San Diego Loyal SC had more at stake Saturday than clinching a shot at a home playoff game. They were fighting to play before the Locals one more time.
The team (15-9-9, 54 points) fell behind quickly, but then surged before a sold-out Torero Stadium crowd, scoring four unanswered goals on the way to a 4-2 win over Oakland Roots SC.
SD Loyal announced in August that this season would be the club’s last. Fans – the most devoted of whom have dubbed themselves the Locals – packed the stadium not sure if would be their final chance to cheer on their team.
The players felt the emotion too.
“I think we all knew what it meant to us …” said forward Adrien Perez. “But this time it was a little bit more special and I think we all brought the energy.”
Nevertheless, Oakland (11-13-9, 42 points) opened the scoring in the 13th minute as Bryan Tamacas sent a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner, off an assist by Daniel Barbir with a headed pass.
SD Loyal wasn’t down for long. The team tied it up 1-1 four minutes later on Joe Corona’s header from the center of the box to the bottom right corner of the net. Blake Bodily had an assist on a cross.
They took the lead, which they never relinquished, moments later.
Ronaldo Damus stayed hot with a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner in the 19th minute. Bodily logged another assist as SD Loyal went up 2-1.
And just six minutes later, Damus, off a feed by Camden Riley, did it again.
All the SD Loyal scoring came in the first half, which Perez closed with a left- footed shot from outside the box off an assist by Evan Conway.
Oakland’s Emrah Klimenta, with a header from very close range to the center of the goal, narrowed the gap to 4-2 in the 82nd minute. The Roots would come no closer and lost their second straight match.
Their accomplishment – clinching a home playoff game – was not all that will stick with Perez.
“It was very special and I felt the love from everyone,” he said. “It was amazing.”
Tickets for SD Loyal’s Oct. 22 playoff match go on public sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Their opponent is TBD.
