Image: Darren Abate, SAFC
After opening the league campaign with two 2-2 draws, San Antonio FC secured its first win of 2024 on Saturday night with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
What to know:
- Lucas Silva scored his second goal for SAFC after notching the team’s first of the season in the opener on March 9
- Hugo Mbongue gave SAFC an insurance goal and assisted Silva’s opener after coming on in the 68th minute for his SAFC debut, having finally joined up with the team this past week
- Pablo Sisniega and the SAFC defense kept a clean sheet for the first time this year, with five of the Switchbacks’ 11 shots being blocked and Sisniega making two saves
- SAFC has scored two goals in each of its three matches so far this season
- SAFC’s last four goals have all been scored in the 75th minute or later
- SAFC now has seven straight shutout wins at home against the Switchbacks dating back to the 2021 season, outscoring the Colorado Springs side 13-0 in that span
- With 39 clearances and seven blocked shots, the Switchbacks defense worked tirelessly to frustrate SAFC, even if it ultimately wasn’t enough
What SAFC said:
Sisniega on getting the first win of the season: “It feels great to get a win…just very special to get the win, the shutout, and I think we really needed this to kickstart our season, so a big win to boost the team morale and we’re very happy.”
Head coach Alen Marcina on his team’s patience: “I’m also extremely proud of the players for understanding this game required some patience with Colorado sitting back. Because we had so much time on the ball, we could get impatient, start forcing things (but) we didn’t, so that shows a lot of maturity from the players.”
Sisniega on the progression of SAFC’s results: “The first game didn’t go our way; the second game, we came back and got a point which felt like three; and then here we picked up three, which is what you want to do at home, so I think we’ve just got to keep building off the results.”
Bluish Moon 