Most of the San Antonio FC players had already left the locker room after Saturday’s win when coach Darren Powell rushed in. Holding his phone and looking for somebody, anybody to share the news with, Powell found Rafa Castillo and pointed to a Twitter update.
Arizona had just scored a goal to take the lead on Real Monarchs.
And after a nine-month stretch in which San Antonio FC was built from nothing, faced a slew of injury adversity, tough stretches and moments of elation, the weekend’s USL matches unfolded in a way that makes the team’s playoff picture as clear as can be.
Win and they’re in.
SAFC’s 2-0 victory against Tulsa in the final regular season game at the Toyota Field put the team in the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference. Losses by Orange County and Real Monarchs helped SAFC keep that spot on the table, and now SAFC controls its playoff destiny.
The team travels 250 miles south to Edinburg for their final game of the season at Rio Grande Valley FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“These players will fight until the bitter end to get to the playoffs,” Powell said.
SAFC clinches a playoff spot with a win against RGV, but it won’t be easy. RGV currently sits in third place, one point outside of first, and will be gunning for home-field advantage in the playoffs. In their first three matchups of the season, San Antonio is 0-2-1 against RGV in the “South Texas Derby.”
“It’s the derby, right?” said Ryan Roushandel. “We haven’t had the best results against them yet, so more than everything we’d like to just get the win. There are a lot of implications, but you’d like to finish with a win no matter what.”
While SAFC is currently in eighth, three other teams are still in contention for the final spot. Portland Timbers 2 is in ninth, one point behind SAFC, and riding a four-game winning streak entering a final match against Arizona United. Orange County is one point behind, but plays first-place Colorado Switchbacks in its final match. And Real Monarchs is two points back entering a match at LA Galaxy II.
In the volatile conference standings, SAFC entered Saturday in 10th place and was able to stay in playoff contention with the bounce back against Tulsa. Goalkeeper Matt Cardone saved a penalty kick in the first half and Franck Tayou opened scoring in the 49th minute to the delight of the 6,735 fans in attendance.
In the 87th minute, Shawn Chin clinched the victory with a goal that was a fitting symbol of SAFC’s season. Five players missed Saturday’s game with injuries, including season-ending injuries for captain Josh Ford and defender Stephen McCarthy a month ago. Chin was expected to be on that injury list when he suffered a leg fracture in June.
He was able to come back on August 31 after missing 10 weeks and scored his first goal since he returned on Saturday with an assist from Carlos Alvarez.
“I was just talking to (athletic trainer) Jordan Harding and he was telling me to remember that I wasn’t even supposed to come back at all this season,” Chin said. “So it was great to get on the field, run around, and the goal was the cherry on top.”
Now, Chin and San Antonio FC have one more game with the entire season on the line.
The Playoff Picture
Entering the final week of the USL season, the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spots is still up for grabs. Swope Park Rangers clinched a spot with its victory on Sunday, leaving three teams to battle for eighth place this week.
The USL’s tiebreakers are:
- Number of Wins
- Goal Differential
- Goals Scored
San Antonio FC
8th place: 10-11-8, 38 points
Maximum Points Available: 41
Remaining Games:, at RGV FC, Saturday
Goal Differential: +3 Goals Scored: 36
San Antonio is in the playoffs with a win against RGV FC.
With a tie, SAFC is in with a tie or a loss Orange County, Portland and Real Monarchs.
With a loss, SAFC is in with losses by Orange County and Portland and a Real Monarchs draw or loss.
Portland Timbers 2
9th place: 11-14-4, 37 points
Maximum Points Available: 40
Remaining Games:. vs. Arizona United, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -5 Goals Scored: 35
Portland is in with a win and an SAFC tie or loss.
With a tie, Portland is in with an SAFC loss and Orange County and Real Monarchs ties or losses by holding tiebreakers.
With a loss, Portland is eliminated.
Orange County Blues FC
10th place: 11-14-4, 37 points
Maximum Points Available: 40
Remaining Games:. vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -6 Goals Scored: 35
Orange County is in with a win and a tie or loss for both SAFC and Portland.
With a tie, Orange County is in with losses by SAFC and Portland and a Real Monarchs tie or loss by holding a wins tiebreaker over SAFC.
With a loss, Orange County is eliminated.
Real Monarchs SLC
11th place: 10-13-6, 36 points
Maximum Points Available: 39
Remaining Games: at LA Galaxy II, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -8 Goals Scored: 30
Real Monarchs is in with a win and a tie or loss by SAFC, Portland and Orange County.
With a tie or loss, Real Monarchs is eliminated.
Most of the San Antonio FC players had already left the locker room after Saturday’s win when coach Darren Powell rushed in. Holding his phone and looking for somebody, anybody to share the news with, Powell found Rafa Castillo and pointed to a Twitter update.
Arizona had just scored a goal to take the lead on Real Monarchs.
And after a nine-month stretch in which San Antonio FC was built from nothing, faced a slew of injury adversity, tough stretches and moments of elation, the weekend’s USL matches unfolded in a way that makes the team’s playoff picture as clear as can be.
Win and they’re in.
SAFC’s 2-0 victory against Tulsa in the final regular season game at the Toyota Field put the team in the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference. Losses by Orange County and Real Monarchs helped SAFC keep that spot on the table, and now SAFC controls its playoff destiny.
The team travels 250 miles south to Edinburg for their final game of the season at Rio Grande Valley FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“These players will fight until the bitter end to get to the playoffs,” Powell said.
SAFC clinches a playoff spot with a win against RGV, but it won’t be easy. RGV currently sits in third place, one point outside of first, and will be gunning for home-field advantage in the playoffs. In their first three matchups of the season, San Antonio is 0-2-1 against RGV in the “South Texas Derby.”
“It’s the derby, right?” said Ryan Roushandel. “We haven’t had the best results against them yet, so more than everything we’d like to just get the win. There are a lot of implications, but you’d like to finish with a win no matter what.”
While SAFC is currently in eighth, three other teams are still in contention for the final spot. Portland Timbers 2 is in ninth, one point behind SAFC, and riding a four-game winning streak entering a final match against Arizona United. Orange County is one point behind, but plays first-place Colorado Switchbacks in its final match. And Real Monarchs is two points back entering a match at LA Galaxy II.
In the volatile conference standings, SAFC entered Saturday in 10th place and was able to stay in playoff contention with the bounce back against Tulsa. Goalkeeper Matt Cardone saved a penalty kick in the first half and Franck Tayou opened scoring in the 49th minute to the delight of the 6,735 fans in attendance.
In the 87th minute, Shawn Chin clinched the victory with a goal that was a fitting symbol of SAFC’s season. Five players missed Saturday’s game with injuries, including season-ending injuries for captain Josh Ford and defender Stephen McCarthy a month ago. Chin was expected to be on that injury list when he suffered a leg fracture in June.
He was able to come back on August 31 after missing 10 weeks and scored his first goal since he returned on Saturday with an assist from Carlos Alvarez.
“I was just talking to (athletic trainer) Jordan Harding and he was telling me to remember that I wasn’t even supposed to come back at all this season,” Chin said. “So it was great to get on the field, run around, and the goal was the cherry on top.”
Now, Chin and San Antonio FC have one more game with the entire season on the line.
The Playoff Picture
Entering the final week of the USL season, the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spots is still up for grabs. Swope Park Rangers clinched a spot with its victory on Sunday, leaving three teams to battle for eighth place this week.
The USL’s tiebreakers are:
- Number of Wins
- Goal Differential
- Goals Scored
San Antonio FC
8th place: 10-11-8, 38 points
Maximum Points Available: 41
Remaining Games:, at RGV FC, Saturday
Goal Differential: +3 Goals Scored: 36
San Antonio is in the playoffs with a win against RGV FC.
With a tie, SAFC is in with a tie or a loss Orange County, Portland and Real Monarchs.
With a loss, SAFC is in with losses by Orange County and Portland and a Real Monarchs draw or loss.
Portland Timbers 2
9th place: 11-14-4, 37 points
Maximum Points Available: 40
Remaining Games:. vs. Arizona United, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -5 Goals Scored: 35
Portland is in with a win and an SAFC tie or loss.
With a tie, Portland is in with an SAFC loss and Orange County and Real Monarchs ties or losses by holding tiebreakers.
With a loss, Portland is eliminated.
Orange County Blues FC
10th place: 11-14-4, 37 points
Maximum Points Available: 40
Remaining Games:. vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -6 Goals Scored: 35
Orange County is in with a win and a tie or loss for both SAFC and Portland.
With a tie, Orange County is in with losses by SAFC and Portland and a Real Monarchs tie or loss by holding a wins tiebreaker over SAFC.
With a loss, Orange County is eliminated.
Real Monarchs SLC
11th place: 10-13-6, 36 points
Maximum Points Available: 39
Remaining Games: at LA Galaxy II, Saturday.
Goal Differential: -8 Goals Scored: 30
Real Monarchs is in with a win and a tie or loss by SAFC, Portland and Orange County.
With a tie or loss, Real Monarchs is eliminated.