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San Antonio FC (1-2-3) tied Fresno FC (2-1-4) 0-0 at Chukchansi Park on Sunday night. The Alamo City club earned a point on the road after a solid defensive performance and a standout match from goalkeeper Diego Restrepo.

“Tonight the guys defended well,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “It’s always good when you can earn a clean sheet on the road. We fought and weathered a lot of balls coming into our box, but we dealt with them well. In the end the guys hung in there and managed to defend well with 10 men to earn the shutout.”

SAFC was unable to find the back of the net despite recording 58 percent possession in the match. The team tallied seven shots and two on target, and won 51 percent of all duels while recording an 80.8 percent passing accuracy.

SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo earned SWBC Man of the Match honors after recording six saves on the night. The Venezuela native’s tally marks a season-high for the keeper, while also tying his all-time record for saves in a single match, which he first recorded on September 9, 2017 against LA Galaxy II.

The team’s clean sheet marked its second of the season. SAFC previously earned a clean sheet at LA Galaxy II on March 31. The shutout also marks Restrepo’s 14th overall for the club since joining prior to the 2017 season.

For the second time this season, the Alamo City club was forced to play down a man after midfielder Kris Tyrpak received a red card in the 88th minute for a scuffle with a Fresno FC defender.

The match marks the first of two in just six days for SAFC. The club will return to USL action on Friday, April 27 against USL newcomers Las Vegas Lights FC.

 

Scoring Summary:

 

Disciplinary Summary:

FFC Yellow Card (Jemal Johnson 62’)

SAFC Yellow Card (Darnell King 76’)

FFC Yellow Card (Alex Cooper 78’)

SAFC Red Card (Kris Tyrpak 88’)

FFC Yellow Card (Juan Caffa 89’)

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Ryan Roushandel (c), Greg Cochrane; M: Pecka, Rafa Castillo (Mikey Lopez 90’), Cesar Elizondo (Connor Presley 75’), Sonny Guadarrama (Kris Tyrpak 75’), Jose Escalante; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Mike Seth,

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned its second clean sheet of the season against Fresno FC. The club previously recorded a shutout at LA Galaxy II on March 31. The clean sheet marks goalkeeper Diego Restrepo’s 14th overall for the Alamo City club since joining prior to the 2017 season.
• SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo tallied a season-high six saves on the night, matching his all-time record for the club in a single match, which he recorded at LA Galaxy II on September 9, 2017.
• San Antonio FC defender Ryan Roushandel recorded a season-high 13 clearances on the night, as well as a team-high 100 touches on the night, an 81.8 passing accuracy, and two blocks.
• SAFC midfielder Pecka recorded an 89.3 percent passing accuracy, marking the fifth match this season that the midfielder has recorded a passing accuracy higher than 80 percent. The Brazilian has made 303 passes overall this season, completing 259 for an 85.5 percent passing accuracy overall so far this season.

San Antonio FC (1-2-3) tied Fresno FC (2-1-4) 0-0 at Chukchansi Park on Sunday night. The Alamo City club earned a point on the road after a solid defensive performance and a standout match from goalkeeper Diego Restrepo.

“Tonight the guys defended well,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “It’s always good when you can earn a clean sheet on the road. We fought and weathered a lot of balls coming into our box, but we dealt with them well. In the end the guys hung in there and managed to defend well with 10 men to earn the shutout.”

SAFC was unable to find the back of the net despite recording 58 percent possession in the match. The team tallied seven shots and two on target, and won 51 percent of all duels while recording an 80.8 percent passing accuracy.

SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo earned SWBC Man of the Match honors after recording six saves on the night. The Venezuela native’s tally marks a season-high for the keeper, while also tying his all-time record for saves in a single match, which he first recorded on September 9, 2017 against LA Galaxy II.

The team’s clean sheet marked its second of the season. SAFC previously earned a clean sheet at LA Galaxy II on March 31. The shutout also marks Restrepo’s 14th overall for the club since joining prior to the 2017 season.

For the second time this season, the Alamo City club was forced to play down a man after midfielder Kris Tyrpak received a red card in the 88th minute for a scuffle with a Fresno FC defender.

The match marks the first of two in just six days for SAFC. The club will return to USL action on Friday, April 27 against USL newcomers Las Vegas Lights FC.

 

Scoring Summary:

 

Disciplinary Summary:

FFC Yellow Card (Jemal Johnson 62’)

SAFC Yellow Card (Darnell King 76’)

FFC Yellow Card (Alex Cooper 78’)

SAFC Red Card (Kris Tyrpak 88’)

FFC Yellow Card (Juan Caffa 89’)

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Ryan Roushandel (c), Greg Cochrane; M: Pecka, Rafa Castillo (Mikey Lopez 90’), Cesar Elizondo (Connor Presley 75’), Sonny Guadarrama (Kris Tyrpak 75’), Jose Escalante; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Mike Seth,

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned its second clean sheet of the season against Fresno FC. The club previously recorded a shutout at LA Galaxy II on March 31. The clean sheet marks goalkeeper Diego Restrepo’s 14th overall for the Alamo City club since joining prior to the 2017 season.
• SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo tallied a season-high six saves on the night, matching his all-time record for the club in a single match, which he recorded at LA Galaxy II on September 9, 2017.
• San Antonio FC defender Ryan Roushandel recorded a season-high 13 clearances on the night, as well as a team-high 100 touches on the night, an 81.8 passing accuracy, and two blocks.
• SAFC midfielder Pecka recorded an 89.3 percent passing accuracy, marking the fifth match this season that the midfielder has recorded a passing accuracy higher than 80 percent. The Brazilian has made 303 passes overall this season, completing 259 for an 85.5 percent passing accuracy overall so far this season.

San Antonio FC (1-2-2) fell to Orange County SC (4-1-1) 0-3 at Toyota Field on Saturday night. A night of season-high shots, shots on goal and chances created was not enough for the Alamo City club to salvage points at home.

“We felt the team was very assertive on the front foot tonight,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We created chances and hit the crossbar and the post, and their keeper made some great saves. We didn’t capitalize on our chances, which is more than we’ve created all season, so everybody in our locker room is bitterly disappointed.”

Orange County SC opened the scoring early in the second half when Koji Hashimoto scored off a free kick. OCSC forward Thomas Enevoldsen then widened the lead in the 83rd minute before forward Giovanni Ramos Godoy added the third for the visitors in the 86th minute off a counter.

San Antonio FC recorded a season-high 17 shots on the night and tallied eight shots on goal, while OCSC recorded seven shots and four on target. The Alamo City club created a season-high 13 chances throughout the match, and was also denied twice by the woodwork in the 54th and 68th minutes, while OCSC goalkeeper Andrew Rawls recorded an impressive season-high eight saves on the night.

SAFC midfielder Cesar Elizondo made his season debut, playing 29 minutes and recording a 94 percent passing accuracy. The Costa Rica international missed the first four matches of the season due to a lower body injury.

San Antonio FC will return to action in back-to-back road matches as the club faces USL newcomers Fresno FC and Las Vegas Lights FC on Sunday, April 22 and Friday, April 27 respectively.

Scoring Summary:

OCSC: 0-1, Koji Hashimoto 48’

OCSC: 0-2, Thomas Enevoldson (Mark Segbers assist) 84’

OCSC: 0-3, Giovanni Ramos Godoy (Thomas Enevoldson assist) 86’

Disciplinary Summary:

OCSC: Yellow Card (Alex Crognale 6’)

OCSC: Yellow Card (Oscar Sorto 24’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Ryan Felix 55’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Cesar Elizondo 72’)

Attendance: 6,090

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Ryan Roushandel (c), Greg Cochrane (Connor Presley 80’); M: Pecka, Jose Escalante, Kris Tyrpak (Cesar Elizondo 61’), Rafa Castillo (Mikey Lopez 61’), Sonny Guadarrama; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Mike Seth

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC lost for the second time this season and for the first time at home in 2018…marks just the second home loss for SAFC since the start of the 2017 season (20 total matches)…the 0-3 loss is just the fourth time San Antonio has conceded three goals at home and the first time they have lost at Toyota Field by a three-goal margin
• SAFC forced Orange County SC goalkeeper Andrew Rawls into eight saves, which marked both a season-high for Rawls and a season-high for SAFC opponents…neither Rawls nor SAFC opposing keepers had recorded more than four saves in a single match so far this season
• San Antonio FC recorded 17 total shots, eight of them being on goal…both marked season highs for San Antonio…San Antonio’s 17 shots are tied for the third most that the club has recorded in team history…SAFC also created 13 chances on the night, which was also a season-high
• SAFC midfielder Rafa Castillo recorded four shots and an 80 percent passing accuracy in his first start of the season…Castillo entered the 2018 season as the club’s all-time shots leader
• SAFC forward Cesar Elizondo made his season debut, coming on for Kris Tyrpak in the 61st minute…Elizondo had missed the previous four matches due to a lower body injury
• SAFC outshot (17-7), out-possessed (52.4-47.6%) and out-passed (396-372; 77.8-74.5%) Orange County on the night…marked the biggest shot differential for San Antonio FC over their opponents so far this season
• SAFC defender Darnell King tied for the game-high with three tackles while also recording an 83 percent passing accuracy over 47 total passes…marks his second-highest passing accuracy for King in a San Antonio FC uniform

San Antonio FC (1-2-2) fell to Orange County SC (4-1-1) 0-3 at Toyota Field on Saturday night. A night of season-high shots, shots on goal and chances created was not enough for the Alamo City club to salvage points at home.

“We felt the team was very assertive on the front foot tonight,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We created chances and hit the crossbar and the post, and their keeper made some great saves. We didn’t capitalize on our chances, which is more than we’ve created all season, so everybody in our locker room is bitterly disappointed.”

Orange County SC opened the scoring early in the second half when Koji Hashimoto scored off a free kick. OCSC forward Thomas Enevoldsen then widened the lead in the 83rd minute before forward Giovanni Ramos Godoy added the third for the visitors in the 86th minute off a counter.

San Antonio FC recorded a season-high 17 shots on the night and tallied eight shots on goal, while OCSC recorded seven shots and four on target. The Alamo City club created a season-high 13 chances throughout the match, and was also denied twice by the woodwork in the 54th and 68th minutes, while OCSC goalkeeper Andrew Rawls recorded an impressive season-high eight saves on the night.

SAFC midfielder Cesar Elizondo made his season debut, playing 29 minutes and recording a 94 percent passing accuracy. The Costa Rica international missed the first four matches of the season due to a lower body injury.

San Antonio FC will return to action in back-to-back road matches as the club faces USL newcomers Fresno FC and Las Vegas Lights FC on Sunday, April 22 and Friday, April 27 respectively.

Scoring Summary:

OCSC: 0-1, Koji Hashimoto 48’

OCSC: 0-2, Thomas Enevoldson (Mark Segbers assist) 84’

OCSC: 0-3, Giovanni Ramos Godoy (Thomas Enevoldson assist) 86’

Disciplinary Summary:

OCSC: Yellow Card (Alex Crognale 6’)

OCSC: Yellow Card (Oscar Sorto 24’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Ryan Felix 55’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Cesar Elizondo 72’)

Attendance: 6,090

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Ryan Roushandel (c), Greg Cochrane (Connor Presley 80’); M: Pecka, Jose Escalante, Kris Tyrpak (Cesar Elizondo 61’), Rafa Castillo (Mikey Lopez 61’), Sonny Guadarrama; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Mike Seth

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC lost for the second time this season and for the first time at home in 2018…marks just the second home loss for SAFC since the start of the 2017 season (20 total matches)…the 0-3 loss is just the fourth time San Antonio has conceded three goals at home and the first time they have lost at Toyota Field by a three-goal margin
• SAFC forced Orange County SC goalkeeper Andrew Rawls into eight saves, which marked both a season-high for Rawls and a season-high for SAFC opponents…neither Rawls nor SAFC opposing keepers had recorded more than four saves in a single match so far this season
• San Antonio FC recorded 17 total shots, eight of them being on goal…both marked season highs for San Antonio…San Antonio’s 17 shots are tied for the third most that the club has recorded in team history…SAFC also created 13 chances on the night, which was also a season-high
• SAFC midfielder Rafa Castillo recorded four shots and an 80 percent passing accuracy in his first start of the season…Castillo entered the 2018 season as the club’s all-time shots leader
• SAFC forward Cesar Elizondo made his season debut, coming on for Kris Tyrpak in the 61st minute…Elizondo had missed the previous four matches due to a lower body injury
• SAFC outshot (17-7), out-possessed (52.4-47.6%) and out-passed (396-372; 77.8-74.5%) Orange County on the night…marked the biggest shot differential for San Antonio FC over their opponents so far this season
• SAFC defender Darnell King tied for the game-high with three tackles while also recording an 83 percent passing accuracy over 47 total passes…marks his second-highest passing accuracy for King in a San Antonio FC uniform

San Antonio FC (1-1-2) will host Orange County SC (31-1) during Kids Night at Toyota Field on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. presented by City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management.

SAFC heads into the match after earning a 1-1 draw at home against Swope Park Rangers last weekend. The club will enjoy home field advantage for the second consecutive week as they host OCSC. SAFC remains unbeaten at Toyota Field this season, and has recorded losses in just five of their last 36 home matches, tallying just one loss in their previous 19 matches in San Antonio dating back to September 2016.

The Alamo City club’s strengths lie in the team’s cohesiveness. Four different players have already tallied an assist in 2018 for the club, while three different players have found the back of the net, including midfielder Pecka, who scored his first goal for the club last Saturday since joining the team prior to the 2017 season.

“I’m very happy to have scored my first goal,” Pecka said. “But at the same time we’re frustrated with our result last week. We want to earn a win this weekend because we’ve earned two draws and now we need to work harder and win. I’m happy for the goal but in soccer it’s more important to win.”

Orange County SC will look to continue their run of good form when they visit the Alamo City. The club currently sits in second place in the Western Conference standings with 10 points. OCSC has scored ten goals while conceding just two in their five matches played, tallying 56 shots and an 18 percent conversion rate.

The club is currently on a three-game winning streak, most recently earning a 3-0 win at home against in-state rivals LA Galaxy II. The club’s last loss came on Saturday, March 24 against Sacramento Republic FC. OCSC will look to earn its first win at Toyota Field against SAFC on Saturday.

For SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell, home field advantage will play an important role for the hosts. On the tactical side, continuing to improve on the team’s defensive performances will be key, as well as executing new ideas in the attacking third.

“We look at the opposition as we prepare like we would on any other week and make sure we’re prepared defensively,” Powell said. “We also have some ideas that we presented to the players that we want to execute with the ball. Each week we’ve been creating more chances and we hope to continue that trend on Saturday.”

Game 5 – San Antonio FC vs. Orange County SC

Date: Saturday, April 14, 2018

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT

Stadium: Toyota Field

San Antonio FC: 1-1-2, (11th place) 5 pts

Orange County SC: 3-1-1, (2nd place) 10 pts

All-time Series: The game marks the fifth matchup between SAFC and OCSC. SAFC is 2-1-1 against Orange County all-time. Last season, SAFC clinched its first-ever USL Playoffs berth in Orange County with a 1-0 win against the club.

Watch/Stats:

ESPN+

USL Match Center

Media Information:

2018 SAFC Media Guide

Match Notes Attached

Social Media Information:

Twitter: @SanAntonioFC

Snapchat: SanAntonioFC

Facebook: San Antonio FC

Instagram: @sanantoniofc

Hashtags: #OurClub, #SAvOC

San Antonio FC (1-1-2) will host Orange County SC (31-1) during Kids Night at Toyota Field on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. presented by City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management.

SAFC heads into the match after earning a 1-1 draw at home against Swope Park Rangers last weekend. The club will enjoy home field advantage for the second consecutive week as they host OCSC. SAFC remains unbeaten at Toyota Field this season, and has recorded losses in just five of their last 36 home matches, tallying just one loss in their previous 19 matches in San Antonio dating back to September 2016.

The Alamo City club’s strengths lie in the team’s cohesiveness. Four different players have already tallied an assist in 2018 for the club, while three different players have found the back of the net, including midfielder Pecka, who scored his first goal for the club last Saturday since joining the team prior to the 2017 season.

“I’m very happy to have scored my first goal,” Pecka said. “But at the same time we’re frustrated with our result last week. We want to earn a win this weekend because we’ve earned two draws and now we need to work harder and win. I’m happy for the goal but in soccer it’s more important to win.”

Orange County SC will look to continue their run of good form when they visit the Alamo City. The club currently sits in second place in the Western Conference standings with 10 points. OCSC has scored ten goals while conceding just two in their five matches played, tallying 56 shots and an 18 percent conversion rate.

The club is currently on a three-game winning streak, most recently earning a 3-0 win at home against in-state rivals LA Galaxy II. The club’s last loss came on Saturday, March 24 against Sacramento Republic FC. OCSC will look to earn its first win at Toyota Field against SAFC on Saturday.

For SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell, home field advantage will play an important role for the hosts. On the tactical side, continuing to improve on the team’s defensive performances will be key, as well as executing new ideas in the attacking third.

“We look at the opposition as we prepare like we would on any other week and make sure we’re prepared defensively,” Powell said. “We also have some ideas that we presented to the players that we want to execute with the ball. Each week we’ve been creating more chances and we hope to continue that trend on Saturday.”

Game 5 – San Antonio FC vs. Orange County SC

Date: Saturday, April 14, 2018

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT

Stadium: Toyota Field

San Antonio FC: 1-1-2, (11th place) 5 pts

Orange County SC: 3-1-1, (2nd place) 10 pts

All-time Series: The game marks the fifth matchup between SAFC and OCSC. SAFC is 2-1-1 against Orange County all-time. Last season, SAFC clinched its first-ever USL Playoffs berth in Orange County with a 1-0 win against the club.

Watch/Stats:

ESPN+

USL Match Center

Media Information:

2018 SAFC Media Guide

Match Notes Attached

Social Media Information:

Twitter: @SanAntonioFC

Snapchat: SanAntonioFC

Facebook: San Antonio FC

Instagram: @sanantoniofc

Hashtags: #OurClub, #SAvOC

Game day routines for San Antonio FC Head Coach Darren Powell are usually pretty similar. They involve a long morning run to clear his mind and prepare for the night’s match. He runs through tactics and strategy in his head over and over ahead of the night’s challenge. After his father, Trevor, was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, however, Coach Powell’s pregame runs are about to take a new and even more significant meaning.

Starting in April, which is Parkinson’s Awareness month, Powell will participate in five 5K races throughout the remainder of the USL season. Each run will take place the morning of a home SAFC match, which Powell will run in honor of his father and with the goal to raise awareness for Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson’s research.

“I want to try and help my father because he’s always been an inspiration to me in my life and career path,” Powell said. “With the distance being so far away and me being unable to visit regularly, I wanted to make sure that we could raise awareness. Prior to my father’s diagnosis, I didn’t know much about the disease, but I’ve seen the effects from a personal perspective and wanted to make sure that we could send a message to my family, and others who are going through similar things, that we’re fighting the battle with them.”

Powell is an avid runner, and wanted to combine his efforts of raising awareness in the local community with something that is personally meaningful. The result was the idea to run one 5K per month, inviting those in the community who are interested in joining the cause to register and run alongside the SAFC gaffer for Parkinson’s Awareness.

“I typically run on game days,” Powell said. “So, we’re looking at doing at different runs on game days that can not only raise awareness for Parkinson’s, but maybe some other causes that those runs are in aid of.”

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, and affects people in many different ways, causing both motor and non-motor symptoms like tremors, slowness of movement, fatigue, cognitive changes, among many others.

For Powell, participating in these runs is a way to not only raise awareness, but join his father in the fight against Parkinson’s. Powell’s father is actively part of a group of people who suffer from Parkinson’s back home in England, and meets regularly with the group to talk about their experience dealing with the disease, its symptoms, and how it affects their every-day life. They also participate in physical activities that help deal with PD.

“My father fights every day,” Powell said. “You probably wouldn’t know he has Parkinson’s, but he fights every day, and does his exercises. He’s been able to inspire me my whole life, so hopefully we can continue to help him fight this battle.

“To be able to combine running and awareness for Parkinson’s is important to me. A lot of people have the disease and obviously they’re looking for different cures and treatments, so we want to try and raise that awareness and combine it with that healthy lifestyle (of running) for the cause.”

With the month of April marking Parkinson’s Awareness month, the first race Coach Powell will participate in will be the Dash to the VTO (Valero Texas Open), which will take place on Saturday, April 14 at 9 a.m. at TPC San Antonio. Anyone interested in raising awareness for Parkinson’s research for the millions of people who suffer from the disease by running with Darren can register here. For those who wish to make a donation towards Parkinson’s Research, they may do so through the Michael J. Fox foundation here.

Game day routines for San Antonio FC Head Coach Darren Powell are usually pretty similar. They involve a long morning run to clear his mind and prepare for the night’s match. He runs through tactics and strategy in his head over and over ahead of the night’s challenge. After his father, Trevor, was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, however, Coach Powell’s pregame runs are about to take a new and even more significant meaning.

Starting in April, which is Parkinson’s Awareness month, Powell will participate in five 5K races throughout the remainder of the USL season. Each run will take place the morning of a home SAFC match, which Powell will run in honor of his father and with the goal to raise awareness for Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson’s research.

“I want to try and help my father because he’s always been an inspiration to me in my life and career path,” Powell said. “With the distance being so far away and me being unable to visit regularly, I wanted to make sure that we could raise awareness. Prior to my father’s diagnosis, I didn’t know much about the disease, but I’ve seen the effects from a personal perspective and wanted to make sure that we could send a message to my family, and others who are going through similar things, that we’re fighting the battle with them.”

Powell is an avid runner, and wanted to combine his efforts of raising awareness in the local community with something that is personally meaningful. The result was the idea to run one 5K per month, inviting those in the community who are interested in joining the cause to register and run alongside the SAFC gaffer for Parkinson’s Awareness.

“I typically run on game days,” Powell said. “So, we’re looking at doing at different runs on game days that can not only raise awareness for Parkinson’s, but maybe some other causes that those runs are in aid of.”

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, and affects people in many different ways, causing both motor and non-motor symptoms like tremors, slowness of movement, fatigue, cognitive changes, among many others.

For Powell, participating in these runs is a way to not only raise awareness, but join his father in the fight against Parkinson’s. Powell’s father is actively part of a group of people who suffer from Parkinson’s back home in England, and meets regularly with the group to talk about their experience dealing with the disease, its symptoms, and how it affects their every-day life. They also participate in physical activities that help deal with PD.

“My father fights every day,” Powell said. “You probably wouldn’t know he has Parkinson’s, but he fights every day, and does his exercises. He’s been able to inspire me my whole life, so hopefully we can continue to help him fight this battle.

“To be able to combine running and awareness for Parkinson’s is important to me. A lot of people have the disease and obviously they’re looking for different cures and treatments, so we want to try and raise that awareness and combine it with that healthy lifestyle (of running) for the cause.”

With the month of April marking Parkinson’s Awareness month, the first race Coach Powell will participate in will be the Dash to the VTO (Valero Texas Open), which will take place on Saturday, April 14 at 9 a.m. at TPC San Antonio. Anyone interested in raising awareness for Parkinson’s research for the millions of people who suffer from the disease by running with Darren can register here. For those who wish to make a donation towards Parkinson’s Research, they may do so through the Michael J. Fox foundation here.

San Antonio FC (1-1-2) tied Swope Park Rangers (3-1-1) at Toyota Field on Saturday night. A goal from midfielder Pecka earned the Alamo City a point at home.

“It was a very tight game,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “I don’t think either team is thrilled about tonight. Sometimes you draw a game and it feels like a win. Sometimes you draw and it feels like a loss, but I think tonight it’s a bit in between and both team’s wish they had gotten more out of tonight’s match.”

SPR opened the scoring in the 29th minute when midfielder Kharlton Belmar found the end of a pass from defender Colton Storm and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Diego Restrepo for the 1-0 lead.

SAFC then found the equalizer in the 34th minute after midfielder Pecka stripped the ball from a defender near the top of the visitor’s box. Forward Ever Guzman found the loose ball and played it back to Pecka, who dribbled into the box and finessed a shot past goalkeeper Erick Dick to make it 1-1.

The goal marked Pecka’s first for the club since joining prior to the 2017 season. Pecka’s performance on the night earned him SWBC Man of the Match honors after the Brazilian recorded seven tackles, three chances created, and an 89.3 percent passing accuracy.

SAFC midfielder Jose Escalante made his club debut, playing 31 minutes and tallying one shot as well as an 80 percent passing accuracy. The midfielder joined the club prior to the start of the 2018 season.

San Antonio FC will return to USL action on Saturday, April 14 as they host Orange County SC at Toyota Field.

Scoring Summary:

SPR: 0-1, Kharlton Belmar (Colton Storm assist) 29’

SAFC: 1-1, Pecka (Ever Guzman assist) 34’

Disciplinary Summary:

SAFC: Yellow Card (Darnell King 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Amer Didic 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Hadji Berry 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Colton Storm 35’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Felipe Hernandez 85’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Matheus Silva 88’)

Attendance: 6,612

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Chris Christian (Greg Cochrane 75’), Mike Seth; M: Pecka, Connor Presley (Jose Escalante 59’), Kris Tyrpak (Rafa Castillo 79’), Ryan Roushandel (c), Sonny Guadarrama; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Omar Gordon

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned their second draw of the season and third draw against Swope Park Rangers at home in the club’s history…SAFC is now 1-3-3 all-time against the Rangers
• SAFC midfielder Pecka scored his first goal for the club and earned SWBC Man of the Match honors…marked his first goal in 28 games with the club…also recorded a team-high 89.3 percent passing accuracy and a team-high seven tackles
• San Antonio forward Ever Guzman recorded his first assist of the season and his second for SAFC since joining the club midseason in 2017
• SAFC midfielder Kris Tyrpak recorded three shots, two shots on target and one key pass in the match…also recorded four tackles and one clearance on the night
• SAFC midfielder Jose Escalante made his debut for the club, coming on in the 59th minute and adding one shot and an 80 percent passing accuracy

San Antonio FC (1-1-2) tied Swope Park Rangers (3-1-1) at Toyota Field on Saturday night. A goal from midfielder Pecka earned the Alamo City a point at home.

“It was a very tight game,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “I don’t think either team is thrilled about tonight. Sometimes you draw a game and it feels like a win. Sometimes you draw and it feels like a loss, but I think tonight it’s a bit in between and both team’s wish they had gotten more out of tonight’s match.”

SPR opened the scoring in the 29th minute when midfielder Kharlton Belmar found the end of a pass from defender Colton Storm and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Diego Restrepo for the 1-0 lead.

SAFC then found the equalizer in the 34th minute after midfielder Pecka stripped the ball from a defender near the top of the visitor’s box. Forward Ever Guzman found the loose ball and played it back to Pecka, who dribbled into the box and finessed a shot past goalkeeper Erick Dick to make it 1-1.

The goal marked Pecka’s first for the club since joining prior to the 2017 season. Pecka’s performance on the night earned him SWBC Man of the Match honors after the Brazilian recorded seven tackles, three chances created, and an 89.3 percent passing accuracy.

SAFC midfielder Jose Escalante made his club debut, playing 31 minutes and tallying one shot as well as an 80 percent passing accuracy. The midfielder joined the club prior to the start of the 2018 season.

San Antonio FC will return to USL action on Saturday, April 14 as they host Orange County SC at Toyota Field.

Scoring Summary:

SPR: 0-1, Kharlton Belmar (Colton Storm assist) 29’

SAFC: 1-1, Pecka (Ever Guzman assist) 34’

Disciplinary Summary:

SAFC: Yellow Card (Darnell King 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Amer Didic 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Hadji Berry 32’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Colton Storm 35’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Felipe Hernandez 85’)

SPR: Yellow Card (Matheus Silva 88’)

Attendance: 6,612

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Chris Christian (Greg Cochrane 75’), Mike Seth; M: Pecka, Connor Presley (Jose Escalante 59’), Kris Tyrpak (Rafa Castillo 79’), Ryan Roushandel (c), Sonny Guadarrama; F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Omar Gordon

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned their second draw of the season and third draw against Swope Park Rangers at home in the club’s history…SAFC is now 1-3-3 all-time against the Rangers
• SAFC midfielder Pecka scored his first goal for the club and earned SWBC Man of the Match honors…marked his first goal in 28 games with the club…also recorded a team-high 89.3 percent passing accuracy and a team-high seven tackles
• San Antonio forward Ever Guzman recorded his first assist of the season and his second for SAFC since joining the club midseason in 2017
• SAFC midfielder Kris Tyrpak recorded three shots, two shots on target and one key pass in the match…also recorded four tackles and one clearance on the night
• SAFC midfielder Jose Escalante made his debut for the club, coming on in the 59th minute and adding one shot and an 80 percent passing accuracy

The United Soccer League (USL) announced today the expansion of its broadcast agreement with ESPN for the 2018 and 2019 seasons that will bring more regular-season games to linear networks and make ESPN+ the league’s streaming subscription service in the United States.

"We are thrilled to expand our valued relationship with ESPN through the 2019 season," said USL Chief Executive Officer Alec Papadakis. "Our collaboration has grown organically over the last few years, as we’ve worked closely to continually enhance our broadcasts. In addition, our investments into USL Productions and partnership with VISTA Worldlink – now in its second season and under the visionary guidance of industry veteran Michael Cohen – has built the league into a premier television sports property which delivers engaging, exciting and unique content for fans all season long. Our clubs and players will benefit from the significantly increased exposure across ESPN’s linear networks, ESPN3, and our presence on ESPN+ alongside Major League Soccer, the English Football League and UEFA Nations League, and other top international soccer leagues and tournaments."

"We have worked in great collaboration with the USL to leverage numerous ESPN touch points to reach fans, and will continue to do so through this latest agreement," said Scott Guglielmino, Senior Vice President, ESPN Programming. "We look forward to our expanded relationship as we serve fans across our platforms in new and engaging ways."

Now in its third season, the USL’s agreement with ESPN will see six USL regular season games and the 2018 USL Cup aired on linear networks, a major increase from a season ago. The full 2018 Game of the Week schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

In addition to the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, the league’s regular-season contests will be available in the United States through ESPN+ after its launch on April 12, where the league will reside alongside Major League Soccer, the English Football League and UEFA Nations League on the new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer and International group in partnership with ESPN.

Prior to the launch of ESPN+ on April 12, all USL regular season contests will be available through the league’s YouTube channel.

Games will be produced by USL Productions, the league’s state-of-the-art broadcast production, broadcast and distribution facilities with VISTA Worldlink in south Florida. Now in its second season, USL Productions produces and distributes more than 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content to national partners and local affiliates. The USL Match Center will also return for the 2018 season, with up-to-the-minute match statistics provided by industry leader Opta.

The United Soccer League (USL) announced today the expansion of its broadcast agreement with ESPN for the 2018 and 2019 seasons that will bring more regular-season games to linear networks and make ESPN+ the league’s streaming subscription service in the United States.

“We are thrilled to expand our valued relationship with ESPN through the 2019 season,” said USL Chief Executive Officer Alec Papadakis. “Our collaboration has grown organically over the last few years, as we’ve worked closely to continually enhance our broadcasts. In addition, our investments into USL Productions and partnership with VISTA Worldlink – now in its second season and under the visionary guidance of industry veteran Michael Cohen – has built the league into a premier television sports property which delivers engaging, exciting and unique content for fans all season long. Our clubs and players will benefit from the significantly increased exposure across ESPN’s linear networks, ESPN3, and our presence on ESPN+ alongside Major League Soccer, the English Football League and UEFA Nations League, and other top international soccer leagues and tournaments.”

“We have worked in great collaboration with the USL to leverage numerous ESPN touch points to reach fans, and will continue to do so through this latest agreement,” said Scott Guglielmino, Senior Vice President, ESPN Programming. “We look forward to our expanded relationship as we serve fans across our platforms in new and engaging ways.”

Now in its third season, the USL’s agreement with ESPN will see six USL regular season games and the 2018 USL Cup aired on linear networks, a major increase from a season ago. The full 2018 Game of the Week schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

In addition to the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, the league’s regular-season contests will be available in the United States through ESPN+ after its launch on April 12, where the league will reside alongside Major League Soccer, the English Football League and UEFA Nations League on the new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer and International group in partnership with ESPN.

Prior to the launch of ESPN+ on April 12, all USL regular season contests will be available through the league’s YouTube channel.

Games will be produced by USL Productions, the league’s state-of-the-art broadcast production, broadcast and distribution facilities with VISTA Worldlink in south Florida. Now in its second season, USL Productions produces and distributes more than 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content to national partners and local affiliates. The USL Match Center will also return for the 2018 season, with up-to-the-minute match statistics provided by industry leader Opta.

San Antonio FC (1-1-1) tied LA Galaxy II (0-1-2) 0-0 at StubHub Center on Saturday night. The Alamo City club recorded its first clean sheet of the season en route to earning a point away from home.

“It’s always positive when you can keep a clean sheet on the road,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We finished the game with 10 men, but the guys worked extremely hard. It’s good to earn a point away from home.”

SAFC created several chances throughout the match, but their best opportunity to score came in the 23rd minute when forward Ever Guzman was brought down inside the hosts’ box. Guzman stepped up to take the penalty but was denied by LA Galaxy II goalkeeper Wade Hamilton.

Los Dos came closest to scoring in the 60th minute when midfielder Geoffrey Acheampong took a shot from long range but was denied by the crossbar.

The shutout marks the first of the season for SAFC and goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, who made two saves and claimed one cross on the night. Last season, the Venezuela native led the USL with 12 clean sheets.

SAFC midfielder Mikey Lopez was then shown a red card and ejected from the match in the 77th minute after being judged to have committed a foul on goalkeeper Wade to earn a second yellow card. Lopez had previously earned his first yellow card in the 19th minute for slowing down the run of play.

The red card marks the first of the season for San Antonio FC and just the fourth for the club since its 2016 inaugural season.

San Antonio FC will return to action in the first of two consecutive home matches on Saturday, April 7 as the club takes on Swope Park Rangers at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Field. SAFC will then host Orange County SC on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Disciplinary Summary:

SAFC: Yellow Card (Mikey Lopez 19’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (John Requejo 41’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Frank Lopez 62’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Kris Tyrpak 71’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Mikey Lopez 77’)

SAFC: Red Card (Mikey Lopez 77’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Adrian Vera 79’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Emmanuel Appiah 90’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Darnell King 90’)

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Chris Christian, Mike Seth; M: Pecka, Mikey Lopez, Kris Tyrpak (Omar Gordo 80’), Ryan Roushandel (c), Sonny Guadarrama (Rafa Castillo 67’); F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Maxi Rodriguez, Cyprian Hedrick

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned a road point on Saturday against LA Galaxy II…SAFC has now drawn all three matches they have played in Los Angeles…marks the first draw of the season for San Antonio
• SAFC kept their first clean sheet of the season…San Antonio led the league with 15 shutouts in 2017…SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo led the league with 12 shutouts in 2017 and also earned his first tonight
• San Antonio made 513 passes, completing 85 percent of them, which are both season-highs…SAFC had three players pass above a 90 percent success rate and eight players record a passing accuracy of 80 percent or higher
• SAFC midfielder Ryan Roushandel earned SWBC Man of the Match honors after helping keep a clean sheet and recording a 97.6 percent passing accuracy, completing 41 of his 42 passes on the day
• SAFC defender Darnell King made a team-high five interceptions along with two tackles, two clearances and 10 gained possessions

San Antonio FC (1-1-1) tied LA Galaxy II (0-1-2) 0-0 at StubHub Center on Saturday night. The Alamo City club recorded its first clean sheet of the season en route to earning a point away from home.

“It’s always positive when you can keep a clean sheet on the road,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We finished the game with 10 men, but the guys worked extremely hard. It’s good to earn a point away from home.”

SAFC created several chances throughout the match, but their best opportunity to score came in the 23rd minute when forward Ever Guzman was brought down inside the hosts’ box. Guzman stepped up to take the penalty but was denied by LA Galaxy II goalkeeper Wade Hamilton.

Los Dos came closest to scoring in the 60th minute when midfielder Geoffrey Acheampong took a shot from long range but was denied by the crossbar.

The shutout marks the first of the season for SAFC and goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, who made two saves and claimed one cross on the night. Last season, the Venezuela native led the USL with 12 clean sheets.

SAFC midfielder Mikey Lopez was then shown a red card and ejected from the match in the 77th minute after being judged to have committed a foul on goalkeeper Wade to earn a second yellow card. Lopez had previously earned his first yellow card in the 19th minute for slowing down the run of play.

The red card marks the first of the season for San Antonio FC and just the fourth for the club since its 2016 inaugural season.

San Antonio FC will return to action in the first of two consecutive home matches on Saturday, April 7 as the club takes on Swope Park Rangers at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Field. SAFC will then host Orange County SC on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Disciplinary Summary:

SAFC: Yellow Card (Mikey Lopez 19’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (John Requejo 41’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Frank Lopez 62’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Kris Tyrpak 71’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Mikey Lopez 77’)

SAFC: Red Card (Mikey Lopez 77’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Adrian Vera 79’)

Galaxy II: Yellow Card (Emmanuel Appiah 90’)

SAFC: Yellow Card (Darnell King 90’)

SAFC Starting XI: GK: Diego Restrepo; D: Darnell King, Ryan Felix, Chris Christian, Mike Seth; M: Pecka, Mikey Lopez, Kris Tyrpak (Omar Gordo 80’), Ryan Roushandel (c), Sonny Guadarrama (Rafa Castillo 67’); F: Ever Guzman

Substitutions Not Used: Matt Cardone, Gianluca Cuomo, Alex Bruce, Maxi Rodriguez, Cyprian Hedrick

Postgame Notes:

• San Antonio FC earned a road point on Saturday against LA Galaxy II…SAFC has now drawn all three matches they have played in Los Angeles…marks the first draw of the season for San Antonio
• SAFC kept their first clean sheet of the season…San Antonio led the league with 15 shutouts in 2017…SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo led the league with 12 shutouts in 2017 and also earned his first tonight
• San Antonio made 513 passes, completing 85 percent of them, which are both season-highs…SAFC had three players pass above a 90 percent success rate and eight players record a passing accuracy of 80 percent or higher
• SAFC midfielder Ryan Roushandel earned SWBC Man of the Match honors after helping keep a clean sheet and recording a 97.6 percent passing accuracy, completing 41 of his 42 passes on the day
• SAFC defender Darnell King made a team-high five interceptions along with two tackles, two clearances and 10 gained possessions

San Antonio FC (1-1-0) will travel to face LA Galaxy II (0-1-1) at StubHub Center on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT. The match marks the first of two meetings between the two clubs in the 2018 USL season.

SAFC will look to earn its second win of the season after the Alamo City club earned its first win of the campaign last Saturday. Goals from midfielders Mikey Lopez and Kris Tyrpak helped the team rally from behind to beat Saint Louis FC 2-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Toyota Field.

“I think last week the team did a good job to bounce back from a loss and earn a win at home,” SAFC Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez said. “Now we need to focus on earning another win because streaks are hard to start. It’s a challenge for us because we’ll have to do it on the road, but we’re going to give our best to earn three points in LA.”

The match marks the fifth matchup between the two clubs. The Alamo City club is 1-1-2 all-time against LA, earning two very late draws on the road. In 2016, SAFC tied the game 1-1 in the 89th minute when midfielder Carlos Alvarez found an equalizer in the final moments of the match. The team repeated the feat in 2017 when midfielder Michael Reed buried a free kick to level the score in the 88th minute.

Last season, SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo recorded a season-high seven saves en route to a draw on the road against Los Dos on September 9, 2017. This time around, SAFC will aim to earn three points for the first time at StubHub Center as they look to build on last weekend’s win.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve learned what our strengths are with and without the ball,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We know that now we need to continue improving on both sides of the ball. The guys know our system and are playing better together every week.”

LA Galaxy II will aim to earn their first win of the season on Saturday. Los Dos opened the season with a 0-2 loss at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and earned a 1-1 draw against in-state rivals and USL newcomers Fresno FC on the road. Last season, LA finished in 13th place in the Western Conference, going 8-19-5.

San Antonio FC will then return home on Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. as the club hosts Swope Park Rangers at Toyota Field, presented by SWBC.

 

Game 3 – San Antonio FC at LA Galaxy II

Date: Saturday, March 31, 2018

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. CT

Stadium: StubHub Center

San Antonio FC: 1-1-0, (9th place) 3 pts

LA Galaxy II: 0-1-1, (16th place) 0 pts

All-time Series: The game marks the fifth matchup between the two clubs overall. SAFC is 1-1-2 against Los Dos all-time, earning both draws on the road. The clubs last met in September 2017, when they played to a 1-1 draw at StubHub Center.

Watch/Stats:

www.sanantoniofc.com

USL Match Center

Media Information:

2018 SAFC Media Guide

Match Notes Attached

Social Media Information:

Twitter: @SanAntonioFC

Snapchat: SanAntonioFC

Facebook: San Antonio FC

Instagram: @sanantoniofc

Hashtags: #OurClub, #LAvSA

San Antonio FC (1-1-0) will travel to face LA Galaxy II (0-1-1) at StubHub Center on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT. The match marks the first of two meetings between the two clubs in the 2018 USL season.

SAFC will look to earn its second win of the season after the Alamo City club earned its first win of the campaign last Saturday. Goals from midfielders Mikey Lopez and Kris Tyrpak helped the team rally from behind to beat Saint Louis FC 2-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Toyota Field.

“I think last week the team did a good job to bounce back from a loss and earn a win at home,” SAFC Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez said. “Now we need to focus on earning another win because streaks are hard to start. It’s a challenge for us because we’ll have to do it on the road, but we’re going to give our best to earn three points in LA.”

The match marks the fifth matchup between the two clubs. The Alamo City club is 1-1-2 all-time against LA, earning two very late draws on the road. In 2016, SAFC tied the game 1-1 in the 89th minute when midfielder Carlos Alvarez found an equalizer in the final moments of the match. The team repeated the feat in 2017 when midfielder Michael Reed buried a free kick to level the score in the 88th minute.

Last season, SAFC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo recorded a season-high seven saves en route to a draw on the road against Los Dos on September 9, 2017. This time around, SAFC will aim to earn three points for the first time at StubHub Center as they look to build on last weekend’s win.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve learned what our strengths are with and without the ball,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “We know that now we need to continue improving on both sides of the ball. The guys know our system and are playing better together every week.”

LA Galaxy II will aim to earn their first win of the season on Saturday. Los Dos opened the season with a 0-2 loss at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and earned a 1-1 draw against in-state rivals and USL newcomers Fresno FC on the road. Last season, LA finished in 13th place in the Western Conference, going 8-19-5.

San Antonio FC will then return home on Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. as the club hosts Swope Park Rangers at Toyota Field, presented by SWBC.

 

Game 3 – San Antonio FC at LA Galaxy II

Date: Saturday, March 31, 2018

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. CT

Stadium: StubHub Center

San Antonio FC: 1-1-0, (9th place) 3 pts

LA Galaxy II: 0-1-1, (16th place) 0 pts

All-time Series: The game marks the fifth matchup between the two clubs overall. SAFC is 1-1-2 against Los Dos all-time, earning both draws on the road. The clubs last met in September 2017, when they played to a 1-1 draw at StubHub Center.

Watch/Stats:

www.sanantoniofc.com

USL Match Center

Media Information:

2018 SAFC Media Guide

Match Notes Attached

Social Media Information:

Twitter: @SanAntonioFC

Snapchat: SanAntonioFC

Facebook: San Antonio FC

Instagram: @sanantoniofc

Hashtags: #OurClub, #LAvSA

San Antonio FC earned a 2-1 win in front of a sold-out crowd at Toyota Field on Saturday. Despite conceding a goal in just the third minute of the match, the Alamo City club rallied from behind to earn three points in front of their fans.

As if a comeback win after going down early in the match weren’t impressive enough, both SAFC goals shared a common theme, one that has been in the making for quite some time. The first goal came from Mikey Lopez after Kris Tyrpak headed the ball across the mouth of goal to set up Lopez’s finish. The second goal came after Tyrpak found the end of a cross from Lopez and headed it in past the keeper.

The two goals were incredibly similar– two parallel plays that saw the midfielders reciprocating the same setup to assist the other’s goal (not to mention a third constant factor in Connor Presley’s involvement to spark both plays).

The connection between the two midfielders seemed like it had been there for years, and that’s because it has. The two Texas natives enjoyed their first stint as teammates when they were teenagers while playing club soccer with Lonestar SC.

“Mikey (Lopez) and I used to play in the same team growing up,” Tyrpak said following Saturday’s match. “We’ve played together for multiple years and it’s just a matter of getting back into it, and tonight I think it showed.”

A native of Dripping Springs, Tyrpak was involved with soccer clubs in the Austin area since he was 12 years old, and eventually found himself playing for Lonestar SC after the club absorbed the Capitals and AU, both former clubs of the midfielder.

“Lonestar merged with a lot of clubs back then,” Tyrpak said. “I stayed with Lonestar and eventually we started bringing in good players from the (Rio Grande) Valley, and we ended up with sort of like a super team.”

Among those players was Mikey Lopez. When he was just in the eighth grade, Lopez decided to attend a boarding school in Austin so he could dedicate more time to soccer and have a better chance at a collegiate career, and eventually try to go pro. During that time, he and Tyrpak ended up on the same team which would go on to win state championships, appeared in the U.S. Development Academy playoffs, and finished in second place at the prestigious Dallas Cup.

“We accomplished a lot during those years,” Lopez said. “We won a few trophies and made progress as people off the field. And of course, we made a lot of friends along the way.”

After two years of playing together, Lopez and Tyrpak went their separate ways. Tyrpak attended and played soccer at Houston Baptist University, and Lopez did the same at the University of North Carolina. They both earned valuable experience playing in Major League Soccer, and eventually their paths crossed again in the Alamo City with San Antonio FC.

Despite years of not playing together, Lopez and Tyrpak’s chemistry on the pitch looked intact during the SAFC home opener, a fact that Lopez thinks is a huge positive as he continues to incorporate himself into the team and its style of play.

“It’s helped a lot playing with him again,” Lopez said. “It helps to know how a teammate plays, how he likes to receive the ball and his tendencies with it. It’s good that we have that relationship already and we don’t have to start from scratch. We’re picking up right where we left off.”

For Tyrpak, picking up where he left off also means continuing to be an integral part of the SAFC roster. The midfielder was the second-highest goal scorer for the club last season with six goals. On Saturday, he scored his first goal of the season in front of a packed Toyota Field.

From Lopez’s perspective, returning home to Texas has been a great experience. The Mission native has scored two goals in as many matches, and after playing his first match at Toyota Field, he’s looking forward to improving along with his teammates and fine-tuning their team chemistry.

“The connections we’re building with each other are growing,” Lopez said. “It started the first week of preseason and with each game and every week that we train together, we get more comfortable with each other, and that’s starting to show on the field.”

San Antonio FC earned a 2-1 win in front of a sold-out crowd at Toyota Field on Saturday. Despite conceding a goal in just the third minute of the match, the Alamo City club rallied from behind to earn three points in front of their fans.

As if a comeback win after going down early in the match weren’t impressive enough, both SAFC goals shared a common theme, one that has been in the making for quite some time. The first goal came from Mikey Lopez after Kris Tyrpak headed the ball across the mouth of goal to set up Lopez’s finish. The second goal came after Tyrpak found the end of a cross from Lopez and headed it in past the keeper.

The two goals were incredibly similar– two parallel plays that saw the midfielders reciprocating the same setup to assist the other’s goal (not to mention a third constant factor in Connor Presley’s involvement to spark both plays).

The connection between the two midfielders seemed like it had been there for years, and that’s because it has. The two Texas natives enjoyed their first stint as teammates when they were teenagers while playing club soccer with Lonestar SC.

“Mikey (Lopez) and I used to play in the same team growing up,” Tyrpak said following Saturday’s match. “We’ve played together for multiple years and it’s just a matter of getting back into it, and tonight I think it showed.”

A native of Dripping Springs, Tyrpak was involved with soccer clubs in the Austin area since he was 12 years old, and eventually found himself playing for Lonestar SC after the club absorbed the Capitals and AU, both former clubs of the midfielder.

“Lonestar merged with a lot of clubs back then,” Tyrpak said. “I stayed with Lonestar and eventually we started bringing in good players from the (Rio Grande) Valley, and we ended up with sort of like a super team.”

Among those players was Mikey Lopez. When he was just in the eighth grade, Lopez decided to attend a boarding school in Austin so he could dedicate more time to soccer and have a better chance at a collegiate career, and eventually try to go pro. During that time, he and Tyrpak ended up on the same team which would go on to win state championships, appeared in the U.S. Development Academy playoffs, and finished in second place at the prestigious Dallas Cup.

“We accomplished a lot during those years,” Lopez said. “We won a few trophies and made progress as people off the field. And of course, we made a lot of friends along the way.”

After two years of playing together, Lopez and Tyrpak went their separate ways. Tyrpak attended and played soccer at Houston Baptist University, and Lopez did the same at the University of North Carolina. They both earned valuable experience playing in Major League Soccer, and eventually their paths crossed again in the Alamo City with San Antonio FC.

Despite years of not playing together, Lopez and Tyrpak’s chemistry on the pitch looked intact during the SAFC home opener, a fact that Lopez thinks is a huge positive as he continues to incorporate himself into the team and its style of play.

“It’s helped a lot playing with him again,” Lopez said. “It helps to know how a teammate plays, how he likes to receive the ball and his tendencies with it. It’s good that we have that relationship already and we don’t have to start from scratch. We’re picking up right where we left off.”

For Tyrpak, picking up where he left off also means continuing to be an integral part of the SAFC roster. The midfielder was the second-highest goal scorer for the club last season with six goals. On Saturday, he scored his first goal of the season in front of a packed Toyota Field.

From Lopez’s perspective, returning home to Texas has been a great experience. The Mission native has scored two goals in as many matches, and after playing his first match at Toyota Field, he’s looking forward to improving along with his teammates and fine-tuning their team chemistry.

“The connections we’re building with each other are growing,” Lopez said. “It started the first week of preseason and with each game and every week that we train together, we get more comfortable with each other, and that’s starting to show on the field.”