LOYAL SET FOR FIRST HOME PLAYOFF TILT

San Diego Loyal SC had a potent offensive attack this season, scoring the secondmost goals in USL Championship with 68.

The No. 2-seeded Loyal (18-10-6, 60 points) also allowed 55 goals, the most of anyone in the 12-team playoff field.

So it’s no secret that when Landon Donovan’s team takes the pitch tonight in front of a large crowd at Torero Stadium against the No. 7-seeded Oakland Roots SC (11-10-13, 46 points) in a Western Conference quarterfinal, finding a balance between that aggressive attack and being solid in the back end will be essential.

The teams met twice during the regular season, playing to a 2-2 tie on April 13 at Oakland’s Laney College Stadium. Roots SC earned a 3-1 win on Aug. 24 in San Diego.

“When we’ve been really good in everything we do, all the little things, then we concede very few goals,” Donovan said. “When we are not at our best and attention to detail is down, we can allow a lot of goals. We’re not stupid. We know we can’t allow two or three goals (today) and expect to win the game. That’s been a huge focus.”

Ottar Magnus Karlsson led Oakland and finished second in the USL with 21 goals, with one against San Diego while Edgardo Rito has been a consistent playmaker who is particularly dangerous in transition and finished with five goals — two against the Loyal — and seven assists.

San Diego’s attack was paced by Kyle Vassell and his 14 goals while Thomas Amang scored 11 and Evan Conway scored nine.

Charlie Adams led the team with 11 assists while Robinson Mashobane posted six goals and seven assists.

San Diego goalkeeper Koke Vegas finished with six clean sheets, but the Loyal allowed three or more goals in four of the final eight games of the regular season.

An emphasis in training this week was placed on handling the way Oakland can turn good defense into quick transition offense as well as managing corner kicks and set pieces.

“They’re very, very aggressive in how they defend which makes them difficult to play against,” Donovan said. “Last game we played at home, we had a lot of chances, a lot of the ball but we fell asleep on one corner kick and a couple of plays during the flow of play during the game so we have to eliminate that. They are really good at punishing mistakes.”

Said midfielder Alejandro Guido: “The biggest thing has been managing details. It was the little things that hurt us against them. They have fast wingers and we have to take care of that.”

Guido, who is from Chula Vista, said he and his teammates are well aware that the Loyal are hosting this game in the midst of playoff runs by the Padres and San Diego Wave FC.

“It’s been so exciting,” Guido said. “San Diego has been missing that for awhile and now we have it on overload. They deserve that. It’s going to be great having family and friends here cheering us on as we try to bring home some silverware.”