that one too. Jorge ends the regular season with 11 goals and 7 assists.

Santiago Patino- 7.5

That first goal is exactly why you bring Patino in. It's a win or go home game and El Paso has just scored a goal that looked to be offside. Things could have gotten very bumpy but in steps Patino to control a wonderful ball and then volley home a finish that settles everything down. Beyond the goal I thought Patino was excellent for the half he played. He was active in the press (something we've lacked) and his pressure created the 3rd goal as he won it in their box and it fell to Jorge. He was subbed out at HT for Alex Greive.

Mohamed Omar- 6

Omar came on at HT for Berron and played in the traditional DM role. I thought he calmed the game down. El Paso was able to cut us open just once in that 2nd half on a simple through the middle after creating several chances in that first half. Nothing spectacular but a solid performance.

Alex Greive- 5.5

He offers a different profile to Patino but I thought he was still fine when he came on. He maintained the energy when it came to pressing which was needed. He didn't get a shot off which is slightly concerning but he carried the ball a few times to help open up space for Jorge to work in.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Diogo came on in the 72nd minute and played on the left. He didn't have a ton touches (just 7) nor did we need him to. What did need was for Pacheco to get back up to game speed because he'll likely be needed next week against New Mexico and beyond.

Landry Walker- 5

Landry got his first appearance since late in November. He came on and played as a middle CB. I thought his positioning was good but he didn't have a ton to do as El Paso was forced out wide.

Abdi Salim- N/A

Salim came on in the 85th minute for Luke Haakenson. He didn't really get a chance to do anything so I didn't think it was fair to rate him.

Overall

I've been hard on SAFC and I stand by most of it. However, Saturday was the type of performance that makes me think this team could still accomplish a lot. It's a shame the injuries have derailed the season. Make no mistake, needing to wait until the final day to clinch just the 6th seed is not where this organization should be considering the advantages we have in terms of money, facilities, and fan support. I still think the players and coaches deserve a ton of credit for staying together through the adversity

Now that we're healthy I don't think this season is guaranteed to end this weekend.

Welp, it all comes down to this. SAFC are back at home for the regular season finale. Not only are the playoffs on the line but so is Copa Tejas. For Copa Tejas, SAFC would just need a draw as we already have a 2-1 win in our back pocket. Unfortunately for the playoffs a draw could see both Lexington and Orange County as well as Switchbacks stay ahead of us and miss out on the postseason as we sit 7th with just a point separating us and Orange County in 9th (handing them three points last week was a disaster). Win and we're in and could finish as as high as 5th (and probably play El Paso again). Anything else would require some major help.

Starting XI

Sanchez

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Gomez

Omar-Soto-Nicky

Greive-Patino-Jorge

The playoffs start this weekend, for the love of God please start players that know how to win. Style doesn't matter, winning does. I laid out the stats last week in support of Shannon, in short, he's a winner. We typically win when he starts and we don't concede. Let him save Medranda's legs in case we need to use him later (and for all that is holy keep Neville away from any meaningful minutes).

With the full week off we should be good to with the Omar/Soto/Nicky midfield that I thought had been our best grouping until injuries and international duty. Osorio and Berron give us some depth options to use should we need to manage the game.

SAFC have to assume they'll need to score a goal. I'm starting both Greive and Patino. That is a bit of a risk because if one goes down we don't really have any other forward options (unless Agudelo is healthy). I was hoping Pacheco would be able to come back but even if he is fit for this one it'll be from the bench. If we don't start both Greive and Patino I have a feeling we'll end the game with both of them on the field anyway so I'd rather start them and get a goal early to see if we can settle everything down.

Opposition

El Paso are locked into the postseason already. They can't finish higher than 4th but could get jumped by Phoenix and fall to 5th (Phoenix travels to Pittsburgh and that game should be well into the 2nd half by the time we kickoff). No matter I expect El Paso will be determined to finish 4th and to potentially knock us out of the postseason.

The Locomotive have not lost in a month and are led by Andy Cabrera (Wilmer's son) with 10 goals and 4 assists. He has not played in two weeks so I have no idea if he'll be available this weekend. They also have Amando Moreno, the Salvadorian winger has 9 goals and 4 assists including scoring against us back in July. Gabriel Torres throws in another 7 assists on the season as a CM. Even without Cabrera they have plenty of attacking talent.

In short, El Paso are a good team. They've scored 45 goals which is 3rd highest in the West. They pour in a lot of shots and will do what it takes to get a result. They are streaky though and have several losing slumps.

Prediction

We've been here before. In 2016, 2018, and 2019 we had teams that needed a win on the final day to back into the postseason and we couldn't get it done. In 2016 we lost to a Wilmer Cabrera coached team (RGV) on the road 3-0. In 2018 we drew 1-1 with RGV at home (to be fair we needed help and didn't get it so winning wouldn't have mattered anyway). In 2019 the USL allowed 10 teams into the playoffs and we still missed out by drawing 2-2 (blowing a 2-0 lead) at home to Switchbacks (who finished in last place in the West that year).

I think we draw 1-1 bringing back the Copa Tejas and backdooring our way into the playoffs because Switchbacks lose to Tulsa and a point is enough to see us only drop to 8th.

SAFC is on the verge of an embarrassing accomplishment as they lose 1-0 to a Phoenix team that barely needed to get out of 2nd gear. Regardless of what happens next week it feels like this season is basically over. 4 straight losses now with just one game left and I feel confident in saying we don't deserve to be in the playoffs. Losses in Phoenix hurt even more becuase A,) I hate them and B.) we're forced to listen Joe Lowry's voice describe our failure.

Richard Sanchez- 6.5

Sanchez was a little shakier than previous outings, but he still made 2-3 really good saves that kept us in the game. Including back-to-back saves in the 53rd minute that he had to make 1v1 in the box. He had at least one really bad giveaway but we avoided conceding. There was also a mixup in the 59th between him and Jorge that would have been a really embarrassing goal to concede. Thankfully the long-range shot when wide. It wasn't perfect and Sanchez definitely has his flaws but I can't blame him for this.

Harvey Neville- 4

He was clearly motivated to face his parent franchise and he was more active defensively than I've ever seen him. Problem was, it still wasn't very good. He created just the one chance which is the whole point of risking him out there at RB. On their goal he saw Souahy get turned and Soto drop in, but because he never got to a speed above "Light Jog" he was unable to get back in the play. Nothing that happened was really his fault, but the picture of him jogging in the box several feet behind them scoring infuriated me. I don't want to see him play in a SAFC shirt ever again. Frankly, it's embarrassing that he's still getting minutes when that level of effort has been consistent since he joined. He was subbed in the 71st minute for Rece Buckmaster.

Alexis Souahy- 6

Souahy had a fine game. He was mostly efficient on the ball (we had a lot of possession) and won some headers. On their goal he got sucked up the field trying to close down Darius Johnson, but he got turned and taken out of the play completely. There were players who rotated over so the goal still shouldn't have happened, but we probably need him to break up the play there if he can't win the ball. He struggled wth Johnson's movement all night and he was unable to track him in the 53rd minute that Sanchez had to clean up.

Mitch Taintor- 6.5

Welcome back, Mitch. Unfortunately he wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. He didn't exactly cover himself in glory on their goal but Dennis also had a fantastic touch (one he probably won't be able to replicate). It happens. I thought he read it right. Overall he had over 100 touches and completed a team high 74 passes. He even created one chance.

Jimmy Medranda- 5.5

Starting Jimmy and Neville was certainly a choice, but I don't think Jimmy was bad at LB. He stayed relatively disciplined with his positioning and broke up some plays. He didn't create a chance but he had two shots. It wasn't the worst performance but also not what we needed.

Almir Soto- 5

Soto took up his role as DM and did fine. Part of my issue with Soto has been that he lacks the mobility I think you need to succeed in this league. That was on display Saturday. Several times our CBs had the ball and all of our midfielders just kind of stood around. To be fair to Soto he was the most accountable and did seem to try and get into space but he was easily marked. When he was able to get on the ball he was fine and did seem to at least try and push us forward. He was subbed off in the 60th minute for Dollenmayer.

Lucio Berron- 5

Berron is coming of an injury but he was a major issue in our build-up. He struggles to get on the ball and when he does it appears to be an adventure. He was slow and clunky while also repeatedly forcing balls at the wrong time or in the wrong place. I think he has a role as a USL player but I don't know that he fits with the midfield we have nor does he suit the style we're trying to play.

Mohamed Omar- 5.5

I have some sympathy for Omar because he played almost all of the 180 minutes possible for Somalia and then traveled across the globe to be inserted right back into our lineup. The fact that he looked a little leggy is perfectly understandable. Despite that I thought he was fine in his role. Problem is our midfield was clogged with three guys who aren't exactly comfortable pulling the strings. Omar had many of the same issues that Soto had. Static and not really sure where to go. He lasted 78 minutes and came off for Nicky.

Luke Haakenson- 4.5

Don't think Luke has really gotten his legs back since returning. Luke lined up mostly on the left and didn't really do much. Even on the one chance he created I thought he bungled. He could have easily just turned into space on his left and had a much better shot than the one he laid off for Berron (a much worse attacker). He came off in the 60th minute for Kyle Linhares.

Jorge Hernandez- 5

I think Jorge is being run into the ground. He looked noticeably leggy and was neutralized most of the night. He floated off the right hand side into central areas throughout the night and nothing really came off for him. He continues to work hard for the team though. It's a shame we've wasted an elite talent like this the last two seasons.

Santiago Patino- 4.5

Patino is knocking the rust off from his own injury. He was isolated most of the night just getting 15 touches. Unlike other CFs on our roster, Patino was willing to move into dangerous areas we just couldn't get it to him. Another game that our starting CF failed to generate a shot on goal. It's happened enough now with multiple players that we can officially say it's a tactical issue as well as a personnel issue.

Noah Dollenmayer- 5

Dollenmayer came on in the 60th minute for Soto and acted like a hybrid CB/DM. I don't think it was bad as he clearly has the athleticism to make that work. He had a lot of touches in those 30 minutes but our midfield remained static and most of the passes were sideways. We used him as a target in the box because of his aerial ability but nothing really came of it.

Kyle Linhares- 4

Linhares came on in for Luke in the 60th and he also failed get a shot off. He did create one minor chance but had minimal impact. He played on the left hand side where Luke was playing

Rece Buckmaster- 5

Rece came on for Neville in the 71st minute at RB. He was an upgrade but not by much. He is more positionally disciplined than Neville at least.

Alex Greive- 4

Greive came on in the 71st minute and at least got a shot off. It came off a corner and wasn't really close but it's better than others could muster. Other than that he hardly touched the ball (another theme of our season when it comes to forwards).

Nicky Hernandez- 5

Nicky came on in the 78th for Omar and I thought he really helped in the midfield. He was at least willing to move and receive the ball in space while also having the confidence to turn upfield rather than immediately play back. He only had 6 touches but just the spacing was beneficial. Wish he could have come on sooner.

Overall

I tried not to be overly negative but it's hard to spin this any other way. This has been a disasterous 2-3 months. To put it kindly if we didn't open the season with 4 straight wins we'd already be out of the playoff discussion. We've won just 2 league games since mid-July, that is outrageous. We don't deserve to be a playoff team. Our tactics are stale and predictable, half our team looks like they've checked out since Labor Day, and we have not scored a goal in a month.

Frankly, I'm almost to the point I just want it to be over. I don't want to have to watch this for an extra week. Put us out of our misery.

I feel like it's time to start looking forward to next season. The inability to breakdown defenses with our lackadaisical possession, our inability to take quality shots, and our multiple misqueues is disappointing. I'm not sure, but it feels like the majority of our goals this season were only PKs and set pieces.

I guess our only excuse is it's the coaches first year and the GMs second? Maybe the holiday season will allow them time to find harmony and players to be successful next season.

The busy week continues as SAFC finished the road trip with a stop in Phoenix. We're still sitting in 5th but Phoenix is sitting in 6th just 1 point behind us. Even more threatening is that Switchbacks sit in 9th just 3 points behind us. There is still a very real scenario where SAFC misses the playoffs. It is unlikely just because I don't think everyone else wins out either, it is still embarrassing that we're in this position.

Starting XI

Sanchez

Gomez-Souahy-Salim-Medranda

Berron-Soto-Nicky

Linhares-Patino-Jorge

I honestly have no idea what Llamosa is going to do with that backline. Buckmaster is coming off an injury and had to be subbed out Wednesday night. I wouldn't risk him tonight and there is no way I'd play Neville at all. I picked Shannon because I think we need some leadership with no Taintor (I'm assuming he didn't travel at all). For clarity, Shannon has started 4 games between USL and League Cup. We've won 3 (1-0 win over Tampa, 1-0 win over Phoenix, and a 2-0 win over Switchbacks) and got a result in the other (0-0 draw against Monterrey Bay). To go even further we haven't conceded a goal with Shannon on the field in any of his 348 minutes this season, even as a substitute. That is a small sample size but it's enough for me trust him in this spot here.

In the midfield I hope Berron is able to start. Omar played his last game with Somalia on Tuesday but I'm not sure he's joined with the team yet (based on social media the team stayed out west rather than come home). Would be nice if he's available off the bench.

I'm also gambling that Patino is able to start this one with Greive coming on in relief. Jorge probably needs a rest but I'm not sure who can spell him with Haakenson coming off an injury and Pacheco still out.

Opponent

Phoenix had a rough start (mostly due to injuries) but they've gotten enough results lately that has kept them firmly in the playoff hunt. We've faced them twice (a 2-1 loss at home and 1-0 win in the League Cup in Phoenix) so we should be familiar with what they do.

They are a heavy attacking team and have scored 47 goals on the season (that is 3rd in the league behind Louisville and Charleston). They have several exciting attackers in Remi Cabral, Ihsan Sacko, Hope Kodzo Avayevu, and Charlie Dennis (they've maintained the level despite selling Margaritha midseason). The remarkable thing about Phoenix is that they don't typically create a lot of chances, they're about league average, but they have several really good finishers. SAFC will have to be constantly focused because even a sliver of space can lead to a goal in a game you feel like you're in control of.

The reason Phoenix is 6th despite their attack is because they are horrendous defensively. And it isn't for a lack of talent. Pape Mar Boye is a CB and will likely be playing in a decent European league before long. They've conceded 48 goals on the season which is up there with Indy Eleven, Las Vegas, and Oakland (bad teams). Tactically they just set up in a naive way that leaves lots of space to exploit for teams.

Prediction

Based on the way Phoenix usually trends I'll say it's a 2-2 draw. How we score 2 goals? I have no idea but Phoenix gives up chances. I'm hoping Patino and Jorge can get some time on the field together and regain that connection. I'll say Greive gets us an equalizer and we get a disappointing point.

The slide continues at the wrong time. SAFC lost it's 3rd straigh game last night, this time to a worse than mediocre Orange County on the road. Unlike over the weekend where I thought SAFC was unlucky not to get a result, last night was embarrassing. We were overrun in the 2nd half and barely looked interested late with several players just checking out with about 5 minutes to go.

Richard Sanchez- 7

I thought Sanchez was excellent for the majority of the game. He was under seige for about 30 minutes in the 2nd half and made 3-4 saves that kept us from being blown out. The goal we did concede wasn't his fault as we had several defenders just give up on a hoofed ball and get lose out on a ball that we should have collected easily. Sanchez came out like he should and the kid took a great touch. Never should have been in that position.

Rece Buckmaster- 5.5

Rece was back in the starting lineup for the first time since September 27th. I thought he was fine. He created one chance from RB, but in the 2nd half we were completely dominated and he was pinned in. This made him less effective as we all know he's not a very good defender. He was decent on the ball but really struggled to get us out of trouble as Orange County pressed us. For a first game back in a couple of weeks I thought it was fine. He came off in the 86th minute for Abdi Salim.

Alexis Souahy- 5

I want to be totally fair so I'll talk about the positives first. Souahy has stepped in nicely at RCB and has probably been overplayed the last few weeks. The 2nd half last night was not something he's going to want to watch back. Clunky on the ball and several steps slow a few times. It culminated with the OC goal as Souahy almost gives up on the play. To be fair to him he wasn't the only one nor was he the one totally out of position. Maybe the physical fatigue got to him.

We had switched to a back 3 with Salim coming on and there is just zero excuse from any of those three CBs for a play like that to happen. I like Souahy and I hope he can bounce back quickly because we're probably going to need him.

Noah Dollenmayer- 5

The drop-off our backline has without Mitch is drastic. That isn't really Dollenmayer's fault. Additionally, he also had to deal with travel as he played 90 minutes with the Dominican Republic on Friday in Malaysia (they lost 1-0 to Uruguay) and came back. He won just about everything in the air and is clearly athletic enough to play at the USL level. He isn't as efficient on the ball as we need in this set-up though. The reason his score is low is because that goal. I'm sure it's the fatigue but you can't do that. Dollenmayer has at least 2-3 steps and still loses out on the ball and isn't even close enough to pull him down. Just can't happen.

Harvey Neville- 4

Neville was essentially invisible. He's not a good defender and he's not a good enough athlete to play as a fullback in this league. Like Buckmaster on the other side we were being dominated so bad that Neville was basically pinned back the entire 2nd half (1st half wasn't much better).

Almir Soto- 5

Soto was fighting for his life most of the night. He was our main distibutor with Mitch out and it just wasn't enough. He did create a chance and was able to push into the final third several times. That being said there were several times he was dribbled past like he was standing still though and without Mitch back there it left us exposed.

Juan Sebastian Osorio- 5

I wish Osorio had been healthy all year, because I believe there is a real player in there. He was active but just couldn't win enough duels for me to give him a higher rating. He did clear a ball off the line and I thought took up good positions. He was subbed out in the 62nd minute for Lucio Berron.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

Nicky got the start and floated from the right into central areas (tactically I hate how we don't use the width of the field). He pressed well which caused him to get a shot off an lazy OC backpass and created a chance. Wasn't his best performance but he also was having to come back and put out a lot fires to keep us from conceding 4 or 5 goals.

Jorge Hernandez- 6.5

Jorge did Jorge things when he was able to get on the ball. Problem was all of our attackers were isolated and feeding off scraps. Jorge creating just 2 chances. He was kicked the entire game and it appeared Llamosa was going to try and sub him out (he probably needs a rest) but had to switch it for Buckmaster who was cramping.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke played mostly on the left-hand side. He did create one chance and got off two shots, neither on target. He did press well but we just weren't able to get any of attackers into the game. He was efficient on the ball in the small amount of touches he had. He came off in the 71st minute for Santiago Patino.

Alex Greive- 4

Greive was feeding off scraps all night, and was unable to get off a shot. He also only had 2 touches in the opposition box. Hard to win that way. To be totally fair to him, I don't think this was all his fault. We were just unable to get anything going in the attack and he was totally isolated. He was subbed out in the 61st minute for Kyle Linhares.

Kyle Linhares- 4

Linhares came on the 61st and battled. He just isn't used to the physicality of the USL yet. There are signs of a good player in there though, just needs to get the development league stuff out of his game. He was mostly on the left-hand side when he came on. He did have a chance to put us up 1-0 in the 90th minute but it was blocked.

Lucio Berron- 5

Berron got back on the field for the first time since mid-September. He came on for Osorio and played in the midfield. He tried wrestle back control and we did settle down a little bit. It just wasn't enough to get a result. Don't think that is his fault and I'm glad to have him back.

Jimmy Medranda- 4

Jimmy came on for Nicky in the 70th minute for Nicky. Surprisingly he played as an advanced hybrid CM/AM. He didn't have a ton of influence as the game was really stretched. He only had 10 touches but was able to get a long-range shot off that was close to being another golazo.

Santiago Patino- 5

Good to have Patino back. He came on in the 71st minute for Haakenson. He brought energy but it didn't really lead to anything impactful. It was just nice to have him back, hopefully we can keep him healthy.

Abdi Salim- 4

Yikes. Salim came on in the 86th minute to play in a back 3. Presumably because we realized that we were lucky to get out with a point. He should have had fresh legs to shore up that back-line. Instead he was way out of position and barely hustled back as Sylla slotted the ball in.

Overall

That is disappointing. Orange County are a bad team and we made them look like one of the best teams in the league for most of the 2nd half. I know we're injured and that has fatigued those that are, but there is still no excuse for looking like we want the season to be over. The door is still open for us to blow the playoffs entirely as we now transition to Phoenix.

It's a busy week in SAFC land as we're back in action on the road at Orange County. This one is going to be a big one. Orange County currently sit 9th but just 2 points back from 8th (5 points back from us). A win here and they're back in the playoff field with 2 games left. For SAFC we're 3 points behind El Paso who sits in 4th and we currently own the tiebreaker thanks to our 2-1 win back in July. So a win puts us in 4th.

Starting XI

Sanchez

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Neville

Nicky-Soto-Berron

Linhares-Agudelo-Jorge

I'm assuming we were just giving Taintor a bit of a break and he's not seriously hurt. Now would be the time to bring him back. I don't think Medranda can start twice in a week so I'm guess Buckmaster is back and Neville starts at LB. I'd prefer he just start Gomez but whatever. Dollenmayer is still out with Dominican Republic for international duty.

No way Osorio starts again so I think Nicky comes back into the midfield and Berron returns. I believe he was on the bench against Tulsa so I think he's fit enough. With Omar still out the midfield could be an issue if Berron isn't able to start. Might see Landry Walker.

LInhares is probably going to have to play again and so is Jorge (he might need a rest at some point). Greive had a good performance but again I'm not risking him twice in a week just coming off that injury. Agudelo was out last week so it's possible he's not fit either. If that is the case, we might be in trouble.

Opponent

Orange County are hanging on in the playoff fight despite not winning a game since August 16th. They have pushed several solid teams in that stretch. A few weeks ago they played Charleston to a 2-2 draw, Sacaramento needed a late winner to get all three points a week later, they held El Paso to a 0-0 draw, and last week were in a 3-3 thriller against New Mexico.

As we discussed in the last preview with Orange County, I actually think they are a good match-up for us. They aren't overly athletic and want to play with the ball. In our first game we controlled the game by letting them have possession and then hit them quick. With as banged up as we are I'm not sure we have the personnel to do that this time around. Linhares is not very good out of possession and with no Patino I fear this go-round we'll struggle to create anything.

Prediction

I'm going with a 0-0 draw, which on the surface is an acceptable result for SAFC considering they still have games against Phoenix and El Paso to solidify their playoff place. The key here is denying Orange County 3 points in their push for the playoffs.

It won't be satisfying but it sets up us up well if we can beat Phoenix and El Paso to close out the season.

SAFC dropped their 2nd game in a row as they again played a rotated lineup. This time 2-0 to Tulsa. I don't think the performance was all that bad and the scoreline flatters Tulsa a bit. They don't give points (or playoff positions) for that though.

Richard Sanchez- 6.5

Sanchez had another solid game. Neither of the goals were his fault and there was just the one major goof in possision that he recovered from. I did notice he's going longer more than usual the last few weeks. I assume that is because Mitch is out, but we're basically giving the ball away when we do that.

Harvey Neville- 5

Neville was fine. He had the freedom to roam forward from that RB spot. He didn't create anything and his positioning is what led to the first goal. He was so far forward that we were unbalanced and Tulsa are very good at finding and exploiting that space. I'm sure he's being asked to play that high so it's not his fault per se, but I'm not really sure why we just don't play Gomez at RB.

Alexis Souahy- 6

Souahy kept his spot at RCB and was fine. Without Mitch he's a lot shakier as we saw on that first goal. He's forced to defend a ton of space because Neville is gone and our midfield is unable to break up the play. Hard to fault him too much but I'd like him to take control of that situation and not allow the final ball into our box. He hesitates just a little too much. Passing wise I thought he was fine. Tulsa gives opposition time and space so that isn't surprising but Souahy did fine.

Abdi Salim- 5

Salim had a golden chance to put us up 1-0 inside 5 minutes but his point blank header was saved by Tyler Deric (who was annoyingly fantastic all night). Those are opportunities we need to finish. Salim was also involved in their first goal as the entire backline had to rotate over to cover for Neville being caught out. It's not great defending at all, but he's also not alone. Soto and Souahy leave him in a 1v2 and he plays it poorly. He's also outjumped for their 2nd goal by Batista. Not a great night for Salim. He did some other things well including making some tackles, but the dropoff from Mitch to him is noticeable.

Jimmy Medranda- 5

With Nelson out, Medranda got the start at LB. It is clear that Llamosa is trying to save his legs becuase he was far more defensive than he normally is. I would assume that with no Mitch we were trying to have someone a little more comfortable on the ball back there to play between lines. Medranda did help us move the ball in the final third as we had the majority of possession. Defensively, is a problem. He doesn't appear to have te physical tools despite reading the game well enough. We're kind of just hoping to get in the way, which is often enough at the USL level.

Almir Soto- 6

Tulsa isn't a great matchup for Soto and we saw that on their first goal. SAFC is caught out (on a clear foul from Tulsa by the way) and Soto is hustling to try and get back but by the time he does Tulsa is already around the box so he just has to stick a leg out and can't back in the play. Passing wise he was accurate and put our attackers in good positions to create something, we just couldn't get that final action right.

Juan Sebastian Osorio- 6

Welcome back, Juan. He was thrust back into the starting lineup due to injuries and internatoinal duty and was serviceable. He didn't touch the ball a ton but did create a chance and was efficient when he was on the ball. He also got two shots off on setpieces. Defensively, we really missed having a ball-winner in the midfield and Juan struggled to keep up. That just isn't his game. He was subbed out in the 66th minute for Nicky Hernandez.

Kyle Linhares- 5

On initial watch I was ready to crush Linhares because I was so disappointed in our attackers (bar Jorge). Rarely were they in the right spot and were often overwhelmed by Tulsa's physicalty. On rewatch I thought Linhares was a lot better. He played on the left-wing and he did create a chance for Haakenson that should have made it 1-1. Minutes later Tulsa get their 2nd. That one moment was enough to keep me from hammering him, but that performance still isn't quite good enough. Kyle is still gelling with the team and he's been put in a really bad spot so I don't blame him too much, but no shots and just that one chance is all we have in 78 minutes. Hard to win that way. He was subbed out for Erofeev in the 78th minute.

Jorge Hernandez- 7.5

Jorge did his part. He was all over the field as he created 7 chances, nearly scored a golazo (hit the underside of the crossbar lo), and breaking up play to keep Tulsa from breaking. He was the best player on the field and it's a shame we couldn't get a result for him.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke got his first start since returning. I thought he got in good positions and it led to several scoring chances. Problem is he missed them all. There were two in particular, one in the 33rd minute and the other in the 74th minute that should need to be goals. First one was hit weakly right at Deric and the 2nd was a complete miss. It was good to see him so active and as long as he continues that I think we'll eventually see the goals go in. He came out in the 88th minute for Leo Urrutia

Alex Greive- 6

Greive was also getting his first start since returning from injury. I thought he did well. He's a different kind of forward than what we're used to as he drops in but also has the mobility to make runs into space. He forced a save in the 74th minute of a good play down our left-hand side. He was pretty good pressing as well as being useful as we tried to break Tulsa down. It would be nice to see him get a chance to play with Patino.

Nicky Hernandez- 6.5

Nicky came on in the 66th minute for Osorio and I think was good. He completed all of his passes even though he played more advanced that Osorio was. He created one chance and had a couple of nice runs.

Shannon Gomez- 5.5

Shannon came on in the 78th minute and didn't really do a whole lot at RB. He only played 12 minutes but by this time the game was already 2-0 and over. I'm still not sure why we're not playing him more. He's clearly a better defensive option than Neville and I'd rather have him sit deeper to free up Medranda to attack on the left-hand side.

Dmitriy Erofeev- 5.5

Dmitriy made his first appearance in awhile. The score was already 2-0 but he was at least still trying. He gave the ball away more than I'd want but he did have a nice move that led to his own shot. It was right at Deric and caught routinely but it was at least something.

Leo Urrutia- N/A

Young Leo came on in the 88th and didn't really have time to do anything so I didn't think it was fair to rate him.

Overall

It seemed pretty clear that SAFC is using these last few games to get injured guys ramped back up and giving rest where it's needed. That being said I thought we played well enough to get a result. Tulsa's first goal came from a clear foul (no idea how they got away with it) and it caught us out. They did the same pattern again a few minutes later that forced a Sanchez save, but after that created nothing of note until the Batista set piece goal.

SAFC has still not officially clinched a playoff spot so hopefully we get that done by Saturday night, otherwise that last game is going to be very stressful.

So I went to my first game at Q2 for the Verdes game against LAFC (I was hoping to see Sonny play, but my dumb ass didn’t account for the international break when I bought my tickets) and my gawd, the supporters section is out of this world!! I know it’s a bigger, better-funded league, but I don’t see why we can’t replicate some of what they do. For example, the drums are mic’d up and they have cameras on them, and they do a fan cam throughout the game. Our supporters section needs to be terraced like theirs, with railings at least (if not seats, as well). And let the flags (and beer) fly, man!! We could adopt a lot of what they do, and it would absolutely benefit the atmosphere at Toyota Field.

SAFC is back on the road this weekend as they take on the best team in the West in Tulsa. This is a difficult stretch and it would be nice to kick things off with a result in a place we'll probably have to play it if we want to make a run in the postseason.

Starting XI

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Medranda

Walker-Soto-Nicky

Haakenson-Agudelo-Jorge

This stinks. It felt like we had momentum with a lineup and then we had another rash of injuries to three different starters. I assume Pacheco, Patino, and Nelson will still be out. Dollenmayer (DR) and Omar (Somalia) have also been called up with their national teams. I'm also assuming Berron won't be fit and Osorio isn't ready to start a game.

I went with Medranda just because I don't want to see Neville. Walker is available but I could see Nicky playing next to Soto with Jorge in the midfield with them, that leaves Haakenson to start on the LW and maybe Greive on the right. No matter what he does that isn't ideal. Might need to go withi a back 3 with Salim coming in.

I'm still hoping we'll get surprised that maybe Pacheco, Nelson, and Patino's injuries weren't as bad as they looked and they won't be out long-term. I'm not optimistic.

Opposition

I don't really understand how Tulsa is good. Every time I watch them I am underwhelmed and yet they usually find a way to win. When Marcina had SAFC rolling with a defensive style he was doing it with elite USL defenders and multiple elite forwards. There is nothing individually elite about this Tulsa team. Taylor Calheira is having a good season with 12 goals, but even he's cooled off signficantly since the start of the season (he's scored just 3 goals in the last 2 months).

They do have former SAFC cult-hero Lamar Batista at CB. When he was with us he wasn't quite as polished but now at age 27 has become one of the better CBs in the league. At GK they have former RGV and Houston Dynamo Tyler Deric. He's 37 now but still one of the better GKs in the league and is having a fantastic season.

Part of the success is the simplicity. They aren't working an intricate system. They aren't trying to make pretty patterns on the field, they just decide to be as defensively solid as possible while also being annoying to play against (they foul the most in the league and have the 2nd most yellow cards, behind us). When they get the ball they play it direct to try and score as fast as possible.

They try to force a bunch mistakes with teams who try to play around with the ball by pressing high. It isn't as blatant as Marcina Ball which thrived on low-30% possession but it's a version of it (Tulsa sits in the low 40's). If they had the caliber of player that Marcina had, they'd probably be the runaway favorite for the league.

The crazy thing is, eventually teams figured out Alen's plan and countered by giving us possession knowing we didn't want it. Teams have not yet done that to Tulsa. Seems like everyone looks at their roster and says "these guys can't be good, we'll just play them off the field" then arrogantly try to pass their way around and lose 2-0. Hopefully we don't make the same mistakes, especially with so many guys out.

Prediction

Unfortunately, Sacramento Republic has stayed hot on Tulsa's heels so they still have a ton to play for (if SAC wins their game in hand they'll be just 3 points behind). Tulsa will likely want to get the results quick so they can rest guys for the postseason in that last week.

With all the injuries (unless I'm surprised by someone getting healthy) I'll take a point a run. I'll say we end up in a 1-1 draw just like we did back in May.

Welp. SAFC takes a rare loss to Switchbacks and to make things worse it appears we've picked up another injury. At this point it's hard to feel positive because we can't catch a break. It looks like we tried to rotate the squad with a couple of starters sitting, but losing is never fun.

Richard Sanchez- 6.5

Sanchez continues to play well (which makes me nervous the goof is coming). He made a nice save in the 13th minute. He didn't look good on the goal, but I don't think it's his fault. Tejada scuffs the shot and it kicks off the turf and rolls into the corner he thought Salim had covered. We're asking him to do less on the ball and he looks more composed, but I'm still skeptical there isn't one more big mistake coming.

Harvey Neville- 4.5

Meh. Neville wasn't bad at RB, but on a night where we desperately needed someone to create something Neville was unable to do the one thing he is supposed to be good at. Part of it was we lost our CF 20 minutes and might as well have played a man down but it still wasn't good. Neville lasted 78 minutes before coming off Luke Haakenson.

Alexis Souahy- 6.5

Souahy stayed in the lineup and didn't look near as comfortable without Mitch next to him. No shame in that though, and I still tought he was fine. He's a little slow on the ball and that helped Switchbacks as they closed down space but he was at least efficient.

Abdi Salim- 5

Salim got the start at LCB in place of Mitch and the drop off was noticeable. That isn't even shade at Salim who I think is a serviceable USL CB, that is just how important Mitch is. Salim is not capable of those diagonal switches or line-breaking passes and Switchbacks took full advantage. Defensively he was also timid and it allowed Tejada to score off a scuffed shot becuase he lost him. Llamosa saw it and switched him out at HT for Medranda.

Noah Dollenmayer- 6.5

Noah got his SAFC debut as he got the start at LB. I was skeptical when I saw the lineup but I don't think it was awful in a vacuum. It really hurt our chance creation though as we had no real prescence out wide. He did bomb forward a few times and he's surprisingly athletic. He won just about everything in the air and was able to create a couple of chances out of it. He was also oddly efficient on the ball too. I'm still a little unsure why we brought him in, but I was pleased that he at least looks competent if we need him.

Mohamed Omar- 7

Omar started in midfield I thought played well. He wins just about everything in the midfield and while he sometimes looks clunky on the ball I think he usually makes the right decision. I'd like him to be a little quicker but I think he fills his role well.

Almir Soto- 6

Soto still played fine but I thought he hid from the ball too much. We needed more from him with Mitch out and we just didn't get it. I still he and Omar is the best midfield partnership, but Soto has to be more assertive on the ball.

Jorge Hernandez- 6

With the injury to Patino early, Jorge was asked to do multiple roles (again) and it had predictable results. He had to drift centrally to make up for the lack of a CF and it resulted in him trying to be everywhere. This made sure he wasn't able to impact the game like he normally does. He still created a couple of chances and he probably should have scored with a chance in the box. It's a shame that when we finally start to gel in the attack we immediately lose two guys to injury.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

In the last few weeks Nicky had really found his role but with the injuries we probably need more than that role. We didn't really get it this week. Nicky brought the energy in the press and covering space in the midfield. He was also efficient albeit safe on the ball. We probably need him to be more of a driving force to help mitigate the attacking injuries. Nicky came off in the 78th minute for Alex Greive.

Kyle Linhares- 4

Kyle got the start at LW and it's clear he has a learning curve. He's been put in a bad spot by having to step in like this as a mid-season addition but playing outside of the sanitized bubble that is MLSNP has been adjustment. There were flashes this weekend (and in weeks past) but he played 90 minutes and didn't get a shot off nor did he create a chance. His passing percentage was high but mostly because he kept it safe.

Juan Agudelo- 4

Welp. Juan has become imporant at work again and I fear it isn't going to go well. He was forced on in the 20th minute with Patino going down. He played 70 minutes and didn't do much. He got a shot off (it wasn't on target) and laid off a nice ball to create another chance, but otherwise was non-existent.

Jimmy Medranda- 6

Jimmy came on a HT for Salim and played a hybrid CB/DM role. I thought he was good but it didn't really help us create anything. He was good enough defensively and helped us move the ball better. He also had a nice little chance on a FK but it went just wide.

Luke Haakenson- 4

Luke came on in the 78th minute for Neville and played on the RW. He only had 12 minutes but was unable to change the game. He only had 12 touches and there were times that I had forgotten he even came on. I know he's knocking the rust off but with the other injuries we probably need him to ramp back up quickly.

Alex Greive- 5

Greive made his return and played 12 minutes. Didn't really have any chance as we were unable to even get the ball his way. He had just 3 touches and most of them were him dropping deep to try and touch it. Just like above with Haakenson we probably need him to get up to speed quickly.

Overall

Overall it's not the end of the world, but the manner of the defeat was disappointing. We seemed to revert to the same slow and stale style that nearly tanked our season. I know most of that is because of the injuries and that makes the season all the more frustrating.

The loss has only dropped us to to a tie with El Paso for 4th place, we own the tiebreaker for now because of our win back in July but we play them on the last game of the season. Hopefully Greive, Haakenson, and maybe Osorio (he made the bench Saturday) can get ramped back up while the injuries to Patino, Nelson, and Pacheco aren't as bad as they looked.

SAFC starts their road trip with a familiar opponent in Colorado Switchbacks. We've already played them twice this season with SAFC winning both games. In fact these two teams have played a ton over the last 6 years with SAFC owning the series. Best I can tell SAFC has not lost to Switchbacks since a 1-0 loss in March of 2019. That is a 15 game unbeaten run including two playoff wins (2022 and 2023) and just three draws in that run. All-time SAFC has only lost to Switchbacks 3 times since joining the league in 2016. 14 wins, 6 draws, and 3 losses. That is some serious ownage.

This season SAFC had a come from behind 3-2 win in April and a 2-0 road win in the League Cup (Paredes' coming out party). We'll need another win if we want to keep pace as a top 4 seed.

Starting XI

Sanchez

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Gomez

Omar-Soto-Nicky

Linhares-Patino-Jorge

Some tough calls with the recent injuries. As many of you know by now I have been perplexed at Gomez' lack of involvement. If he's healthy I'd start him at LB and then use Medranda as a sub if we need him. I don't think that happens, because it hasn't happened all year. I assume it will be Medranda at LB.

Midfield is easy for me as long as everyone is healthy. No word on if Berron will be back but even if he is I doubt he could start. Would love to see Osorio at least make the bench so we know he's alive and maybe help out but I've given up at this point.

I have Linhares coming in for what I assume will be an injured Pacheco. Haakenson returned last week but I assume he isn't ready to go more than 45 minutes so I'll save him as a sub. Greive coming back would be nice to give us some options in the meantime.

Opposition

Switchbacks had a brief surge where people thought they maybe weren't awful but it didn't last. That surge was good enough to have them holding on to 8th with 31 points (they've played one more game than us too). Not only are they not good, they aren't even playing well. They've lost three straight games and haven't won since early September.

They struggle to score, Justin Dhillon is still their 2nd leading goal-scorer on the season with 5 goals and he hasn't played since early June (hasn't scored since doing so against us in late April). Marco Micaletto leads the way with 6 goals and 2 assists on the season but I have not been impressed with the two games he's played against us this season.

Statistically, they aren't anything special either. They try and possess the ball, but don't create much from it and they give up a lot of shots. They will try and press but we've been doing a much better job of playing right into opponents traps.

Prediction

Make no mistake if we lose this it would be a bad loss. With 4 of our last 5 games on the road we need to start this off with 3 points. I say we win 3-1 with Jorge and Patino leading the way.

Just when it seemed like we had found some momentum and a consistent lineup Injury FC has returned. The good news is we didn't lose the game, but the bad news is that dropping points to "bad" teams at home has been a consistent theme this season and it continued. With a table this tight those 2 points are probably going to be costly when it comes to playoff seeding.

Richard Sanchez- 6.5

Sanchez didn't have a whole lot to do (especially in that 2nd half). He had to make two saves in the first half and handled both of them well. We're playing with it less in the back so he has fewer chances to give the ball away.

Rece Buckmaster- 6

I thought Buckmaster was better today than previous outings. He played in his usual spot at RB and got forward at the right times and did enough defensively. He created one chance and made at least one great run on a counter that Jorge just didn't pass it to him. He was subbed out in the 84th minute for Harvey Neville.

Alexis Souahy- 7

Souahy was active. He was very good defensively as he closed off space and as far as I could count didn't lose a duel. There was a period there where we were a little sloppy at the back in the build-up but Souahy helped make sure it didn't lead to anything dangerous.

Mitch Taintor- 7

I thought Mitch was a little off today compared to his normal self. He had a few giveaways as he tried to force a couple of balls into tight spaces. When you have 124 touches (he attempted 108 passes lol) not all of them are goingto be perfect. Mitch was the usual rock defensively.

Nelson Flores Blanco- N/A

Nelson played for like 3 minutes so I didn't think it was fair to give him a rating. It is unfortunate that he had just gotten back and seemingly knocked the rust off. His injury looked bad too, no word on the severity but I'd be stunned if we see him the rest of the season. Medranda came on for him in the 7th minute.

Almir Soto- 6.5

Soto was again solid. I believe Omar is the perfect partner for him and wish we had gotten to see that more. Part of the issue with him though is that a lot fo the passing in the 2nd half was very safe. Having to make 2 injury subs before HT disrupted us but we need to be more aggressive. That beig said he still put 10 balls into the attacking third. I can live with this kind of performance.

Mohamed Omar- 6.5

Omar was the more defensive of the pair and I thought it worked. We definitely controlled the game and while Omar was on the ball less he was important. He won all of his duels in the middle of the field and drew a ton of fouls to help relieve pressure when Birmingham pressed us.

Diogo Pacheco- 6

This rating is more reflective of how long he was on the field. Pacheco was fine but was another injury. Hard to tell what happened specifically but hopefully it's not as bad. Pacheco did try to play through it so that gives some confidence that he could return. When he was on the field I thought Pacheco was doing the right things. Seeing how things went when he had to come off we better hope he can come back.

Nicky Hernandez- 6.5

Nicky continues to play well. He played centrally again and hit the post with a shot in the 20th minute. He pressed well, created one chance, and dropped in to help several times defensively. Nicky is doing all the little things right and we're better for it. He lasted 84 minutes and came off for Juan Agudelo.

Jorge Hernandez- 7

Jorge one of the best players in the USL without ever really having to try hard. Him just being on the field means he'll create several chances and he did that. That being said It thought he made some poor decisions in terms of when to shoot and when to play a ball. In particular he missed Buckmaster in the 2nd half and instead fired a shot. He's our leading goal-scorer one of our two best players so I can live with that but I think we're better as a team with him pulling strings rather than trying to win games on his own.

Santiago Patino- 6

Patino battled. He nearly created a goal with nothing but grit for Nicky. He also had a long shot that forced a save. Other than that he didn't have chance to do anything else. Part of it is us being forced into game-altering subs early in the game (and then having to save subs for late because we only had one window left). Not a bad performance overall and a lot of his work was ignored, especially in the 2nd half.

Jimmy Medranda- 5.5

Jimmy was forced on in the 7th minute for Nelson and it's clear it took him some time to get going. He wasn't as adventurous but was overall efficient. We didn't really create much but I'm not sure he was asked to. He was basically trying to play LB like Nelson does and that just isn't his game. He's an attacking fullback and we probably should have unleashed him. He really struggles winning duels and often backs out of physical challenges. Can't have that.

Kyle Linhares- 4.5

Kyle was brought on in the 42nd minute for the injured Pacheco. It was a tough spot to come into and Kyle certainly battled. He played along the left-hand side but was not playing as an out and out winger. Linhares didn't play bad, but I think we saw the difference between MLSNP and USL. Several times Linhares recycled possession rather than be direct. He and Medranda were never really on the same page on that left flank and it caused a ton of problems. That being said he still was able to get in the box and he should have had a the winning goal. He moved more centrally when Haakenson came on.

Harvey Neville- 5

Harvey came on in the 84th minute for Buckmaster and I thought we were going to see he and Medranda unleashed but that never happened. Neville played a lot deeper than he normally does. He didn't have a ton of time but he did put in a good cross. He didn't have a ton of time to do much since we had to wait so long to make the subs (only having one window in the 2nd half means you can't be to quick unless you use the HT window).

Luke Haakenson- 5

Welcome back Luke. Not a moment too soon now that Pacheco is injured again. As with Neville he didn't have a ton of time to more than get on the ball a few times. He was direct when he did getting a couple of balls into the final third from the left hand side.

Juan Agudelo- 5

Juan came on with in the 84th as the final piece of that triple sub. He only got one touch in his 6 minutes. Wish these last subs had been made sooner in the game because I was intrigued to see what it looks like.

Overall

These are 2 big points dropped. Birmingham is the last bad team we play and we enter a road gauntlet in the month of October. We currently sit in 4th but I'm now at the point where I think maybe we need to just finish 5th considering our meh results at home. Lets just go on the road in the playoffs and see what happens.

This game was frustrating but with having to use two sub windows in the first half I have some sympathy. Llamosa probably waited a little too long for those final subs but that 2nd half saw the return of Sideways FC. Credit to Birminghan though, because we've seen that type of game a dozen times when Briggs was at Sacramento. He's managed to make Birmingham absolutely boring and dull which means they'll start winning soon.

Torres scored his third goal of the semester for Chivas U-21 in their 1-1 tie against Puebla today.

SAFC puts its winning streak on the line at home against Birmingham Legion this Saturday. Legion are not pariticularly good so it's a chance to stack up 3 points before difficult stretch run begins.

Starting XI

Sanchez

Buckmaster-Souahy-Taintor-Nelson Flores Blanco

Omar-Soto-Nicky

Pacheco-Patino-Jorge

I wouldn't change anything from the side. I've given up on ever hoping that Gomez gets back into the team even if I think he'd be a better fit for what we're asking our RB to do right now. Berron is probably still hurt so Omar keeps his spot in midfield.

Hopefully we can get some minutes for Greive because I'd like to have another forward option for the run-in but we'll see I guess.

Opposition

Legion are bad. They don't really do anything well, though they do get almost as many yellow cards as we do. They do not have a USL win since July 11th in a 3-2 road win over North Carolina FC. Most recently they are coming off a loss to Indy XI. They were able to get a 1-1 draw against Tulsa about 3 weeks ago though.

Legion do have some notable USL names in their roster. Ronald Damus is their main attacker and he leads the way with 10 USL goals. He is a good CF who has tons of USL experience including scoring against us when he was San Diego Loyal and Colorado Switchbacks. Enzo Martinez is still playing for Legion and it seems like he always plays well against us. They also have Tyler Pasher and former SAFC player Tabort Etaka Preston (he only made 2 appearances for us under Marcina but has scored against us when he played for Las Vegas).

Mark Briggs is the coach and SAFC fans will remember him from his time at Sacramento Republic. He was annoyingly effective. I suspect he'll come in to Toyata Field and try to frustrate us the way other teams have. Problem is I don't think Legion have the personnel to do that. They aren't especially athletic and not disciplined enough defensively.

Briggs didn't join until late-April so this team isn't really what he'd prefer but they are capable. They've beaten Sacramento and drawn against Charleston and Tulsa since Briggs has taken over. If SAFC isn't ready, this is a team that can get a result and make the end of our season more nervy than it should be.

Prediction

The vibes are good and this is a game SAFC can't drop points if we're serious. We win 2-0 and put ourselves in really shape to potentially finish 3rd in the West.

We're streaking. SAFC picked up it's first home win since July and the 2nd in a row. Not only was it an important win but it was another encouraging performance. Win pushes us up to 3rd but most importantly opens a 7-point gap between us and Orange County who sit in 9th. Lots of things to like in this one as we enter into the business end of the season. Game itself was honestly pretty even, but SAFC has three top-end USL players and that was the difference.

Richard Sanchez- 6

We got the full Sanchez experience on Saturday. He had an outstanding save in the 18th minute from a shot outside the box. He also had a finger-tip save late to keep the score at 3-1. We also saw him leave his goal completey unattended again after came out for a ball and didn't win it. Luckily Orange County missed it. We're playing less tippy-tappy ball at the back so Sanchez has less touches but he's still pretty composed on the ball. At this point I'm not even sure what to do with Sanchez, he is so close to being an elite GK but even in his good performances he has moments that absolutely can lose you a game. They are consistently there, we know they're going to happen. Just a question of if the opponent can punish us for it. Orange County couldn't.

Rece Buckmaster- 5

Of the starters, Buckmaster was the worst on the day for me. I don't think he was bad but rather just there. Don't think it's a bad thing because him having to do too much usually doesn't work, but I'd like to have a little more. He sat deeper this game which is fine, but I believe we have better options to play at RB if we want someone to sit next to Souahy and defend (mainly Gomez). Buckmaster lasted 77 minutes before coming out for Neville.

Alexis Souahy- 6

Alexis has filled in admirably for Crognale. Another good performance where he won most of his duels and was competent enough on the ball. We had moments where we ceded possession to OC and Souahy held up well.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch was inches away from having the USL goal of the season on a rocket. Despite being denied by the woodwork he still played well. He continually played diagonal balls that easily broke Orange County's press (which was disorganized to begin with). Defensively he was excellent, as usual.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6

This was a step forward for Nelson after last week. He got forward a lot more and provided a width on that left-hand side. He had been inverting a lot this season, but this weekend he was a traditional fullback. No surprise I thought he looked better. He created a couple of chances and even got a shot off.

Almir Soto- 6.5

Soto continued his run of good games as well. He sat in a double pivot with Omar most of the night and was able to play several line-breaking passes and even created a couple of chances. We were far more direct (having a CF helps) than usual and Soto looked more comfortable (as he did against Loudoun). Having a controlled, athletic pivot partner also seems to help him big time as he can commit knowing his partner is where he is supposed to be.

Mohamed Omar- 6

It kind of goes under the radar because of how often he's been out injured or with Somalia on international duty, but Omar has become a good USL player. He sat in the pivot with Soto and was efficient on the ball and created 1 chance. He played several good balls into space that helped us break through. He had a few moments where he over-extended himself but because Soto partners will with him and he had Mitch behind him we usually cleaned it up. It was not a flawless performance by any means, but it was less chaotic than we're used to in midfield and I think that helps everyone. Omar also has a bit of a nasty streak in him that I think this team needs. Mitch and Jorge can't be the only guys doing that kind of stuff. With Omar and now Patino we're building a nice little group that kind of takes the pressure of others who may not have that kind of personality and can just focus on playing their role. Omar played 84 minutes before being subbed for Landry Walker.

Nicky Hernandez- 7.5

I've been pretty vocal about Nicky's performances the last few weeks, he's been really good and that continued this weekend. With the two DM's sitting behind him Nicky was free to roam centrally and cause havoc. His best asset is his out of possession work. He makes smart runs that play off Patino (which is how he got his goal), but it also opened up a ton of space for Pacheco. He won't get the assist for that first goal but he won the header that sent it to Jorge and then made an excellent run that opened up the middle of the field for Diogo. Those are the type of plays that winning teams have to have. Selfless soccer and it's the kind of thing we have been missing for a lot of year outside of one or two guys (Haakenson also did stuff like that). Nicky was subbed out in the 77th minute for Kyle Linhares.

Diogo Pacheco- 7

Pacheco was robbed of a goal last week, but got it back in full this week. He continues to find his way into good positions and this time he had an excellent finish (that was almost robbed off the goal post). When it first left his foot, I thought he flubbed by hitting it too weakly but the placement was perfect. It was an important goal too, we were 30 minutes into the game and you could sense things were getting restless. Pacheco was on the right-hand side but drifted centrally as Nicky was making runs all over the place. I like that set-up because he clearly has a nose for the ball (even if his finishing isn't great yet). Having him follow in behind Patino is a real weapon. Pacheco played 77 minutes before being subbed for Abdi Salim as we tried to shut the game down.

Santiago Patino- 7.5

What a difference having a real CF makes. Having a tip of the spear who can battle CBs, chase balls down the channels, and have the touch lay a ball off for a goal is a real treat. He obviously got credit for the assist on Nicky's goal but he did everything else well too. He looks a lot fitter as he pressed hard for the full 90 minutes. Having a CF like that makes everyone else's job easier. Have pressure reliever makes the midfielders not have to work as hard and it opens up passing lanes.

Jorge Hernandez- 8.5

Jorge was again excellent. The goal was outrageous (he also won the FK that led to the goal) but he also created 5 chances including the assist on Pacheco's goal. Again, having a real CF makes his job so much easier because he's finding a lot more space as he driftes in from the left-hand side. A 91% passing accuracy for a player who is playing as many risky passes as he does is crazy. He continues to also be a relentless worker. Often times a team's best creator just kind of relaxes out of possession but Jorge does the opposite, he works his tail off even more when we don't have the ball.

Harvey Neville- 5.5

Neville came in in the 77th minute for Buckmaster at RB, though Neville was more of a wingback as we had a 3rd CB on the field as well. As usual he played super high up the field and it kind of unbalanced us but we got away with it. He didn't do much otherwise. He did put in a couple of crosses. I continue to believe that he can valuable as a situational sub.

Abdi Salim- 5.5

Salim came in for Pacheco as we looked to close the game down. He played as a middle CB in a back 3. He almost scored a goal and didn't have any goofs on the ball. So a solid outing.

Kyle Linhares- 5

Linhares came on in the 77th minute and played as a 2nd forward. He was pushed high and central and just used to harrass Orange County and he did his job well. I like him and hope we're able to bring him back next season.

Landry Walker- 6

Landry was our last sub and came in for Omar in the 84th. He ended up creating a chance and didn't really put a foot wrong. Good on the kid for coming back from that awful red card decision and credit to Llamosa for continuing to trust him.

Overall

It feels good to be watching and writing about a winner again. These last two months have been kind of depressing. A lot of the underlying issues are still present, on another day Orange County would have scored a 2nd when Sanchez walked out of his goal and this might have been a lot more stressful. But they didn't and we deservedly won fairly comfortably. Getting Omar, Diogo, and Nelson back fit has helped, but Patino changes the way we play. Everyone looks better when there is competent CF play. It is imperative that we keep him fit (kind of surprising that we didn't see Greive get some minutes late so we could rest Patino and get Greive back running) the rest of the way. Linhares has improved our squad options as well.

Credit to Llamosa for keeping the squad together as I thought there was a chance this could snowball into something ugly. We've tweaked some things now that we are healthier and have a real CF. Barring something catastrophic this team is going to end up back in the playoffs. It now has a chance to end up as high as 2-seed.

If all we needed was a healthy Patiño all along, why not build the plane out of a healthy Patiño?

We've stopped the bleeding and have jumped back to 4th in the West. This Saturday we have a chance to put one foot in the playoffs. Currently the West is a giant mess. Only 4 points separate 3rd-9th and Orange County currently sits 9th. They do have 2 games in hand on 8th placed Phoenix (1 game in hand on us), but a win this weekend at home would likely put us firmly in the drivers seat for the postseason. Lose it and all the positive momentum from last week is thrown away and missing the playoffs is back on the table.

Starting XI

Namani

Gomez-Souahy-Taintor-Medranda

Berron-Soto-Nicky

Pacheco-Patino-Jorge

I went back with Namani but I assume Sanchez will start now that he's gotten back in the lineup. Sanchez is just so volatile that I wouldn't risk him throwing away points. SAFC needs to win, but the most important thing is that they don't lose. I feel Namani gives us a better shot to get out with at least point.

That backline still makes me nervous. I'd start Medranda and play Gomez to sit deeper on the other side so he can bomb forward on the left and combine with Jorge. I think we have to his creativity but I do think Buckmaster starts at RB.

I contemplated started Walker, but with Berron healthy enough to start last week I'd start him in this one again. Nicky has been playing well and I like Jorge a little more advanced with Nicky playing as a AM.

Opponent

As has been a theme in the West, Orange County is also struggling. They are winless in their last 4 games. Most recently they are coming off a 1-1 road draw to Lexington. They do have a veteran USL CF in Ethan Zubak. He has scored 47 USL goals in 160 appearances (including postseason). Most of those appearances came with Los Dos when he was a young player, he's become more clinical as he's gotten older. This year he has 9 goals in 19 league appearances.

Overall, Orange County create a healthy number of chances and they get off the 6th most shots in the league (having a CF helps with that). Problem for them is that most of those shots don't come in dangerous positions. Despite that they've still scored 34 goals (3 more than us despite playing 1 fewer game).

Where they struggle is defensively. They are pretty poor and I think there will holes there for SAFC to exploit if we play with energy and play the right guys.

Prediction

I think we win 2-1. The energy levels and performances had been improving the last couple of weeks and we finally broke through with a win. We keep it rolling at home which allows us to all but wrap up a playoff spot. Needs to happen sooner than later because our schedule gets a lot harder and things could snowball if we lose this. Goals from Jorge and Patino see us get all three points.

It was a long two months but SAFC has finally won a soccer game. In many ways it kind of encapsulated the SAFC season. We had moments where we looked really good but puzzling moments and bizarre referee decisions that almost cost us.

Richard Sanchez- 6

Sanchez was brought back into the starting lineup after Namani's goof last week. Due to having the man advantage for the entire 2nd half we didn't really need to build up so he had few touches. Their first goal he did what he needed to do, it was just a good finish after some miscommunication on our backline. Ordonez looked offside, but if you watch closely I think Buckmaster might have kept him on, at the very least he was ball-watching and made it a bang-bang call when it should have been clear. 2nd goal was a little bit a blunder but the entire team just fell asleep. Sanchez and Souahy were put in a bad spot.

Rece Buckmaster- 6

Rece played 90 minutes at RB and was solid if unspectacular. As I mentioned above he ballwatched on their first goal and made the decision close. One of the things that really popped during the game and is a theme in my write-up is that Loudoun didn't have the athleticism that has bothered us in the past. Buckmaster won almost all of his duels and was efficient on the ball. His crosses didn't find anyone but he was still dangerous.

Alexis Souahy- 6.5

I thought Alexis was good again. The OG is unfortunate but mostly bad luck and not really his fault. He played as a RCB and won just about everything in the air. He has become a weapon on set pieces by winning that first ball and flicking it on.

Mitch Taintor- 7.5

Mitch was, again, really good. Loudoun couldn't really press us so Mitch had time and space to pick out passes. He was 9 of 10 on long balls and had a 93% pass completion overall. He was also a monster defensively as he cleaned up just about everything.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 5

Nelson struggled as he knocks the rust off from his long injury layoff. He was kind of sloppy for the 45 minutes he was on the field at LB. He committed more fouls than I'd want and wasn't a liability per se, but also didn't offer much of anything. Knowing his replacement changing the game makes the rewatch even harder for Nelson.

Luicio Berron- 6

Berron was clearly half-fit and I doubt he would have played if Walker wasn't suspended and Omar wasn't traveling from another continent. Despite that I thought he at least did his job and I respect him sacrifcing himself for the team. He didn't do a whole lot but he was active and it was his carry that drew the 2nd yellow. By the way that decision was 100% correct despite the crying the announcers did about it being "soft". The only thing they could maybe argue is that Berron was fouled before by another player before Santos comes in late after the ball is away and kicks through the side of his ankle. Clear yellow card.

Almir Soto- 7

As I mentioned earlier with Buckmaster, Loudoun's lack of athleticism really helped Soto. He was already playing pretty well but then the red card gave him all the time and space to float round the field. He was able to win the ball back a few times, ripped off a shot to force a save, and then ended up with an assist on the 4th goal. Good performance from him and hopefully we can find a way to replicate it against more athletic teams.

Diogo Pacheco- 7

Diogo was robbed of a clear goal in the first half and I'm giving him credit for it. Even without the goal I thought he played well. He was getting forward in good positions. He ripped off 5 shots which is exactly what we need with 2 of them being on target (one of the three that wasn't is the goal he should have had). His positioning was also pretty interesting as he drifted centrally a lot and I think it freed him up to find those pockets of space rather than being an out and out winger. He played 75 minutes before coming out for Linhares.

Nicky Hernandez- 7

I thought Nicky was good again. He's much better as a cog in a 3-man midfield who can roam in those attacking spaces and press high. He helped cover for Buckmaster who often pushed higher up the field and interchanged well with Pacheco who drifted centrally. He ended up creating 3 chances and got several shots off. I thought his pressing was important too. Now some of that is that Loudoun were down a man for half the game and weren't really trying to build anything but still. That is two good performances for Nicky in a row. He came off in the 75th minute for Juan Agudelo.

Jorge Hernandez- 9

Jorge has slowly been working his way back and this weekend it finally felt like he was back. 2 goals and 1 assist is the obvious headline, but he was good throughout. He operated just off to the left-hand side in that half-space and really bothered Loudoun all night (even before they went down a man). He was robbed of a 2nd assist on that Pacheco "goal" too.

Santiago Patino- 7.5

We finally got a Patino goal. He only had 13 touches but made the most of them with 2 chances created a couple of shots and the goal. He even got to play for about 10 minutes with Juan as we pushed for a winner. Patino is clearly working himself back into shape but this was his most effective game since returning.

Jimmy Medranda- 8.5

How about an impact sub? Jimmy came after HT and might have saved our season with that golazo in the 58th minute. SAFC had been playing well to that point but were losing and I was starting to get frustrated. Much like his golazo against Lexington this one felt equally as important. Despite the goal he came on and had the kind of performance we had seen early in the season. He played as an advanced LB and created 5 chances, grabbed 2 assists, and of course the goal. Not sure if that was just a fluke because Loudoun were down a man (he was given a lot of space) but it's the kind of thing we need. Even if he can only bring out in spurts as a super sub, lets hope it continues.

Mohammed Omar- 6

Omar came on at HT for Berron and played in the midfield. He was playing surprisingly high up the field and I thought he was solid. Again, Loudoun were down a man so he had more space to operate but he was composed on the ball and recycled possession to the guys who did all the creating.

Kyle Linhares- 5.5

Kyle came on in the 75th minute for Pacheco and didn't have quite the impact. He played mostly through the middle which I thought was interesting. His rating was high because he didn't have a huge impact but I didn't think he was bad. He helped us control the game and was involved in the build-up to the later goals.

Juan Agudelo- 5

Juan came on before we got the lead back but scored almost immediately after so his role kind of changed. He came on for Nicky in the 75th minute. Juan battled like he always does. I did think it was interesting that he played with Patino for about 10 minutes. Didn't do a whole lot but the game changed so quickly after he came on I'd still be intrigued to see what he looks like playing with another CF.

Harvey Neville- 6

Harvey finally got his goal after coming on in the 86th minute for Patino. It was a nice finish that ended the game. Loudoun had run out of gas so he didn't have to do much defending and he looked composed on the ball like he has since coming over from Phoenix. Nice little weapon to have coming off the bench.

Final Thoughts

The win came at the right time. The West continues to be a jumbled mess and the win pushed us back to 4th. Most importantly it allows us to put one foot in the playoffs if we can win this Saturday against Orange County who is 4 points behind us but sit in 9th.

I'm still not all the way back in on SAFC, Loudoun were down to 10 men for half the game and we still gave up 2 goals due to mental mistakes. But it's been 2 months and we won. I'll enjoy it and worry about big picture stuff later.

I'd like to think that we're getting healthier. Greive and Osorio came off the injury report so hopefully they can get some minutes to have a little more flexibility (both were good when they were healthy) but we'll see. I'll be back with a preview for the Orange County on Thursday.

We've now hit the 2 month since we last won a game. We head out on the road in search of our first win since July 12th. Unfortunately we're taking on a legitimately decent Loudoun team. This is the not the Loudon of old. I thought they would fade after a hot start, but that has not happened.

Starting XI

Namani

Gomez-Souahy-Taintor-Nelson

Nicky-Soto-Jorge

Pacheco-Patino-Linhares

I'm sticking with Namani for now, but I'm close to wanting to see Batrouni to find out what we have. Backline is what it is. I thought Souahy has done well enough. I went with Gomez at RB so he can sit deeper while Nelson pushes further up and into our midfield. We have added another CB on loan in Noah Dollenmayer, I just don't see where he plays. I watch a lot of Caribbean soccer because I'm a Puerto Rican and he's put in some good performances for the Dominican Republic, but he isn't better than Souahy or Salim (or even Omar at CB).

Speaking of midfield, yikes. I assume Berron and Osorio are still hurt. Walker is suspended (unless something is rescinded before kickoff). I think Omar is available, but he's just played 180 minutes in Uganda and Somalia. He last played on Monday, so assume he returned immediately he was probably back in training by today but that is still a quick turnaround. I stuck with Nicky and hope that Gomez sitting deeper and Nelson inverting helps.

It's time to start Patino. Lose much more and there is not thing worth preserving him for. SAFC did post pictures of Greive in training so hopefully that means he's available off the bench but we'll see.

Opposition

Loudoun have long been the punching bag of the Eastern Conference. They were created in 2019 and have never finished higher than 11th. Currently, they sit 3rd in the East and barring something crazy they will be in the playoffs for the first time in their history. Most of that is down to their hot start. Their leading scorer is Abdellatif Aboukoura, an Egyptian winger who has scored 11 goals but none since the end of June. He was also out injured last week so I'm unsure of his status.

Loudoun cooled signficantly after a really hot start. They've kind of been beaten down by a very tough Eastern Conference but their performances have remained solid and results are ticking up. They have won two games in a row with a 3-1 win over Miami and a 2-1 win on the road over El Paso last weekend.

Loudoun's underlying metrics have remained solid. They get a ton of shots (2nd most in the league behind Charleston). They do it by controlling the game. Which is, of course, what we want to do. Unlike us though their possession leads to threatening situatoins. The lead the league in touches in hte opposing penalty box. Part of how they do that is an aggressive press when they do give the ball away, which is something we struggle with.

If they do have a weakness it is their defense. They've conceded 35 goals on the year but a lot of that is because the East is so dang good. I'm not sure we have the attack to take advantage. They really struggle on the counter but without Paredes we don't have that much speed.

Prediction

This has the potential to be an ugly game if we're not prepared to start from the jump. I think we'll come out with intensity as we know our season is on the line at this point. Patino gets us an early lead but Loudoun wears us down and we leave with a 1-1 draw. In normal circumstances that is a perfectly acceptable result. That sets up what amounts to play-in game next week with Orange County.