San Antonio FC came from behind to beat the Des Moines Menace (PDL) 2-1 in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Valley Stadium on Saturday night. The goals came from defender Sam McBride and forward Jacques Francois in the second half.
“Firstly, I thought Des Moines fought very hard during the game,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. Coming from behind to win the game shows good resilience and good urgency from the players, which we need to take into our match at the weekend.”
The first half of the match remained scoreless despite quality chances from both teams. The Menace opened the scoring fifteen minutes into the second half when midfielder Christian Flath beat SAFC goalkeeper Josh Ford with a direct kick from just outside the box.
SAFC defender McBride earned the equalizer in the 72nd minute with a header following a set piece from Carlos Alvarez. The goal was McBride’s first for San Antonio in the defender’s debut professional season.
“The game was hectic, but I think we kept our heads,” said McBride. “After their first goal we got control of the game again and took our chances, so it’s good to come here and get a win.”
Nearly ten minutes later, forward Jacques Francois capitalized on a cross from Greg Cochrane to earn the 2-1 lead. The Haitian has scored three goals and tallied one assist in his two Open Cup appearances so far this season.
Menace second-half substitute Elvir Ibisevic was sent off late in the match for an errant elbow to the face of SAFC defender Bobby Moseley.
San Antonio FC now progresses to the fourth round of the tournament, where they will travel to Houston to face the Houston Dynamo (MLS). The Dynamo currently sit in last place of the MLS Western Conference.
SAFC will return to USL action on Saturday, June 4 against Rio Grande Valley FC in Edinburg, Texas. The match will be the third time the two clubs face each other this season after two encounters at Toyota Field.
Scoring Summary:
Menace: 1-0, Christian Flath ‘59
SAFC: 1-1, Sam McBride ’72 (Carlos Alvarez assist)
SAFC: 1-2, Jacques Francois ’81 (Greg Cochrane assist)
Disciplinary Summary:
SAFC: Yellow Card (Carlos Alvarez ’57)
Menace: Yellow Card (Austin Ledbitter ’71)
SAFC: Yellow Card (Danny Garcia ’89)
Menace: Red Card (Elvir Ibisevic ’90)
SAFC: Yellow Card (Jacques Francois ’90)
SAFC Starting XI: GK: Josh Ford (c); D: Max Gunderson, Stephen McCarthy, Sam McBride, Bobby Moseley; M: Michael Reed, Carlos Alvarez (Biko Bradnock-Brennan ’90), Victor Araujo (Danny Garcia ’65), Greg Cochrane F: Jason Johnson (Shawn Chin ’65), Jacques Francois
Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Austin Dunker, Milton Palacios, Rafa Castillo
Postgame Notes:
- San Antonio FC defeated the Des Moines Menace in the club’s second ever U.S. Open Cup match…marks the first win for the club this season after being down a goal in a game…SAFC advances to play the Houston Dynamo (MLS) in Houston on June 15 for the fourth round of the Open Cup
- SAFC forward Jacques Francois scored his third goal of the season and third goal in Open Cup competition…Francois has now scored three goals and recorded one assist in two Open Cup matches for San Antonio FC this season
- SAFC defender Sam McBride scored his first professional goal and first for the club with his equalizer in the second half…McBride has started 10 games in all competitions for SAFC in his rookie season.
- Both Greg Cochrane and Carlos Alvarez collected assists in the victory…the two players are tied for the club lead in assists in all competitions, both having three on the season
- SAFC defender Max Gunderson made his debut for the club, starting and playing 90 minutes in the 2-1 victory…Gunderson saw his first USL minutes since 2015 when he played for the Austin Aztex
San Antonio FC came from behind to beat the Des Moines Menace (PDL) 2-1 in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Valley Stadium on Saturday night. The goals came from defender Sam McBride and forward Jacques Francois in the second half.
“Firstly, I thought Des Moines fought very hard during the game,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. Coming from behind to win the game shows good resilience and good urgency from the players, which we need to take into our match at the weekend.”
The first half of the match remained scoreless despite quality chances from both teams. The Menace opened the scoring fifteen minutes into the second half when midfielder Christian Flath beat SAFC goalkeeper Josh Ford with a direct kick from just outside the box.
SAFC defender McBride earned the equalizer in the 72nd minute with a header following a set piece from Carlos Alvarez. The goal was McBride’s first for San Antonio in the defender’s debut professional season.
“The game was hectic, but I think we kept our heads,” said McBride. “After their first goal we got control of the game again and took our chances, so it’s good to come here and get a win.”
Nearly ten minutes later, forward Jacques Francois capitalized on a cross from Greg Cochrane to earn the 2-1 lead. The Haitian has scored three goals and tallied one assist in his two Open Cup appearances so far this season.
Menace second-half substitute Elvir Ibisevic was sent off late in the match for an errant elbow to the face of SAFC defender Bobby Moseley.
San Antonio FC now progresses to the fourth round of the tournament, where they will travel to Houston to face the Houston Dynamo (MLS). The Dynamo currently sit in last place of the MLS Western Conference.
SAFC will return to USL action on Saturday, June 4 against Rio Grande Valley FC in Edinburg, Texas. The match will be the third time the two clubs face each other this season after two encounters at Toyota Field.
Scoring Summary:
Menace: 1-0, Christian Flath ‘59
SAFC: 1-1, Sam McBride ’72 (Carlos Alvarez assist)
SAFC: 1-2, Jacques Francois ’81 (Greg Cochrane assist)
Disciplinary Summary:
SAFC: Yellow Card (Carlos Alvarez ’57)
Menace: Yellow Card (Austin Ledbitter ’71)
SAFC: Yellow Card (Danny Garcia ’89)
Menace: Red Card (Elvir Ibisevic ’90)
SAFC: Yellow Card (Jacques Francois ’90)
SAFC Starting XI: GK: Josh Ford (c); D: Max Gunderson, Stephen McCarthy, Sam McBride, Bobby Moseley; M: Michael Reed, Carlos Alvarez (Biko Bradnock-Brennan ’90), Victor Araujo (Danny Garcia ’65), Greg Cochrane F: Jason Johnson (Shawn Chin ’65), Jacques Francois
Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Austin Dunker, Milton Palacios, Rafa Castillo
Postgame Notes:
- San Antonio FC defeated the Des Moines Menace in the club’s second ever U.S. Open Cup match…marks the first win for the club this season after being down a goal in a game…SAFC advances to play the Houston Dynamo (MLS) in Houston on June 15 for the fourth round of the Open Cup
- SAFC forward Jacques Francois scored his third goal of the season and third goal in Open Cup competition…Francois has now scored three goals and recorded one assist in two Open Cup matches for San Antonio FC this season
- SAFC defender Sam McBride scored his first professional goal and first for the club with his equalizer in the second half…McBride has started 10 games in all competitions for SAFC in his rookie season.
- Both Greg Cochrane and Carlos Alvarez collected assists in the victory…the two players are tied for the club lead in assists in all competitions, both having three on the season
- SAFC defender Max Gunderson made his debut for the club, starting and playing 90 minutes in the 2-1 victory…Gunderson saw his first USL minutes since 2015 when he played for the Austin Aztex