Own Goal is Decider in Team’s League-Leading Seventh Clean Sheet
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 24, 2022) – San Antonio FC topped Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC tonight 1-0, moving into the top spot in the USL Championship Western Conference with 34 points. SAFC moves to 11-3-1 behind the team’s seventh clean sheet of the season.
SAFC struck first for the first time in three matches, taking the 1-0 lead in the 48th minute on an own goal. Diedie Traore crossed the ball into the box before Colorado Springs’ Matt Mahoney put it in the back of the net.
The San Antonio defense held Colorado Springs to just four shots on target, marking the first match this season in which the Switchbacks failed to score. The shutout is the seventh of the season for SAFC, tied for the most in the league.
Keeper Jordan Farr only had to make three saves to hold his sixth clean sheet of the season, the second-most in the league and most in the Western Conference.
SAFC returns home for a Tuesday matchup with FC Tulsa at Toyota Field on June 28. The match, which kicks off at 8:00 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN2 nationally. Tickets are on sale now at SanAntonioFC.com.
Scoring Summary:
SAFC: 1-0, Matt Mahoney (Own Goal) 48’
Disciplinary Summary:
SAFC: Yellow Card (Jasser Khmiri) 18’
COS: Yellow Card (Beverly Makangila) 25’
SAFC: Yellow Card (Connor Maloney) 35’
COS: Yellow Card (Matt Mahoney) 85’
COS: Yellow Card (Steven Echeverria) 85’
SAFC: Yellow Card (PC) 90+8’
Attendance: 6,733
SAFC Starting XI: GK: Jordan Farr; D: Mitchell Taintor, Jasser Khmiri, Fabien Garcia, Shannon Gomez, Connor Maloney; M: Nicky Hernandez (Diedie Traore 45’) (Ates Diouf 62’), Mohammed Abu (captain), David Loera (PC 41’); F: Samuel Adeniran (Deshane Beckford 83’), Santiago Patiño (Ignacio Bailone 45’)
Substitutions not used: Matt Cardone
Postgame Notes:
- SAFC moves to 11-3-1 on the season with 34 points, leading the USL Championship.
- The shutout was SAFC’s seventh of the season, leading the Western Conference outright and tied for the league lead.
- The shutout is Jordan Farr’s sixth of the season, leading the Western Conference and tied for second in the league.
- The shutout makes SAFC the first team this season to hold Colorado Springs scoreless.
- Shannon Gomez’s start marked his 100th career appearance in the USL Championship, and first start May 14.
- Santiago Patiño made his first start of the season after missing time with a lower body injury.
- SAFC remains 11-0-1 on the season when scoring, and 8-2-0 on the road.
Quotes:
Head Coach Alen Marcina
(On the result…)
“Incredibly proud of the team. To come here and keep a clean sheet, against one
of the best attacking groups in the league, just so proud of the collective … What’s been consistent all year is their mentality. There’s a reason why we tagged them the mentality monsters. They are ultra-competitive, cohesive and resilient for 90+ minutes. For that I’m incredibly proud of the team.”
(On winning a match with playoff intensity…)
“It’s a fantastic opportunity. This is one of the best team’s in the league. They were top of the table before tonight’s match. The other piece I want to note, is we conceded about 20 dead ball situations and we kept a clean sheet. That’s something we worked on all week. Just fantastic, the focus, the effort. The commitment to be first to the ball and again keeping the clean sheet.”
Defender Shannon Gomez
(On his first start since May 14…)
“I think everybody has the same mentality in the locker room. We preach mentality monsters. And I think when you’re called upon, whenever your shirt number’s called upon, no matter if you went on international duty, you were at training and grinding, everybody’s there grinding every single day. You know Alen [Marcina] is building 20 something guys of mentality monsters so when we’re called upon, regardless of what duties we were on we’re all ready to give 110% for the shirt. I was ready … whenever my name was called upon to just give 110% and defend the team and defend my brothers on the field today.”