San Diego Loyal SC, back on the road after a long stretch at home, held on late in stoppage time for a 3-2 win over Rio Grande Valley FC Saturday.
It’s the first of the team’s final 10 matches following Loyal SC’s announcement this week that the organization will fold following the 2023 season.
Tumi Moshobane scored in each half of the USL Championship match and Ronaldo Damus also scored for the visitors as SD Loyal earned three crucial points in the Western Conference standings.
Jonathan Ricketts and Christian Pinzon found the net for the Toros, but it was Moshobane’s late game winner that would make the difference.
SD Loyal (11-7-7, 40 points) opened up the scoring with Damus’ goal in the 32nd minute. The Haitian striker sent a right-footed shot to the lower-left corner of the Rio Grande Valley net, beating goalkeeper Tyler Deric for his seventh goal of the season.
Two minutes later, SD Loyal extended its lead. Moshobane charged into the six-yard box and sent in a quick shot off a cross by Blake Bodily.
The team continued to attack with Damus and Carlos Guzman nearly scoring again prior to halftime. Damus hit the outside wall of the net and Guzman blasted his shot high over the goal in the 40th minute.
The match took a turn in the second half as Rio Grande Valley (7-9-10, 31 points) started with a score by Ricketts in the 49th minute. The defender fired from the 18-yard box to beat goalkeeper Koke Vegas, cutting the visitors’ lead to 2-1.
The Toros continued to try and break through the Loyal defense and caught a break when Grant Stoneman was whistled inside the penalty box in the 72nd minute. Pinzon made the most of the opportunity, converting the penalty kick to tie the match 2-2.
Coach Nate Miller watched his team take charge in the first half, then slip in the second as players dealt with the brutal Texas heat, the Rio Grande Valley push and the penalty call.
“Sometimes you just have to dig in and grind … I’m very happy for the players. They fought so hard to get through a game like this,” he said.
SD Loyal would secure the win when Moshobane scored his second of the night and sixth of the season four minutes later. The forward took a quick pass from Elliot Collier to end a scoring play that started with a give-and-go from Adrien Perez.
It was the 23rd career goal for SD Loyal’s all-time leading scorer.
The club returns home to host Birmingham Legion FC (11-11-3, 36 points) Sept. 3 in an inter-conference match at Torero Stadium. The Loyal have three remaining home games after facing the Legion.
