Zico Bailey Scores Winner in the 85th Minute, Connor Maloney Notches Two Assists
SEASIDE, Calif. (April 1, 2023) – San Antonio FC topped Monterey Bay F.C. 2-1 tonight after a goal by Zico Bailey in the 85th minute to take the lead and move to 3-0-1 with 10 points on the year.
Niko Hansen struck first for SAFC, scoring his second goal of the season in the eighth minute to make it an early 1-0 lead. Connor Maloney assisted on the goal, his first of the season.
Monterey Bay would equalize in the 63rd minute, scoring to tie it at 1-1.
Bailey, who subbed on the 48th minute, broke the tie in the 85th minute. The strike was his first of the year and first with SAFC, coming on another assist from Connor Maloney.
In stoppage time, San Antonio FC Pro Academy Product Dalziel Ozuna made his USL Championship debut at 15 years and
Next Up
San Antonio FC returns home for a US Open Cup match against Club de Lyon FC on Tuesday at Toyota Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT, with tickets available at SanAntonioFC.com or the SAFC app.
Scoring Summary:
SAFC: 1-0, Niko Hansen (Assisted by Connor Maloney) 8’
MB: 1-1, Sam Gleadle (Assisted by Chase Boone) 63’
SAFC: 2-1, Zico Bailey (Assisted by Connor Maloney) 85’
Postgame Notes:
- SAFC moves to 3-0-1 on the season with 10 points, tied for the most in the USL Championship.
- Niko Hansen’s goal in the eighth minute was his second of the season, tied for the early team lead with Lamar Batista.
- SAFC moves to 3-0-0 on the season when scoring first, which extends the streak to 49 matches without a loss when scoring first, dating back to 2021.
- Zico Bailey’s goal in the 85th minute marked his first goal of the season, and first with SAFC.
- Connor Maloney’s assists on both goals tonight give him two on the season, leading the team.
- Dalziel Ozuna’s appearance off the bench at 15 years and 24 days old makes him the youngest player in SAFC history to appear in a USL Championship match.
- San Antonio’s unbeaten streak moves to 15-straight matches.
Attendance: 3,885
SAFC Starting XI: GK: Jordan Farr; D: Fabien Garcia, Mitchell Taintor (captain), Lamar Batista, Shannon Gomez, Connor Maloney: M: Mohammed Abu (Dalziel Ozuna 90+3’), Jacori Hayes, Cristian Parano, F: Ignacio Bailone (Zico Bailey 49’), Niko Hansen (Kimarni Smith 26’)
Substitutions not used: Jose Carlos Mercado, Eduardo Fernandez
Disciplinary Summary:
MB: Yellow Card (Adrian Rebollar) 45’
SAFC: Yellow Card (Lamar Batista) 54’
MB: Yellow Card (Christian Volesky) 68’
Quotes:
Head Coach Alen Marcina
(On the win…)
“I’m incredibly proud of the team, the resilience. It’s not easy, you know, with how few players we have available. And then we start the game great, Niko [Hansen] scored a beautiful goal and then goes down a few minutes later. That’s a big challenge and then Nacho [Bailone] goes down early in the second half. And the guys kept pushing, kept fighting, guys playing out of position. Incredibly proud of all of them. Well earned, well deserved three points on the road.”
Goalkeeper Jordan Farr
(On the win…)
“That type of win is a playoff-type win. That low on numbers, guys battling not only with physical but the mental side, but also with travel yesterday that didn’t really go our way. We had a chance to make excuses but we didn’t. At the end of the day the boys grinded and showed … the spirit of our team. So for me, I feel very blessed when I have a team that covers my mistakes too, I felt like I could’ve done better on that goal. But at the end of the day the team covers one another, so I feel very honored to be on this team, and what an amazing team win.”
Defender Zico Bailey
(On staying ready on the bench…)
“It’s really just … being ready when you’re called upon, just try to do your best and bring energy to the game, and really just be ready when you’re called upon – it’s really that simple.”
Midfielder Dalziel Ozuna
(On his first USL Championship appearance…)
“It’s my first time, professional debut. As soon as I went in, I was ready to go to every ball. I was a little bit nervous, but I was excited. … Basically after the first hit everything [nerves] went away.”
