Friendly a chance to gauge progress
San Antonio FC practiced at Toyota Field for the first time in 2024 on Thursday as the club completes its third week of training camp.
“Surprising to be three weeks in. It seems to be flying by,” San Antonio coach Alen Marcina said. “This week we were working on our pressing principles. Last week was us with the ball, this week is us without the ball. Over the last four years we’ve been the best pressing team in the league but we still look to evolve.”
On Saturday, San Antonio faces Houston Dynamo 2 in a closed door friendly at Toyota Field.
“We’re excited to see what we’ve worked on the last couple of weeks and putting it to the test,” San Antonio defender Carter Manley said. “We’ve gotten the chemistry down over the past two weeks and we’re starting to understand each other and each other’s movements.”
SAFC has continued to add to the roster in preparation for starting the season on March 9. Earlier this week the club signed goalkeeper Kendall Mcintosh. Mcintosh is the 11th new player signed to San Antonio FC since the end of last season and will battle with fellow newcomer Pablo Sisniega for the starting goalkeeper role.
“The new guys have been incredibly cohesive,” Marcina said. “It starts with acquiring good people. These are all good people who are open minded to all these new principles, concepts, ideas that we implement. We are proud of them.”
There is also youth among the new players in the form of forward Kameron Lacey who signed with the club on Jan. 17, a day after his 23rd birthday. Lacey is currently the youngest player on the roster but hopes to be an important piece for San Antonio this season.
“I want to score goals and light up Toyota Field for the fans,” Lacey said. “As a team we want to bring trophies to the fans and for each other. We’re going to be working for each other and to get the end result would be great.”
The new players have already begun impressing the returning players with what they bring to the club.
“Everyone is really receptive to the new information. No one has come in with an ego,” Manley said. “It’s very team based and everyone is good people. I think that’s going to carry our team far.”