Image: Darren Abate, SAFC
After getting its first win of the season and remaining undefeated through three matches, San Antonio FC will look to continue racking up some early points Saturday as it hosts Monterey Bay FC.
Even three weeks into the season, the standings are particularly tight in the USL Championship’s Western Conference, where SAFC and Monterey Bay are two of four teams both tied for the most points with five.
“I think (it’s good to play tough teams early in the season), just to see what we’re about right away,” said SAFC defender Kendall Burks. “We’re playing good teams and we need to get up to speed as quickly as possible and really test ourselves and see what we need to work on.”
On top of its unbeaten start to the season, SAFC will be looking to continue its unbeaten run against Monterey Bay as well. SAFC has won three of the four meetings between the clubs since Monterey Bay joined the league in 2022, though the matches have tightened up as time has gone on. SAFC won the first-ever meeting 6-0, setting a club record at the time, but that was followed by two one-goal wins and, most recently, a scoreless draw at Toyota Field in August 2023.
With the season young and the standings still tight, SAFC would like to affirm itself as a competitor now and stay at least near the head of the pack.
KICKOFF: 7:30pm CT on Saturday, March 30, at Toyota Field in San Antonio, TX
HOW TO FOLLOW: ESPN+, YouTube (international) | #SAvMB, USL Match Center
RECORDS: SAFC: 1W-2D-0L (5 pts, 3rd in the West) | MB: 1W-2D-0L (5 pts, 4th in the West)
LAST TIME OUT: Last Saturday, SAFC had to be patient but eventually wore down Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC for a 2-0 win, its first victory of the year. On Sunday, Monterey Bay rallied to equalize twice in a 2-2 home draw against Rhode Island FC.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
SAFC: Pablo Sisniega, goalkeeper – Although Sisniega earned his first clean sheet for SAFC against the Switchbacks last week, Monterey Bay is likely to present more of a challenge on Saturday. It ranks fourth in the league so far this year with 42 shots, and SAFC’s defense has shown it’s capable of making mistakes or even just getting unlucky this year, conceding four goals.
For that reason, it’ll be important for Sisniega to organize and marshal the players in front of him to avoid dangerous shots coming his way in the first place. When one or two inevitably sneak through, because soccer players are only human, Sisniega will have to be alert and keep an eye out for everything from dangerous runs to weird deflections.
MB: Tristan Trager, forward – While there are a few dangerous attacking players on Monterey Bay’s roster, Trager is the one that stands out, starting strong in his first few matches at a new club. While he hasn’t actually started a match yet, he’s been incredibly efficient in his 72 minutes of play, coming off the bench to score on two of the three shots he’s taken.
“For me, (what stands out is) the way they run off the ball,” said SAFC midfielder Kevon Lambert. “Their players up front like to make a lot of counter runs, so I think for us we just have to stay focused, track runners and just keep doing all the work that we’ve been doing off the ball.”
Perhaps Trager is ready for his first start, which would make him a threat right away, but arguably the more dangerous scenario is him getting subbed on again and causing trouble once SAFC has some weariness. Granted, SAFC’s new style means it should be able to control the match well even in the later stages, but Trager has proven he just needs the smallest of windows to make an impact.
KEY TO THE MATCH: Score early, provoke pressure
One of the surprises in the match against the Switchbacks was how defensive they were, making SAFC work for two late goals to eventually win the match. While SAFC head coach Alen Marcina said his team was prepared for that, it didn’t expect that approach based on what the Switchbacks had been showing early this season.
“Those are the kinds of games you (could) start being a little bit overaggressive with the ball, catch yourself wide open and a team like (Colorado Springs) counters and scores and wraps up the game,” Marcina said.
It’s unlikely that Monterey Bay will be as defensive as SAFC’s previous opponent – again, Monterey Bay has taken the fourth most shots in the league so far this year, more than SAFC – but no matter what, SAFC will want to open up a lead earlier this time. That would not only give SAFC a lead to protect but also draw Monterey Bay out and create more opportunities for SAFC to, as Marcina has mentioned a few times this season, “provoke pressure to penetrate,” drawing opposing players out of positions to create dangerous chances.
Bluish Moon 