SAFC eliminated in second round
SAN ANTONIO (April 1, 2026) – San Antonio FC fell to FC Tulsa 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup Second Round Wednesday at Toyota Field.
The teams pushed hard in a chippy, defensive battle, holding each scoreless through the end of regulation, before Tulsa was able to find a decisive goal in the 106th minute.
Scoring Summary:
TUL: Remi Cabral 106’
Next Up
San Antonio FC returns to league play this Saturday, March 18, hosting New Mexico United in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Quarterfinal. Kickoff from Toyota Field is set for 7:30 p.m., and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+. The 2026 season is presented by Toyota.
Postgame Notes:
- With the loss, SAFC is eliminated from the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
- Goalkeeper Joey Batrouni and defender Akeem O’Connor-Ward made their first Open Cup appearances in the match.
- SAFC outshot Tulsa 17-15.
- San Antonio gave up just its second goal across all competitions.
Attendance: 2,434
SAFC Starting XI: Joey Batrouni, Danny Barbir (Tiago Suarez 90’), Alex Crognale, Mitchell Taintor (Captain), Akeem O’Connor-Ward, Emil Cuello (Nelson Flores Blanco 106’), Mikey Maldonado, Dmitrii Erofeev (Curt Calov 68’), Jorge Hernandez (EJ Johnson 100’), Cristian Parano, Santiago Patiño (Christian Sorto 68’)
Substitutions Not Used: Rece Buckmaster, Richard Sanchez
Disciplinary Summary:
TUL: Yellow Card (Lucas Stauffer) 24’
TUL: Yellow Card (Harvey St. Clair) 32’
SA: Yellow Card (Santiago Patiño) 40’
TUL: Yellow Card (Lamar Batista) 50’
SA: Yellow Card (Mikey Maldonado) 56’
TUL: Yellow Card (Bailey Sparks) 61’
SA: Yellow Card (Akeem O’Connor-Ward) 64’
SA: Yellow Card (Jorge Hernandez) 73’
SA: Second Yellow Card (Akeem O’Connor-Ward) 97’
TUL: Yellow Card (Jamie Webber) 98’
SA: Yellow Card (Mitchell Taintor) 100’
SA: Yellow Card (Tiago Suarez) 102’
TUL: Yellow Card (Jeorgio Kocevski) 109’
TUL: Yellow Card (Nelson Pierre) 114’
Quotes:
Head Coach Carlos Llamosa
(On the multiple goal scorers…)
“It’s disappointing, because we fought for 120 minutes, even with a man down. Even 1-0 down, I think we pushed. We created a lot of chances through the game and then losing that way hurts, and exciting the cup that way is a big disappointment for us as a staff. I think for the most part, we played well, but we have to finish our chances. We created chances. We have to finish stuff. That’s what [our staff] told them, that the longer the game is still 0-0, we were dangerous on set pieces. Corner kicks, long throws, they were a big thing, so we need to put those chances away to make sure we control the game with them.”
(On the team turning the page from the loss …)
“I’ll make sure I talk to them obviously to learn from this game, to make us stronger, make us better, but a positive, I’d tell you, look at the table. We’re top of the table. It’s a tough week. We have three games in seven days, so everybody needs to be engaged, and everybody has to be ready, mentally and physically, because we’re gonna use everybody. We’re traveling to California, and it’s gonna be a tough week, with Monterey, Orange County, and then home with Miami, so we need everybody engaged, especially playing 120 minutes tonight, for sure on Saturday, we’re gonna see a mixed lineup.”
Defender Alex Crognale
(On preparing for the upcoming games…)
“Three games in seven days now, and I’m just gonna do everything I can to recover and and be ready for whenever Carlos calls on me, and I know the rest of the guys will do the same, but it’s gonna take the full group. We saw, I think, six changes against Lexington on Sunday, and to get the win despite switching the team, I think is really positive. Unfortunately, we didn’t follow it up with a win tonight, but we’re still top of the table in the league, and now we have three games where we can go and continue to put points on the board.”
(On the physicality of the match…)
“Yeah, and unfortunately, we fell into that, right? I don’t think we needed to engage in a lot of their theatrics, and we did in it. It’s a game that, for fans, it’s not a pretty game to watch because the referee is blowing the whistle. Just not a pretty game, but it is a battle, and anytime you go 120 minutes, of course, the body will feel it, but it’s just part of the game, and again, it’s a learning experience for us, because at the end of the day, if we can control ourselves and our emotions in a game like that, we should handle it easily.”
