San Antonio FC is staring down the barrel of their season right now, sitting in eighth place in the USL Western Conference with just three regular season games left. But the real gut punch? They haven’t scored a single goal in their last three matches, and they haven’t even snagged a win since September 11. Talk about crunch time.
Playoff Line Pressure Cooker
This Saturday, SAFC (9-7-11, 38 points) rolls into Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to face Oakland Roots SC (8-9-10, 34 points) in what feels like an absolute must-win for both squads. San Antonio is technically above the playoff line in the Western Conference table, but barely. The Roots are just four points behind them, making this match a head-to-head battle for crucial points. It’s the final road match of the regular season for SAFC, and you know Oakland is going to be fired up on their home turf.
SAFC goalkeeper Joey Batrouni isn’t sugar-coating it. He said the club knows exactly what’s at stake heading into Oakland. “I think we’ve been more focused than we have been all season,” Batrouni stated. “I think it’s come to the realization and reality has kind of hit in that we need a win and we need those points because Las Vegas and Phoenix are creeping up on us.” He’s right, those teams are breathing down their necks, making every single point from here on out monumental. Batrouni insists the morale is there, and everyone is laser-focused on getting those points, no matter how.
Can’t Buy A Goal, But At Least The Defense Is Holding?
The offensive struggles are brutal. Last week, SAFC fell 1-0 to Las Vegas Lights SC, marking their third consecutive shutout. The Lights scored their lone goal in the final minutes of the first half, when Manuel Arteaga ripped a shot into the net off a deflected save by Batrouni, who had come up in the box. Even though San Antonio created nine shot attempts in the second half, they just couldn’t find the equalizer. It’s gotta be frustrating to watch those chances go begging.
Defender Akeem O’Connor-Ward isn’t feeling extra pressure on the defensive end despite the scoring drought, believing the defense has been solid. “I think we’ve been doing well (defensively) the past couple of games,” O’Connor-Ward explained. He saw the Las Vegas goal as “just a lapse, an error,” noting Batrouni made a good save but no one was there to follow up. He thinks the defensive side is “pretty sound.” But even he admits they have to find a way to score goals. San Antonio hasn’t done that since a 2-1 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC all the way back on September 11. O’Connor-Ward confirmed they’ve been “working on it again this week, going back to fundamentals” defensively, but also “just figuring out a way to be more cohesive in the attacking area and more times than not finish chances, whether it be set pieces, run a play. Just figuring out how to put the ball in there.” Seriously, they need to figure it out now.
Limping Towards The Finish Line
Injuries have definitely added to SAFC’s struggles, making an already tough situation even harder. Midfielder Jorge Hernandez, one of the club’s top scorers, has been out for the past two games. On top of that, midfielders Nicky Hernandez and forward Andres Paredes both had to leave the Las Vegas match with injuries. Head coach Carlos Llamosa is understandably frustrated with dealing with so many injuries during the final stretch of the season, but he knows the team has to move forward with the players they have. No excuses, just results needed.
The boys head to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Saturday at 9 p.m. for their final road match of the regular season, and honestly, this one feels like an elimination game already. Oakland is hungry, breathing down their necks, and if SAFC doesn’t figure out how to put the ball in the back of the net, their season could be over before they even get a chance to see the true postseason fight. Every single point matters right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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