Missed opportunities, miscues and the inability to break through a strong defense led to a 2-0 San Diego Loyal loss against host San Antonio FC in the team’s first playoffs appearance Friday.
And then there was a lack of urgency that TV announcers repeatedly pointed out.
There were moments of hope for the Loyal, including Alejandro Guido bending a ball toward goal. It floated from left to right. It appeared to be heading in, but the ball was cleared at the last moment by the San Antonio defender.
Loyal manager Landon Donovan said of the near goal: “I think that play epitomizes the game. They made plays like that in the box that made the difference and we didn’t.
“We didn’t make a couple of plays defensively, and we didn’t make a couple plays to at least score one goal to get us a chance to get back in the game. That was the tale of the game and that play probably epitomizes the night perfectly,” the soccer legend said.
San Antonio scored both goals early in the match and SD Loyal could not recover in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the USL Championship playoffs in Texas. Nathan Fogoca (14th minute) and Santiago Patiño (25th) scored for San Antonio.
Donovan said of the season: “We saw at the end of the year what our weaknesses are. Through long stretches of the year we were very good, but at the end of the year when the games mean a little bit more for every team you see where your weaknesses are.”
In the last matches, players gave up leads and failed to score when chances arose, he said.
Donovan added: “Ultimately, that’s what prevented us from winning tonight, but also not getting second place and a home game in the playoffs. These are all learning experiences for us and for me as a coach. Ultimately, being ready to play the first minutes is my responsibility.”
SD Loyal did pressure late in the match with scoring attempts by Guido and Augustine Williams but could not break through to avoid the shutout. Williams did have Loyal’s best scoring chance in the 36th minute when he took a shot from inside the penalty box on the left side, but San Antonio goalkeeper Jordan Farr came out and slid to make the save.
Reaching the playoffs wasn’t easy for Loyal despite clinching a postseason berth Oct. 16 with four regular season matches remaining. It started the season 0-4 with four straight road wins but then bounced back with an eight-game unbeaten streak through early July.
The rollercoaster continued with a series of streaks where it earned points and others where it struggled to keep leads late in matches.
Loyal’s season came to an end after finishing third in the Pacific Division. It needed at least a pair of wins in the final stretch to secure second place and a home playoff match. Instead, it finished the regular season with two draws and two losses, sending the team to face San Antonio FC.
San Antonio came into the game having clinched the second place spot in the Mountain Division. It finished with a 14-8-10 record with 52 points.
Loyal finished the regular season with a 15-12-5 record with 48 points, ending with two draws and two losses. Orange County finished second with 52 points, behind division champ Phoenix Rising (67 points).
San Antonio moves on to the semifinals where it will face the winner of Phoenix Rising FC and RGV FC Toros quarterfinal Saturday.
Fully refundable playoff ticket deposits for a potential home playoff match can now be made here.
