Tani Oluwaseyi Records Second Hat Trick of the Season
MEMPHIS (July 7, 2023) – San Antonio FC defeated Memphis 901 FC 4-0 tonight, earning the team’s fourth clean sheet of the season while forward Tani Oluwaseyi posted a hat trick to move to 8-3-7 on the season with 31 points.
Oluwaseyi started the scoring in the 15th minute, picking up his seventh goal of the season and SAFC’s ninth goal within the first 15 minutes this season. Jorge Hernandez assisted on the strike, his second assist of the season.
Minutes later in the 26th, Oluwaseyi scored an unassisted goal to make it 2-0. Oluwaseyi went on to complete his second hat trick of the season in the 40th minute, again scoring off of an assist from Hernandez to make it 3-0 just before halftime.
In the last three matches, the forward has scored four times and assisted twice. The nine scores on the year are tied for the second-most in the USL Championship, despite just appearing in nine matches with SAFC after joining the team on loan at the start of May.
Hernandez scored a goal of his own in the 50th minute to make it a 4-0 lead and give him consecutive matches with a goal.
Goalkeeper Jordan Farr finished the match with six saves, with the team posting a shutout for the first time since May 13.
Next Up
San Antonio FC is on the road again next week, heading to El Paso for a matchup with Locomotive FC on Wednesday. SAFC currently leads the Locomotive in the Western Conference table by one point. The Copa Tejas clash kicks off at 8:00 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast on ESPN+.
Postgame Notes:
- San Antonio FC moves to 8-3-7 on the season with 31 points, good for second in the Western Conference.
- When scoring first, SAFC is now unbeaten in the last 56 matches when scoring first, going 47-0-9.
- Forward Tani Oluwaseyi’s goal in the 15th minute was his seventh of the season.
- Midfielder Jorge Hernandez assisted on Oluwaseyi’s goal, his second of the season.
- Oluwaseyi scored again in the 26th minute, his eighth of the season and his second match this year with multiple goals.
- Oluwaseyi and Hernandez connected again in the 40th minute, giving Oluwaseyi the hat trick in just a half of play.
- Oluwaseyi’s hat trick is his second of the season, making him the first in SAFC history to tally two hat tricks in a season in club history.
- Oluwaseyi’s nine goals lead the team and tied for the second-most in the league – in just nine matches with SAFC.
- Hernandez’s goal in the 50th minute was his second of the season, just a week after scoring his first.
- Goalkeeper Jordan Farr matched his season high for saves, making six in the team’s fourth clean sheet of the season.
Quotes:
Head Coach Alen Marcina
(On the win…)
“I’m very proud of the guys. Total team effort tonight. We were relentless in trying to win ever action. We were committed to being the aggressors from start to finish. And we were ruthless in our pursuit to earn three points. And we did, and I’m proud of the guys.”
(On the clean sheet…)
“We said we’re selfless, we do all the things that make each other look good. Tani’s a great example. His commitment to pressing actions, to put the opponent in less-than-desirable situations, and due to that he was able to execute on the attacking end, which he did a fantastic job.”
(On Tani’s performance this season…)
“First and foremost, and most importantly, a fantastic professional. Fantastic human being. To us, that matter most. His commitment to do the selfless running, that’s the pressing actions, off-ball running when we do have the ball, and then he’s put himself in great positions and executed. And so we’re incredibly proud of his offensive output, as well as his defensive commitment.”
Forward Tani Oluwaseyi
(On the win…)
“I think honestly the biggest thing we take from it is we got a clean sheet, I’ll be very honest with you. We’ll start there – but I think it was one of those games where I try to focus on my chances, every one I got, and it was a good game for me. I was able to put away every one that I got and I feel good – it feels good.”
(On the team rebounding from a difficult June…)
“I think we had a tough run of games there where we played decent, but we didn’t play to what we thought we could, and I think at this point in the season we’re just starting to put things together. We’re just trying to gel a little bit more, understand each other a bit more, and everything’s kind of fallen into place the way we wanted it to. I said last week that we haven’t really hit our peak yet, and I think that with each game that comes and each win that we get we can definitely get closer and closer to that peak.”
Midfielder Jorge Hernandez
(On the clean sheet…)
“It was massive for us because I feel like, we’ve lost a couple points due to our own mistakes, and us getting that clean sheet just shows that we’re growing as a team and making less mistakes. The less mistakes we make, opponents can’t score on us unless they break us down..”
Goalkeeper Jordan Farr
(On the win …)
“I think everybody deserved that one, the guys that didn’t travel as well. Putting in the work, constantly testing and pushing one another in training, and that really shows on night’s like tonight. Attacking wise we were outrageously good, and effective, and I think it all starts with our press. Guys deciding that they want to go up the field and press, even though we’re winning, 3-0, 4-0 in the second half, guys continued to push. Our wingbacks specifically I’m really proud of them and the work that they did, and yeah I’m just really happy for everybody, because I think we all deserve a result like this.”
(On what contributed to the win …)
“I think our defending in the box fantastic, on the defensive side, we were communicating really well, keeping them to low percentage shots besides maybe one or two. As far as attacking goes, I think transitioning. Our transition to attack was just outstanding. First ball going forward, that’s something coach Alen preaches a lot, especially on a line that likes to step high, and so for us to just first ball we get off of a turnover and go forward, we were really effective.”