It has been a frustrating season. We've looked like legitimate Western Conference contenders and like we'd miss the postseason altogether. We've ended the season with a 2-1 home win over Orange County. I believe the scoreline flattered Orange County, as we looked in control most of the game.

Joey Batrouni- 7

Because we kept OC quiet most of the night, Joey didn't have much to do. He did make a save in the 27th minute. He couldn't do much on their goal, as it was really nice placement. Joey's distribution has also steadily improved over the year. He goes long when he should and plays out at the right time as well. We had an early lead so it was important to avoid a big goof that let them back in the game.

Alex Crognale- 7

Crognale continues his strong play at the RCB spot. His passing continues to be excellent which has been really important with our midfield being decimated. He couldn't quite close down the shot on their goal, but I can't fault him for that.

Tiago Suarez- 7

Suarez ended the year in style as a swashbuckling defensive stopper. He has adjusted to the physicality and has become a good USL CB. His passing is also really good as he was at 97% for the game and created a chance.

Mitch Taintor- 8

The entire backline and Joey have been playing at a high level, but Mitch has been unreal. Last night was no different. His passing has become critical with no Jorge or Mikey, and he basically shuts down the left side of the field by himself. He is so good that he freed up Nelson to get forward (and get an assist while creating the 2nd goal). I hope for his sake we get a long playoff run.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6

Akeem had been playing at a high level, but last night he was just fine. He lost the ball several times, which put us under more pressure than we want to be, but he created two chances. It was an off game by his standards, but still very good.

Lucio Berron- 7

We're going to need Lucio now that Mikey is probably out for the season, and he delivered again. He created 1 chance, but most impressive to me was how he sat as our DM by himself most of the night. He didn't hide from the ball and helped us control the game after the early lead.

Curt Calov- 7

Calov had another good game. He didn't score a golazo, but he was calm and composed in the midfield and helped us move up and down the field. He has provided a jolt of energy since replacing Mikey. He looked comfortable passing (80% accuracy) and comfortable carrying the ball and drawing fouls.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 7.5

This might have been Nelson's best game for SAFC. He got the assist for Cuello's goal, but he also created the 2nd with a beautiful clipped ball into the box. Cuello's shot was saved, but Parano put away the rebound. He was good defensively as well. I'm befuddled that he was benched for most of the season.

Cristian Parano- 7

Parano played on the right-hand side and was effective. He created just the 1 chance, but I thought he did exactly what the team needed. He provided support in the midfield and was able to carry the ball from that pocket of space. He, of course, got the goal that ended up being the winner because of his hustle and grit as he finished his run and was rewarded.

Santiago Patino- 6

It was not a flashy performance from Patino, and he could not get his only shot on frame. But he does look fit and healthy. He ran channels to open up space for Cuello and Parano to get in and he was able to carry the ball at OC's CBs. Nothing flashy, but a professional performance.

Emil Cuello- 7.5

Cuello scored the opener, and I'm again majorly confused how he's been misprofiled as a LWB for several years now. That is an attacking midfielder who is at his best when he can find pockets of space in the attacking 3rd. The goal was great, but his performance as an AM was solid all around. He provides the extra body in midfield, which we have needed for months.

Daniel Barbir- 4

Barbir came on in the 76th minute for Suarez, and within 10 minutes OC had their best chance and a goal as they ran right by him like he was a traffic cone. That is less than ideal. I would assume Barbir is just rusty but he has been a chance magnet every time he steps on the field for SAFC.

Diogo Pacheco- 6

Diogo came on in the 76th minute and looked fine. He did create a chance and got a shot off as he played CF. It is a shame that he has struggled for health in his 2 years.

Rece Buckmaster- 5

Rece made his first appearance since August 15th. He came on for Calov in the 83rd. He played as a midfielder as we worked to see the game out. He did have a nice dribble from deep that helped us play it out. We may end up needing him with how hurt we are so it's nice to see that he's alive.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto came on for Parano and didn't have a chance to do much. He didn't cover himself in glory on their goal with what looked like minimal effort, trying to close down the initial drive into our final third.

Takeaways

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it does appear that Llamosa has been forced into some real balance with all the injuries. Cuello playing in the midfield has really turned that area into a strength, even with Mikey out. Instead of looking like 11 individuals, we actually looked like a team that was working together the last two weeks.

We'll now get ready for the postseason as we've drawn El Paso Locomotive in the first round. We split the regular-season matchups (both winning on each other's home field), but this will be the most intense matchup yet.

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Our playoff push comes down to the final day. The situation is pretty simple: if SAFC wins or draws, they are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. A win almost certainly pushes us to the 6th seed because Tulsa and Switchbacks play each other, and those two are ahead of us at 5th/6th. A draw keeps us no lower than 7th. A loss does not eliminate us, but it does mean Orange County will jump us due to owning the head-to-head. In that scenario, it comes down to Rising, who hosts Lexington. Their game starts after ours, so in that scenario we'll need to switch streams and root for Lexington to at least get a draw. If Rising were to win and we lose, it creates a 3-way tie at 42 points, which nullifies the head-to-head advantage we have over Rising. We would be 3rd in that mini-table and be eliminated. So let's make it not matter and win.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Calov-Berron-Flores Blanco

Parano-Patino-Cuello

I'm running back last week's lineup. Mainly because I don't think we have a choice. The update from Llamosa didn't sound positive about Mikey, as he had an MRI and they are "evaluating". Jorge has rejoined training according to some social media sleuthing. I doubt he can go the full 90, so I'd rather use him in the 2nd half in case we need a goal. Paredes has also posted videos of him working out, but I don't think he's been in full training yet (at least not that I can find).

This is essentially a play-in game, and SAFC needs to approach it as such. A Playoff Patino sighting would be nice. Cuello, as a midfielder, helped balance the middle of our team, so I'm rolling with that again.

Opposition Analysis

Orange County started the year in great form and looked like one of the best teams in the USL. They have cratered the last two months (sound familiar). Kind of like us, their issue has been scoring goals. They don't create chances, but like us, they have talent that can spring to life. Yaniv Bazini leads the way with 10 goals. He did score against us in their 2-0 win back in April.

Orange County has also struggled to defend. They lost their ability to control games and end up defending deep in their own half far too often. They also struggle to press. Teams have been able to waltz into their half at ease. This should be a nice matchup for Parano, but we'll see if we can take advantage.

Prediction

SAFC wins 2-0. Orange County has to score a goal because a draw does nothing for them. I'm hoping that leaves them wide open for Parano. He and Patino had a really good game last week, and I think that will continue. Jorge comes on late and creates the 2nd. The win pushes us to 6th and a 3rd meeting with Sacramento for the first round of the playoffs.

We scored a goal!!! And won a game?! I almost forgot what this felt like. SAFC's season was on life support but on Harry Potter Night they found some magic and pulled out a 1-0 win. That is the 3rd win this season over New Mexico United, and it could lead to a 4th meeting in the postseason.

Joey Batrouni- 7

Batrouni wasn't called into action much. New Mexico could muster only 1 shot on target, and Joey made the save comfortably. He continues to control his box and leads what I think is a top 2 back line in the West.

Alex Crognale- 7

Alex has been playing at a high level for nearly 2 months now. He is reading the game really well and even created a chance last night.

Tiago Suarez- 7.5

Suarez' development over the course of the season has been fun to watch (maybe the only fun thing to watch this season). If he's not playing in MLS next season, I'll be shocked. He once again locked down the CCB spot and rose to the occasion. New Mexico has talented attackers, and he closed off the middle of the field most of the night. He was also calm on the ball and put us in good spots to advance up the field.

Mitch Taintor- 7.5

Mitch deserves a positive end to the season. He locked down that left side all on his own while New Mexico decided to attack his wing. Credit to Mitch for continuing to battle during a tough season. He also continues to be our "quarterback" in the build-up with his line-breaking and diagonal balls.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7.5

Akeem was excellent all night. The way he transitioned from attacking to defending and then back to attacking is remarkable. He created one chance last night but was dangerous all night. He also carried us out of trouble several times.

Mikey Maldonado- N/A

Mikey played just 8 minutes before having to come off with an injury. Wouldn't be a true SAFC game without another important injury.

Lucio Berron- 6.5

Credit to Lucio; with Mikey injured, he was thrust into a more important midfield role and he delivered. 20/21 passing, and I didn't feel like he was hiding from the ball. Having Cuello drop in really helped him out as well. He also flashed his ability to carry the ball while breaking up play to slow down New Mexico.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 7

I've never really understood why Nelson was held out of the lineup for so long. He's not a perfect player but I think he provides more balance at LWB than Cuello. He got the start last night at LWB and created 3 chances while also defending well. Llamosa's system requires the wingbacks to play at a high level and we got it last night. Nelson also gets credit for the assist on Calov's golazo.

Cristian Parano- 6.5

Parano had developed a bad habit of drifting central to try and get on the ball; last night Llamosa had him dropping into the right wing and pushing off from there. New Mexico really struggled to find him. This opened up space for runners to play off of him (more on that below). He created two chances from that position. I did take off a half point for his inability to finish one of his chances. He was also unlucky to not have a goal. Parano came off in the 86th minute for Sorto.

Santiago Patino- 6

Due to Ricol's injury, Patino is back in the starting XI, and I thought he had his best game of the season. I know he didn't score, but he looked like a real CF. He ran the channels for Parano, he pressed, he got on the ball and carried at defenders, and he generally looked fit and engaged. We badly need another goalscorer to emerge, so hopefully Playoff Patino is about to find his footing. He lasted until the 74th minute before coming off for Pacheco.

Emil Cuello- 7

Remarkable what playing in his natural position will do. Cuello has moved over to that AM spot, and he created 4 chances (3 from open play) and provides balance in our midfield that we've sorely missed. He's also crafty on the ball and finds a way to glide by defenders. I have no idea why he's been shunted out wide to LWB (multiple coaches have done it, so I must be missing something) because he is a useful player.

Curt Calov- 8

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. When Mikey went down in the 7th minute, I thought our season was over. Calov has been a squad player this entire season (when he hasn't been injured) so I had no idea what to expect. He comes on and immediately looks like he's played all season. He did his best Mikey impression by playing all over the field and creating 2 chances. Of course, he also scored a golazo in the 29th minute. He was subbed off in the 75th minute for Haakenson.

Diogo Pacheco- 4

Pacheco came on in the 74th and didn't do much. We were trying to see out a 1-0 lead, and the game changed to 10v10 a few minutes after he came on, so I'm not really concerned.

Luke Haakenson- 2

Woof. Luke came on in the 75th minute for Calov to help us see the game out and ended up picking up a straight red in the 80th. I don't believe he pulled Bailey's hair on purpose as I think he was just trying to pull Bailey's shirt, but it is still dumb. Fortunately for us, Bailey massively overreacted and got himself sent off, so they didn't earn a clear advantage.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto came on for Parano in the 86th. Game was open because both teams were down to 10 but he pressed well.

Takeaways

A much-needed result, but SAFC still has not officially clinched a playoff spot. They have moved up to 7th with Orange County losing to Rising last night. I'll probably put out a playoff-clincher scenario later in the week, but the highest we can finish now is 6th. We could still finish 9th if results don't go our way.

In the short term, though, SAFC showed it can still play with the best teams in the conference. Even when hobbled by injuries to key players. Let's hope we can get some guys healthy before a big game next Saturday.

For the third time this season, SAFC takes on New Mexico United. Surprisingly, we've been really good against them, winning both previous matchups. In fact, the 2-1 win we got in Albuquerque back in August is the last time we've won a game.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Cuello-Flores Blanco

Parano-Ricol

As you can see, I've opted to add a 3rd midfielder rather than play another struggling attacker. The tactics we use only really work with our personnel when you have a player like Jorge who can create for the team. With Jorge out (I assume he will still be out), it makes no sense to play someone who isn't nearly as good as him and destabilize the strength of our team.

Our GK and backline are top-4 worthy; let's lean into them. Maybe we can 0-0 our way to a deep run. Right now we're playing in a way that is putting them under a ton of pressure by having to cover huge swaths of ground and constantly clean up turnovers.

I'm sure Llamosa won't do it, and we'll see the same thing again.

Opposition Analysis

We're all intimately familiar with New Mexico United at this point. They currently sit 2nd in the West and are just 1 point behind El Paso for 1st place. They want to control games with possession and get a lot of shots off. Those shots aren't always the most efficient, but they make life difficult for the opposition.

Their attack is led by Dayonn Harris and Greg Hurst. Harris leads the team with 6 assists, and Hurst has scored 12 goals. They also have depth at those attacking positions, with Valentin Noel getting run. He hasn't been prolific, but we know how talented he is at this level.

Defensively, they give up chances when opponents can get on the ball. The problem is their style doesn't allow that to happen very often. They force teams to be clinical, and most USL teams just can't do that. New Mexico's press is a different beast when they play on their mini-field in Albuquerque, so SAFC will have an easier time in Toyota Field. But we've seen this team consistently turn the ball over and be just unable to create any chances against bad teams, we'll see if they can do it for the 3rd time against one of the best teams in the West.

Prediction

1-1 draw. The good news is we score a goal again. It would be our first goal in 5 weeks (9/11 against Switchbacks). The bad news is a draw doesn't really help us move up the standings, nor does it shut the door on Lights or Rising from knocking us out altogether.

Scoring big boy goals now. Absolutely amazing former USL, St. John’s forward now Canadian international, champions league scorer 💪 😎

Another late-night game, and we were treated to another turgid performance, ending in a 0-0 draw. SAFC has not scored a goal in a month of soccer. It's been 368 minutes since Emil Cuello scored an 82nd-minute consolation goal against Switchbacks on September 11th. That is beyond embarrassing, and there need to be major changes this offseason regardless of how this season ends. The draw will end up being important, as it likely eliminates Roots from the postseason. Simply making the postseason isn't something I am going to celebrate right now, though.

Joey Batrouni- 7.5

Joey once again had a good game. He made several big saves, including saving a penalty to preserve our clean sheet. He's gotten better over the course of the season at controlling the box. I shudder to think where we'd be if we didn't have Joey.

Alex Crognale- 7

Alex has locked down that RCB spot. He, along with the entire back line, is playing at a really high level. He is also carrying more of the burden in the build-up because of how weak our midfield is. The one negative is that we need him to score on the set-piece chances we're creating. Probably unfair to hold a CB to that standard, but when you can't score a goal those chances become magnified.

Tiago Suarez- 7

Watching Suarez grow into a really good CB has been one of the few bright spots of the season. Most of his passing came in our own half as we struggled to build up, but his defending was really good. He is tasked with a lot by playing in the central CB spot, and he's improved consistently since the start of the season.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch is timeless. He continues to be one of the best CBs in the USL and does so much for SAFC. He locks down an entire flank by himself, stretches the field with his passing, and helps us play through a press. It is a real shame that the back line has been playing at such a high level and we have floundered this much.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem has been a rock at RWB. He created 3 chances last night and moved up and down the right wing. He also underlapped, got into the box, and won a penalty. It was kind of soft, but the Roots player made no play on the ball, so I'm fine with that being a foul. Unfortunately, he conceded a penalty where he made zero contact with the player until said player dove and kicked his heels back. The USL commentators desperately trying to gaslight us that there was "slight" contact is shameful, by the way. Thankfully, the penalty was saved.

Mikey Maldonado- 5.5

Mikey has been less influential on the ball in recent weeks. Maybe that is by design, but I think it's because our midfield is being completely overrun. He did create a chance, but the big moment was the missed penalty. It was an awful penalty, and we just can't have that in that spot. It's harsh because I think Mikey is probably the 3rd or 4th penalty taker, but the others are injured. SAFC badly needed a goal and got a gift, but we kicked it right to old friend Kendall McIntosh.

Lucio Berron- 4

I don't know how much evidence we need that the Berron/Maldonado double pivot doesn't work, but whoever thought it would in the preseason needs to be let go. This isn't Berron's fault; he's a fine player and has improved overall since joining last season. He just doesn't have the skill set to play the way we're asking, and it's debilitating to the entire team. He broke up play last night, but his passing is always negative and often into pressure. It's just a bad fit. Even with Cuello playing as the 3rd midfielder last night.

Nelson Flores Blanco- 6

Professional performance form for Nelson at LWB. He is a definite upgrade defensively at LWB, and it showed. He's also not a downgrade in terms of what we ask our LWB to do on the ball. He didn't create any chances, but I thought he looked to move the ball quickly, including several times into that left wing. Unfortunately, he had to be subbed in the 85th minute due to an injury. We can't catch a break.

Cristian Parano- 5

It has become very easy for teams to key in on Parano when there is no Jorge on the opposite side. His space has disappeared, and the goal-scoring form has left him for now. He wasn't even able to get a shot off last night. It also doesn't help that our tactics are amateur-level when it comes to creating chances. Our entire attack for two years has basically been hoping Jorge creates so many chances that we score 1 or 2 of them. We're easy to plan, and now that Jorge is out, we're in real trouble.

Lilian Ricol- 5

I feel bad for Ricol. He joined mid-year from a lower level and immediately became an important piece. It's not working for him right now, and he's desperately searching for something to go his way. It isn't working right now, and he was forced off in the 68th minute with an injury. This is the season from hell.

Emil Cuello- 6

We finally got Cuello out of that LWB spot. He played as a 3rd midfielder to try and help solidify the middle of the field. It did not really work, but I do think we got the best out of Cuello. He created two chances (just one from open play, though), but I do think he provided some extra balance. His lack of mobility seemed to cause some issues later in the game.

Diogo Pacheco- 4

Pacheco came on in the 68th minute for Ricol. He also struggled to have an impact. It has been a consistent theme for anyone playing CF for us under Llamosa, so I will refrain from making sweeping judgements. He touched the ball just 8 times.

Curt Calov- 5

Calov came on in the 85th minute. Good to see that he's fit again because we need bodies in the midfield. He didn't have time to do much other than complete 2 passes.

Santiago Patino- 5

Patino came on in the 85th and looked like he had a pulse. He put in a couple of hard challenges (maybe fortunate to not be sent off on one of them), but he also had a chance in the 87th minute that went wide.

Dani Barbir- N/A

Barbir came on in the 90th minute. Didn't have a chance to do much, as a lot of his time on the field was spent sorting out the Roots penalty situation.

Takeaways

This team frustrates me. All the pieces are there to be a contender in the West, but they are handcuffed tactically. There have to be changes this offseason, and it'll be on the organization to figure out what needs to change. I like Llamosa, but he has had the same issues for two seasons now. Either he doesn't know how to fix them, or he's not getting the players he's asking for. We've scored 29 goals on the season, which is the worst in the West; that alone should force changes.

The draw likely ended the Roots' hopes for the postseason, but we're still just 3 points ahead of Rising and Lights (Lights have the tiebreaker), and we have two tough teams coming to Toyota Field the next two weeks. I'm not a tactical expert, but we're probably going to need to find a way to score a goal if we want to make the postseason.

It's getting harder to find the motivation to write these, but here we go. SAFC heads back out on the road to take Oakland Roots. SAFC has been in a free fall for nearly 2 months now, and we badly need a win if we want to try to build any positive momentum for the playoffs (or even make the playoffs).

Starting XI

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Berron-Cuello

Parano-Ricol-Sorto

I hate that we keep running the same lineup out there, but I'm not sure what else we can do. This team is dangerously thin, and we keep losing players. I'm assuming that Jorge, Paredes, and Nicky will all be out; if they aren't, they should probably start.

Opposition Analysis

The Roots are mid, but they are only 4 points behind us in the playoff race. Their attack is led by Peter Wilson, who has scored 13 league goals. Wilson scored the late winner against us at Toyota Field back in August. Wolfgang Prentice (what a name) leads the team with 7 assists. He mostly creates from the left wing, so Crognale and Akeem will need to be alert. Roots don't create a ton of chances, but they can be dangerous when they're able to get the ball into half-spaces and cross into the box.

Defensively, Roots are the typical nightmare pressing team that we struggle with. They are athletic and create quite a few mistakes. That has been our Kryptonite since Llamosa took over. Even when we don't turn the ball over, it disrupts our patient and predictable build-up. It gets even scarier when we have to play Berron in the middle next to Mikey, as he loves to hide from the ball.

Prediction

Nothing about this organization feels good at the moment. Fans have mostly checked out; the team looked like they were ready for the season to be over, and the FO seems to have realized this team was cooked. All that being said, there is no reason for this team to miss the playoffs. I think we get a 1-1 draw here (would be our first goal since 9/11). Then we'll win one of the last two games at home and sneak into the playoffs.

Yikes. The season is in complete free fall. The tactics are stale and predictable, injuries are stacking up, and to make it worse, the players looked disinterested last night. Low energy all over the field, as if this was just a preseason friendly. We don't deserve the postseason if we're able to sneak in.

Joey Batrouni- 7.5

Joey is probably one of the few guys who can hold his head high for this season. We've been asking him to stand on his head, and he did again last night. He made 6 saves to keep us in the game for as long as possible.

Alex Crognale- 6.5

We continue to ask a lot from our backline and GK because of how poor our midfield is. Alex did a lot of things really well, but we're asking him to do too much. When you allow teams to waltz into our attacking third the way we do, there are bound to be some gaps. His passing was solid, but with no midfield and an anemic attack, it doesn't really matter.

Tiago Suarez- 7

I thought Suarez was good again. He put out a ton of fires that probably kept this thing from being 2-0 at HT. You can tell he's still a young player, though, because he occasionally gets out of position, which is what happened on their goal. He was trying to help out that midfield and Vegas was able to play right down the middle without him there. Seemed like he assumed someone would cover, and that didn't happen.

Mitch Taintor- 7

Mitch continues to anchor our backline from that LCB spot. He is the only player we have capable of picking out a pass; meanwhile, he's having to lock down an entire flank by himself because his wingback is often nonexistent. I have a feeling the Taintor Era in San Antonio is coming to an end, and if it does, it sucks that we've let him down like this. He was slightly culpable for their goal, but only because he had to dive inside because our midfield just refuses to track anything or be alert on either side of the ball. Ideally, he wins that initial ball, but it's hard to be too angry about it. He looks exhausted as he's had to play every single minute possible.

Akeem O'Connor-Ward - 5.5

Not Akeem's best game. Part of the issue is we're asking too much of him in terms of having to drop back defensively and push forward. Like Mitch, he's been asked to play way more than he should, but his position is even more physically demanding. Akeem looks real leggy. You can see the effort is there, but it felt like he was running in sand at times last night.

Mikey Maldonado- 7.5

Mikey has been forced to carry the burden of creativity with Jorge out. He created a whopping 7 chances, including 3 big ones last night. I have lots anger about the midfield, but that shouldn't take away from Mikey basically Jon Snowing his way through these games as a one-man midfield all season. It is irresponsible that we put him in this position, and I'm not really sure who deserves blame, but it isn't him. He's doing what he can, but you can see the physical wall he hits in the 2nd half. He had an xA last night of 1.17 and, shockingly, we can't find anyone to put the ball in the back of the net consistently to help him out.

Lucio Berron- 4.5

Berron's limitations are well documented, so I won't keep harping on them, but it is a shame we keep running him out there knowing how it will work. Playing a two-man midfield with one of them being terrified of the ball completely unbalances the entire team because we have to drop an attacker in to help them. It's been a tactical issue all season, and we just refuse to fix it and keep playing him.

Emil Cuello- 3

Whoof. We're playing him at LWB, but he is consistently out of position; he doesn't create chances, he rarely gets free in the opposition box, he offers very little support in the midfield, and he hardly gets on the ball at all. He does occasionally put defenses on their heels with some dribbles, but he rarely makes the right decision when he does. He's basically playing as a LW but offers next to nothing. I'd rather just play another outright attacker if we're going to do that. He has also looked increasingly disinterested as the losses pile up. He was moved into the midfield to close the game and still managed to do very little, though I do think that is closer to where he should be playing, if at all.

Nicky Hernandez- 5

Nicky lasted just 25 minutes before having to come off for an injury. In those 25 minutes, he didn't have a chance to do much. He was playing in that advanced role. As I'm sure you can tell, I am very frustrated, but I am trying to be fair to decision-makers because there is no doubt these injuries have had an impact. Losing Nicky early hurt, but it still shouldn't have been as debilitating as it ended up being.

Christian Sorto- 4

Sorto got the start at CF but then shifted over to the left when Nicky came out, and Ricol came on. He did almost nothing in his 45 minutes. He did get on the ball more, but it wasn't really impactful. Most of his passes were backwards and unthreatening. He was unable to get a shot off either.

Cristian Parano- 5

Parano's effectiveness has dipped since teams have started making him receive the ball from deeper positions. It's even less effective when he has ineffective attackers around him and a midfield that is overwhelmed behind him. He has to drop deep because we need the extra body. Jorge had been doing that when he was healthy, but now it falls to Parano. The rating is probably harsh because I don't think he did anything bad; it's just not effective.

Lilian Ricol- 3.5

Ricol had me excited when we signed him, just because I thought he had to be an improvement. He has at least looked fit, but the production has not been an improvement. At this point, I think we have enough evidence to say that the tactics are the problem. Everyone we play at CF has the same problem. Ricol should have scored in the 79th, and that is the only chance he was able to get on the end of in 65 minutes. Not good.

Luis Paredes- N/A

Paredes came on at HT for Sorto. In true SAFC fashion, he was forced off just 7 minutes later with another injury. Not fair to rate him off that, but it is fair to question the people building the squad that someone coming off a serious knee injury became crucial to our team in just a few weeks' time.

Luke Haakenson- 5

Luke came on in the 53rd for Paredes. He played off the left-hand side and was hardly noticeable. He hustles but just isn't an effective attacker. It is unfortunate that we've had to play him as much as we've had to this season.

Nelson Flores-Blanco - 4

Nelson came on for Berron in the 70th. He mostly played as a true LW. He did create a chance off a dead ball but did nothing else. Shame he came on in that situation because I think he probably should be starting at LWB.

Diogo Pacheco- 4

Pacheco came on for Parano in the 70th minute. As has been a theme among our attackers, he did very little. No spark of creativity because that isn't his game. He played underneath Ricol and tried to replicate Parano, but he doesn't have that skill set either.

Takeaways

This is bad. I am going to hold off to see how the season ends before I say something I end up regretting. What I will say is this team looks broken right now. The last few weeks have seen some good performances against good teams, but the inability to score means they've ended as draws rather than wins. Last night was a clunker (that has become a consistent theme of the Llamosa/Ferruzzi Era).

We look tired and defeated, and we look like we're out of ideas tactically. Not making the playoffs is fully on the table at this point. Meanwhile, the team is also falling apart physically with all the injuries. Llamosa is either going to have to show some flexibility in tactics/formation, or we're going to need to start playing some Academy kids.

We have just 3 games left to salvage something positive out of this season.

SAFC heads back out on the road for a pivotal game. We've tumbled all the way to 8th place in the West and have just a 5-point lead over the Roots and Vegas. Both of those teams also currently hold the tiebreaker over us, though we do play both before the season ends. We need to win. First, to make the playoffs, but also to try and build some momentum. A few good results and we could get all the way back to 3rd.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

Akeem O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Ricol-Paredes

In my opinion, the backline picks itself, and so does the midfield. I went with Nicky starting alongside Mikey, with Paredes in the front 3. We badly need a spark, and as long as Jorge's out, he's probably the only one who can do it.

Opposition Analysis

Lights are completely unremarkable. They don't create a ton of chances, nor are they spectacular defensively. They are led by Johnny Rodriguez, who has scored 12 goals. Including scoring against us in their 2-1 win at Toyota Field. Christian Pinzon is their best creator with 8 assists, and he normally plays on the right and drifts into the half-space, but he can play anywhere in the front 3 or as an AM.

Vegas is going to look to control the game with possession and press high. It caused us fits in the first matchup, and I worry it will be even more frustrating this time around. Vegas plays on a smaller field and has a ton of distractions going on in the stadium. We'll need to stay focused and be patient.

Prediction

A 2-1 win, mostly because a loss here would be a disaster. Vegas is not a good team; they are only in the playoff picture because of the 3 points we handed them earlier in the season. Plus, at some point we have to win a game again. It's been a month (8/29 at New Mexico United) since we've won. Paredes and Parano will be our goal scorers.

SAFC organization should be ashamed of themselves for tonight’s game. To invite a team from 5000+ miles away and play our academy team against them is downright disrespectful to the fans and our sister city.

We were treated to an iconic battle of old NASL brands on Saturday. As has been the theme in these games against good teams, I once again thought SAFC played well. Certainly played better than the Rowdies, but unfortunately we can't find a way to convert playing well into goals. We once again dropped points at home and are still in a playoff race that should be embarrassing to the entire organization.

Joey Batrouni- 7

Joey didn't have to make any saves, but he defended his box well, and his distribution was outstanding in my opinion. 29/34, including 9/14 when he decided to go long. Our defense kept Tampa Bay hemmed in most of the night, but Joey was on top of anything loose in the box and made a couple of nice punches.

Alex Crognale- 7

Alex was excellent defensively. He closed down the box along our right flank as he anchored us at RCB. He was also good on the ball. He created one chance with a diagonal ball as he attempted more of them than usual. That is what we need. Mitch can not be the only CB who can stretch the field. Where I ding Alex is on set pieces. He had 3 chances in the box and failed to get any of them on frame. We have to be better in those situations considering how anemic our attack is right now.

Tiago Suarez- 7.5

Suarez continues to perform at that CCB spot. He's an outstanding player, and I can't believe he's in the USL. His passing was safe but it was efficient and helped us maintain control of the game. Where he's really made strides is as a defender. He's embraced the physicality required and owns his portion of the field.

Mitch Taintor- 8

Mitch continues to play like one of the best CBs in the league. He created 1 chance in the box and he completely locks down the left side of our defense on his own. Not much else you can say about him other than it's a shame we're not getting better results considering how well he's played at times this year.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6.5

Akeem played well. He is tireless on that right flank and helps out Crognale while also providing support in the midfield. What we really need is him to provide more support to our attack. That may seem unfair considering how much he does for us already. Later in the game, he got in the box, and good things happened. It just doesn't happen enough.

Mikey Maldonado- 7

Mikey dropped deep to help our build-up, which had been missing last week. He allowed Berron to handle the destroyer responsibilities, and it freed him up to play several good balls into our final 3rd. He also created 1 chance off a corner. Midfield has been a major problem this season, but it was good last night.

Lucio Berron- 6.5

Part of the reason that it was good is because of how good Berron was positionally. We all know he's not the most dynamic midfielder, but he was safe and efficient on the ball. What he's really good at is his out-of-possession work. He closed space that Tampa loves to exploit. He's obviously improving as a player, but he thrives in a 3-man midfield (Nicky was acting as the 3rd last night).

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello got the start at LWB and provided his usual support in the midfield. He created two chances and had several runs into the box. Cuello is so close to being an excellent USL player but always seems to miss out on that final action that leads to a goal. It can be incredibly frustrating, but I see why Llamosa plays him as much as he does.

Nicky Hernandez- 6

Nicky played as the most advanced midfielder. He didn't do a ton on the ball, but his energy really helps balance out the team. He fills the right space in the attack and was close to pulling off some incredible actions. He was subbed out in the 69th minute for Luis Paredes.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto got the start at CF as we continue to search for any type of goalscoring form. It did not pay off as Sorto sinks when he has to lead the line. He was able to get one shot off, but it came off a corner. His best work comes when he drops deep to get on the ball (shock), but it just can't happen enough because he is never allowed to play with a real CF. He was subbed off in the 60th minute for Ricol.

Cristian Parano- 6.5

Parano was our most creative player today, and it was clear Tampa knew it. They did everything to keep his space limited, so we didn't get many of his runs but a few were effective. He did create 2 chances in the box. He came out in the 82nd for Pacheco.

Lilian Ricol- 5

Ricol came on in the 60th minute for Sorto. I thought there were some positives. The first being he's actually a CF who occupies the right space in the box. That is a low bar, but here we are. Our best chances came with him on the field because of it. He should have scored the winner twice in the final minutes. The one in the 87th minute forced a fantastic save from Waite. We need him to finish those chances, but just having a CF in those positions to begin with is an improvement.

Luis Paredes- 7

Paredes came on in the 69th minute for Nicky. He made an immediate impact as he created 3 chances, including what should have been the winner in the 87th minute that Ricol wasn't able to bury. He's a dynamic player and still working off the rust, but we need him on the field.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco came on in the 82nd and was at least active. He got off two shots as we were all over them to close out the game. None of them were on frame. He also typically occupies the right space in the box, and that is a valuable tool to have late in games.

Takeaways

This has been a frustrating season. We've scored 1 goal in September, and that was a late consolation goal in a game we were losing. That is unserious for a team that has as much talent as we do on our books. We've won just two games (one of those was a USL Cup game) in August and September, and we've tumbled down the table. We currently sit 8th in the West with just a 5-point lead over Roots. Vegas is also only 5 points behind us, and they have a game in hand; we also play them next week. Lose that, and we're in real trouble.

SAFC is in this position because it threw away points against the worst teams in the league. Bigger picture, we've scored just 29 goals in 26 games. That is only 2 better than Monterrey Bay, who are last in the West (a team we failed to beat twice). It was a problem last year that eventually ended our season, and it is happening again. Last year we tumbled all the way to 6th and had to play on the road in Albuquerque. We've gone from 3rd to 8th.

The good news is we're only 2 points out of 3rd place, so a couple of good results in the next few weeks means we could salvage our seed. I'm not holding my breath, though. Our last four games are @ Lights, @ Roots, New Mexico United, and Orange County.

Didn’t get to make a match day guide for last week’s game, wanted to do one for the friendly coming up.

I was able to interview SVD Beaumont, who has an official connection to the team in Germany, which was pretty cool.

You can download PDFs here: matchdaysananto.substack.com

The thing about dropping points to all the bad teams on your schedule is that it puts a ton of pressure on these games with good teams. SAFC now has to welcome the best team in the East (and maybe the best team in the league) to Toyota Field in the midst of a tight playoff race. We have dropped back to 5th, but Sac Republic has a game in hand and is tied at 37 points. They have a tough game with New Mexico United tomorrow, so it could be a perfect opportunity to pick up some ground.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

Akeem O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky- Flores Blanco

Parano-Ricol-Jorge

I'm assuming Jorge is healthy after being subbed off last week. I haven't heard or seen anything but we need him to play. I was also tempted to start Paredes just because we need something, but I'd rather save him for the 2nd half.

Opposition Analysis

Imagine if you combined Charleston's attacking metrics with Sac Republic's defensive metrics. That gives you the 2026 Tampa Bay Rowdies. They have the most clean sheets in the league and have the 2nd most goals scored.

Attacking-wise, they are led by MD Meyers. He had been in a slump but got a hat trick last weekend against Birmingham. He has 12 goals this season with another 4 assists. Left back Charle Ostrem leads the team with 8 assists, and it gives you an idea of how they want to attack. Rowdies love to work the ball wide and pound the box with crosses. Fortunately, I think that matches up well with our strength. Akeem will need to be on his game, and we'll need the back 3 to clear out those balls into the box. It is part of the reason I've opted for Nelson at LWB because I think he's better defensively than Cuello.

Defensively, they are anchored by a rotating cast of CBs who are all really good. They limit shots, which has allowed Jamaican GK Jahmali Waite to have an excellent season statistically. They are also capable of controlling games with their midfield. Rowdies are the rare team that is comfortable dominating games with possession or allowing you to have the ball and hitting on the counter.

Prediction

SAFC tends to get big results when nobody expects them, especially at home. We need a big game atmosphere because I worry what a loss will do here. I'll say SAFC wins 2-1 and we start to build a little momentum.

Many of the same issues were prevalent last night, and it appears that Jorge has picked up an injury at the worst possible time. SAFC did at least secure a point, which may end up being valuable because it gives us the tiebreaker over Sacramento and is point closer to the playoffs.

Joey Batrouni- 8

Joey was forced into making at least 2 really good saves to preserve the point. I thought he was excellent in all phases of the game. He commanded his box, read the game, and was a big reason we walked away with a point.

Alex Crognale- 7.5

Alex was a monster in the box, and we needed it. He won headers, cleared the ball, and generally shut down space. Sacramento doesn't wow anyone with their athleticism, but Alex sitting deeper as they played possession ball in front of him played right into his hands.

Tiago Suarez- 7.5

Suarez was also immense in the box. He also attempted to give us some control in the game with his passing, but his midfield hung him out to dry. He still ended up creating a chance.

Mitch Taintor- 8

Taintor was incredible, and we've let him down this season. His defending remains best in the league, and his ability to stretch the field is invaluable. Heroic defending in the box, and leading while Sacramento had us pinned back.

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 7

Akeem almost got us all three points. He created three chances from his RWB spot and defended well. He was really the only one getting forward who looked prepared for the game. He also helped out defensively to shut down that wing and give Crognale freedom to control the box.

Mikey Maldonado- 4.5

Mikey seems to be fading, and it looks all physical. He still created a chance but he looks tired as teams are making him work even harder to get some space. Because he can't get free, our system breaks down. When he gets on the ball, it's still mostly positive; it is just way too easy to mark him out of games. If you remember, this was a problem last year with guys like Soto.

Nicky Hernandez- 4.5

Nicky paired with Mikey, and that partnership had been positive, but it didn't work last night. It got even worse when we added Berron to the midfield to give us the extra body. Nicky had some nice moments and even created a chance, but we can't lose the midfield battle like that. He came out in the 78th minute for Sorto.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello is not known as a defensive LWB, but I thought he did a good job. He is a smart player and reads the game pretty well. He also pushed centrally to help out our midfield; it just didn't work.

Cristian Parano- 4

Woof. Parano was about as invisible as I can ever remember him being. Just 10 total touches in 45 minutes, with all of his passes going backwards. Sacramento did a great job not allowing him to run wild. We really only have one trick when it comes to our build-up, so once that was stopped, we looked dysfunctional. Parano came out for Berron at HT.

Lilian Ricol- 4

Ricol got the start, and we saw many of the same issues that have plagued our CFs for the last 2 years plague him. He did at least try to be involved, but none of it was dangerous. He came off at HT for Paredes.

Jorge Hernandez- 5

Jorge was also kept quiet. Sacramento is a well-coached team, and they clearly know how to slow us down. Jorge was forced to drop a lot deeper than normal to keep us from being overrun. He eventually went down with an injury in the 54th minute. That would be a catastrophe if it's something serious.

Luis Paredes- 5

Paredes made his season debut, coming on at HT. He was obviously rusty but did at least look motivated to make something happen. It didn't really work, but we're going to need him, so I hope he keeps getting minutes.

Lucio Berron- 4

Berron came on at HT, and I would argue he made us worse. We added the extra body and lost even more control of the game. Berron did defend his space fairly well, so at least we have that going for us.

Diogo Pacheco- 5

Pacheco came on for the injured Jorge in the 54th minute. We ended up defending really deep, so Pacheco didn't have a ton of chances to do much going forward. He did at least get a shot off; it was not on target.

Christian Sorto- 4

Sorto came on in the 78th minute and got just 1 touch in 12 minutes. That isn't all his fault, so I won't punish him for that, but it does speak to how poorly we were in the final half hour.

Takeaways

The point actually pushes us back up to 4th, but both Sacramento and Tulsa have a game in hand on us. It isn't all bad, but we're playing with fire. This team has had the same major tactical issues for the last 2 years. We had a discussion on Twitter about who is to blame for that: Llamosa or Ferruzzi? I think it's probably both, but I've seen nothing from Ferruzzi to justify him returning for another season. Llamosa clearly has tactical issues, but he's been let down, in my opinion.

Joey, Mitch, Alex, Tiago, and Akeem should all hold their heads high. They delivered valiant performances on the road. That kind of spirit can get us a couple of home games in the postseason if we can find a few goals. It doesn't get any easier as the best team in the league comes to San Antonio next week.

Matchday Guide for game tomorrow. You can download PDF here: https://matchdaysananto.substack.com/p/matchday-san-anto-08

The tough tests keep coming for SAFC as they head out West to take on Sacramento. This is another pivotal game when it comes to postseason seeding. SAFC really can't afford to drop points here.

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Suarez-Taintor

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Ricol-Jorge

I'd love for us to freshen things up a bit, but we just don't have the bodies to do that. That midfield is really light, and our attack is floundering. We're going to have to hope that Parano finds his scoring boots again.

Opposition Analysis

Sac Republic has an identity, and they've leaned into it heavily lately. They've conceded just 20 goals this season, which is 2nd best in the league (1 behind Detroit City). It starts with their midfield. They can control games and force opponents to play at their pace. Mark-Anthony Kaye has been hurt since early August, but that hasn't stopped Sac Republic. Danny Vitiello and Jack Gurr are still annoyingly effective. Republic did lose a talented loanee in CB Chibuike Ukaegbu, who was sold to Dynamo 2 in August. Lee Desmond and Jared Timmer have been the CB pairing most of the year, and they are veteran and frustratingly consistent.

Attacking-wise, Sac Republic has struggled. Kyle Edwards leads the way with 6 goals but has become a squad player as they've added USL star Cal Jennings. Memo Rodriguez pulls the strings and is still a very good USL AM. They don't score a lot of goals, but usually find a way to get one, which almost ensures they get a result since they don't concede.

Prediction

SAFC usually always finds a way to get a result when you least expect it, so it wouldn't shock me to see us steal 3 points. That being said, I think a 2-0 loss feels about right. We haven't won in Sacramento since 2021, after a late Kortne Ford winner. We did get a 0-0 draw there last season, and that feels like the best result possible at the moment.

A bad week got even worse on Friday night. Circumstances did not favor SAFC this week, but it doesn't excuse how thin we are nor does it excuse our own goofs that made this week so important. If we beat bad teams losing in Colorado wouldn't be that big of a deal at all, instead it opens the door for catastrophe.

Joey Batrouni- 6.5

Joey wasn't at fault for the two goals and made at least two decent saves. His distribution has gotten better over the year, but we struggle to win the ball when having to go long.

Alex Crognale- 6

Crognale was fine. The backline really misses Mitch when he has to be rotated out, but outside of 5 minutes, they held up today. Alex was fine on the ball, but his physical limitations are noticeable when he's against athletic and fast forwards. He also had a hand in the 2nd goal because he didn't win the header in the box that allowed Switchbacks to break with all of our CBs pushed up. Still shouldn't have been a goal, but we need our tall CB to win the header there.

Tiago Suarez- 6.5

Suarez looked good even without Mitch next to him on his left. His passing was often safe and sideways. Defensively, he kept Bennett quiet for most of the game. Unfortunately, he couldn't also defend a counter, which allowed Bennett to score from our own set piece in the opposite box.

Dani Barbir- 5.5

I don't want to be too harsh because I do think he played well midweek against Louisville, but he's at fault for far too many goals. His positioning is all over the place and teams exploit it. He takes a horrible angle on the first goal. He does at least force a great finish, but cautious defending gets you nothing. His passing wasn't bad, and he gets credit for the assist on Cuello's shot, but we can't be that shaky in the back against playoff teams.

Akeem O'Connor-Ward- 5

Akeem has played way too many minutes, and it showed on Friday night. The problem is we have to play him this much because we've left Llamosa really thin. Akeem fought hard and had some moments, but was unable to recover several times, especially for Switchback's 2nd goal.

Lucio Berron- 4.5

Berron got the start in midfield, and that just isn't the profile of player you need. Even more so when his partner is exhausted. Berron made little impact on the ball. He was good out of possession as Switchbacks only had two big chances, which were on counters, but if we're going to play a possession style while only playing two midfielders, we need more. He came out for Nicky in the 71st minute.

Mike Maldonado- 5

Mikey looked exhausted. Switchbacks were aggressively marking him in the midfield, and he could not shake free. When he got on the ball, it was good, but just 25 pass attempts isn't what we want. It is irresponsible that we've not gone and gotten some depth. He was subbed out in the 79th for Patino.

Nelson Flores-Blanco- 5

Nelson struggled to keep up with Switchbacks' pace, but he worked hard. He created one chance out of that LWB spot, but his inability to drive at defenders is a problem. There is space to exploit there, but Nelson just couldn't get into it consistently. Cuello came on and did almost immediately.

Luke Haakenson- 4

I like Luke, but someone is going to have to explain to me why we keep trotting him out there. Luke is a great guy who works his tail off, but he has very little impact. I'd rather see Urrutia in that spot, and I don't really understand what the thought process is. A late-game winner against Tulsa a few months ago can not be the reason we're still trying this. The limited stuff Luke can do was fine, but it doesn't happen enough to justify having him on the roster, let alone starting and playing him for 60 minutes.

Lillian Ricol- 5

Ricol got his first start and was fine. It is very clear now that Llamosa has a tactical issue in trying to involve his CFs. Ricol had some nice moments, especially when he drifted wide. He was able to create a chance from the right. It wasn't a dazzling performance because we need goals, but after watching this for 2 yearrs I don't think it is fair to our CFs to keep talking about their deficiencies. We have major tactical issues.

Jorge Hernandez- 5

Jorge is racking up big minutes, and it shows. Maybe his quietest game of the season. It's also embarrassing that the league allows him to be targeted the way he is off the ball by opponents. He's one of the best players in the league, and they're allowing him to be kicked by scrubs. That being said, we mis-evaluated several guys and are carrying guys who can't stay healthy, which forces us to overplay Jorge. That isn't on the league

Cristian Parano- 5

Parano came on in the 59th minute for Haakenson. It was an immediate upgrade, but Parano also struggled to get on the ball. Just 10 touches in 31 minutes isn't what we want.

Emil Cuello- 6

Cuello came on in the 70th for Nelson. He was able to get in those pockets of space that Nelson couldn't. It led to a goal where he put a great shot on frame. Cuello came into the game with us needing a goal so he was looking to play quick and forward. We need more of that from him when he starts. We aren't good enough to score goals playing slow.

Nicky Hernandez- 5.5

Nicky came on for Berron in the 71st. He looked far more comfortable on the ball, and the game tilted in our favor. Some of that is game state with Switchbacks up 2-0, but it's also our own personnel. Having someone not actively hiding in possession is a major win if it's just a marginal upgrade.

Christian Sorto- 5

Sorto came on for Ricol in the 71st. His movement was a nice change of pace. It really worked when Patino came on a few minutes later. Not being able to see Sorto play with a true CF this season has been a real shame. Wish we could have risked starting him instead of Luke.

Santiago Patino- 5

Patino came on in the 79th minute for Mikey. He played a little deeper at times to help close off the middle. He tried hard but had very little impact.

Takeaways

SAFC has now fallen to 7th in the West and, despite spending a lot of money and having two of the best players in the league, is in a playoff battle. This should lead to multiple people being fired this offseason, and I don't think Llamosa should be one of them (certainly shouldn't be the first one fired). I was willing to give some grace after underperforming last season, but it's now happened again. There has to be accountability.

We were also shafted by the league. Going forward, it makes no sense for us to treat the League Cup seriously. Give away tickets for free and play Academy kids. If the reward for going all out is that you have to travel on 2 days rest and play on a Friday night in a pivotal playoff impacting game then we need to act accordingly. Never mind the fact that we were already having to play a playoff rival for the 3rd time due to an unbalanced schedule. The 2nd time on their home field, after we already earned what should have been the playoff tiebreaker with a 5-4 aggregate advantage in the season matchups. Mickey Mouse stuff from the USL.

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

Starting XI

Batrouni

Guevera-Suarez-Barbir

Buckmaster-Berron-Calov-Nelson

Sorto-Ricol-Jorge

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

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

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

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

Opposition Analysis

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

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

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

Prediction

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

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

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

Joey Batrouni- 7.5

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

Alex Crognale- 7

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

Mitch Taintor- 7.5

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

Daniel Barbir- 6.5

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

Akeem O'Connor Ward- 6.5

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

Mikey Maldonado- 7.5

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

Nicky Hernandez- 6

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

Emil Cuello- 5

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

Cristian Parano- 7

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

Christian Sorto- 5

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

Jorge Hernandez- 7

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

Lilian Ricol- 5

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

Luke Haakenson- 3

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

Takeaways

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starting XI

Batrouni

Crognale-Taintor-Barbir

O'Connor Ward-Maldonado-Nicky-Cuello

Parano-Patino-Jorge

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

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

Opposition Preview

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

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

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

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

Prediction

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