SAFC in first playoff match since 2017
For every road match of the USL Championship restart, San Antonio FC traveled by bus.
SAFC played eight away contests during the abbreviated 16game regular season, covering 461 miles to OKC Energy FC, 557 miles to El Paso Locomotive FC and 520 miles to FC Tulsa, twice.
Some of those trips spanned eight hours or more, and though the league allowed teams to arrange flights for any travel exceeding 500 miles, coach Alen Marcina said SAFC “wanted to take all precautions” to guard against the coronavirus pandemic.
The new routine created logistical challenges for every team in the league, adding to the value of home-field advantage. Despite a few late missteps with a chance to secure home field through the postseason, San Antonio FC finished atop Group D, advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
SAFC opens the postseason with a matchup against New Mexico United at 8 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Field, looking to build on a 7-0-1 home record.
“We want to make sure we can continue to defend 210 and create this fortress here and make it difficult for teams to come in here,” Marcina said. “We’ve created that reputation, which we feel can give us a competitive advantage.”
With a victory, San Antonio would face the winner between Tulsa and El Paso next week at Toyota Field. SAFC defender Mitchell Taintor said the perks of players sleeping in their own bed and staying in a routine provide an edge at home “even without this crazy coronavirus year.”
SAFC held its first four games after the restart without fans, then opened Toyota Field to about 2,000 spectators — 25 percent capacity — for the final three contests.
“The supporters stuck by us all year. Even though they weren’t physically there for us in the stadium during these games, we were thinking about them,” Taintor said. “It’s our home. We can’t lose there. That’s been our mentality, and it’s worked out so far this year.”
A month ago, SAFC was 8-0-3, standing as the league’s last remaining unbeaten with a shot to finish as the top overall seed in the Western Conference.
But San Antonio lost three of its final five matches to finish 103-3 with 33 points, slipping behind Reno (36 points) and Phoenix (35 points) in the West. SAFC would travel for potential conference finals matchups against either team.
Marcina said San Antonio played well enough to win every match down the stretch, “maybe minus one half,” and remained “laser focused and extremely committed” in practice. Taintor said SAFC’s effort and mentality continue to be solid.
“There’s been a lot of bite in training. I think guys are re-energized,” Taintor said. “Everyone is chomping at the bit to get going. Saturday night is going to be an amazing atmosphere and, hopefully, a San Antonio win.”
Taintor still views SAFC as a team with “more positives than negatives.” Under a first-year coach in Marcina, San Antonio committed to an aggressive, pressing style, looking to create a flurry of opportunities on attack and quickly reclaim possession on defense.
SAFC averaged 1.88 goals per game this season — the highest mark in franchise history. San Antonio also flipped its fortunes defensively, allowing 0.88 goals per match in 2020 after yielding 1.68 goals per match in 2019.
“We just have to fix up little details, and I think we can continue the good form we’ve been in this season,” Taintor said. “It’s a good time for that to happen.”
New Mexico also finished the year on a lull, going 2-2-2 in its final six matches. Marcina said New Mexico is an “interesting matchup” for SAFC, employing a similar, high-pressure style.
United figures to be prepared for the challenges of travel. It played all 16 of its matches away from its usual home stadium due to state coronavirus restrictions.
The pandemic’s effect has been significant during the three months since the USL Championship’s restart, with more than a dozen matches postponed and a handful of positive tests reported in most of the league’s weekly updates.
Marcina said SAFC has done a “fantastic job” adhering to the protocols. No absences because of positive tests have been evident in San Antonio’s lineups, and the team’s only scheduling change was due to positive tests for the opposing club, RGV FC.
“I’m really proud of all the guys. COVID has taken a lot from a lot of people this year, and we’ve had a lot of dedication throughout the year,” Taintor said. “I really tip my hat to all the guys for being professional and being smart about how they handled themselves outside the pitch.”