San Antonio FC opens practice with dreams of a title.
Team is eager to take the next step after losing in first round of playoffs
Walking off the field after his first practice with San Antonio FC on Tuesday, midfielder Cam Lindley was already prepared to offer a bold evaluation of his new teammates.
“I think it’s the best team in the USL, of course,” Lindley said.
While Lindley may be guilty of opening-day hyperbole, forward Jose Gallegos was clear: Winning a championship is SAFC’S goal in 2021.
Last season, San Antonio finished atop Group D of the USL Championship, standing as the league’s last remaining unbeaten team through 11 matches. The strong year ended, though, in the first round of the playoffs, as New Mexico United secured a 1-0 win in extra time behind a goal that SAFC coach Alen Marcina called a “clear” handball.
In the second year under Marcina, a retooled SAFC roster has designs on being the USL’S premier squad.
“The first day of training, coaches are super intense, and the guys are super intense,” Lindley said. “You can feel that chip on their shoulder, that they felt like they deserved more. So, us new guys are coming in and trying to match that. We want to get to the level they were at last year, plus more. They have unfinished business, and we want to help them go on and do that.”
SAFC’S season is scheduled to open around May 1, kicking off a 32-game schedule that will span 27 weeks, with playoffs set for November.
The USL Championship announced Tuesday that teams will be split into four groups, with SAFC one of seven teams playing in the Mountain Division. Each squad will face its divisional opponents four times, leaving eight games against regional or cross conference teams.
“Last year wasn’t the best ending or the ending we wanted it to be,” Gallegos said. “It’s still hurting inside, and it’s that fire in me and with the team, that we don’t want that to happen again. We learn from it, and we progress, and we look to figure out what the problem was and improve on it.”
Gallegos, midfielder Victor Giro, defender Connor Maloney and goalkeeper Matt Cardone are returning stalwarts to a roster that stands at 16 players. Lindley is one of SAFC’S six newcomers, including five who have played in the MLS or signed an MLS contract.
“I just love the culture, I love the drive, I love their belief in the youth, I love all of that kind of stuff,” Lindley said. “I just really wanted to come in and be a part of that. I thought it was something special, and as you can tell, so did other guys who are really good players.”
SAFC’S fresh faces look to compensate for a group of high-impact departures.
Midfielder Cristian Parano led the club with four assists and was considered one of the league’s top players before signing with a first-division club in Portugal during the offseason. Forward Luis Solignac, who topped SAFC with eight goals in 2020, signed last month with El Paso Locomotive FC.
Defender Blake Smith, a Boerne native, is gone after being the only player to start all 17 matches last year, with midfielder Mitchell Taintor and defender Joshua Yaro also exiting during the offseason.
Marcina said SAFC is still working to add a few new players to the roster.
“We have very, very high standards, and some, unfortunately, can’t meet those standards,” Marcina said. “But with the new players, we’re all incredibly excited. They all bring something that fits with what we’re doing here, and we’re confident they can help evolve the current culture.”
Gallegos, a 19-year-old who played at Central Catholic, is SAFC’S top returning offensive threat, notching two goals and three assists last year after signing his first professional contract.
Gallegos said he saw his allaround game improve through the season. Marcina described Gallegos as “the total package” and a “special player,” destined to reach an “even bigger stage” following his time with SAFC.
“Jose, as I mentioned from Day 1, is a fantastic talent,” Marcina said. “With his growth mindset and his commitment, Jose is only going to get better. Jose, in our opinion, is a star in this league, and he’s got a very, very bright future ahead of him.”