The crowd at Toyota Field was along for an emotional rollercoaster ride of a match that ran the full gamut Saturday night. Returning to league play after its first round USL Cup match last weekend, San Antonio FC hosted Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
SAFC started off the match on the back foot. The slow start was due in large part to the pressure applied by Colorado. Early in the match, SAFC faced the best pressure it’s seen by any side all season, but mostly managed to fend off the Colorado attack. The low point of the first half was the 25th minute, when San Antonio goalkeeper Joey Batrouni inexplicably passed across the face of his own goal, only to be intercepted by a streaking Switchbacks forward Yosuke Hanya, who practically dribbled into the goal and put CSFC up 1-nil.
“Through the week, they study our behaviors; we study their behaviors; and they were more sharpened to the way the game was developing,” SAFC assistant coach Fredy Herrera said.
The lapse in judgment seemed to wake up the home side and snap it out of its collective malaise. In the 35th minute, San Antonio’s dynamic playmaking duo went to work. Midfielder Cristian Parano sent an on-target through pass upfield, leading teammate Jorge Hernandez perfectly. Hernandez took a touch and placed a low, well-struck shot off his left foot just inside the post to the back of the net for the equalizer. Tied 1-1 at the half, SAFC had new life.
“We pretty much gave up the first half. We were not good. But we turned it around, we fought and we were warriors in the second half,” SAFC captain Mitchell Taintor said.
The second half began with Colorado scoring right away. In the 46th minute, CSFC forward Sadam Masereka scorched a knuckler off his right foot from distance, which short-hopped a diving Batrouni, glanced off his hands, and into the net. The visitors regained the lead, 2-1. From this point on, the match became nothing short of chaotic.
“Very cinematic. The fans got their money’s worth, that’s for sure,” SAFC defender Tiago Suarez said.
SAFC did make adjustments and began to maintain possession and apply pressure on the Switchbacks. Five of the six yellow cards issued in the match came in the second half. There were a total of 34 fouls. A rash of flops, bad acting and stalling tactics ensued, much to the frustration of the crowd at Toyota Field. The run of play got chippy and Colorado goalkeeper Christian Herrera and forward Adrien Perez were the main offenders. The height of the crowd’s discontent crescendoed in the 76th minute, when the home side supporters at Toyota Field chanted in unison, “Ref, you suck!” at referee Muhammad Hassan.
“It’s very frustrating to see all the time that was wasted,” Saurez said.
“We have a fiery group,” Taintor said. “We have a lot of young, hungry guys who are passionate and showing that energy – and I love that.”
Despite the extracurricular activity and frequent stoppages, SAFC showed its resilience. In the 83rd minute, Hernandez struck again. Outside the 18, Hernandez launched an absolute screamer off his left foot past a diving Herrera, just inside the far post, for the brace and the equalizer.
Due to the aforementioned flopping and excessive foul calls, 11 minutes of stoppage time were added. In the 97th minute of play, SAFC defender Alex Crognale, as he is wont to do, came through with a clutch follow off a shot blocked by Herrera. Crognale volleyed the deflection midstride into the back of the net, to the pure elation of the home supporters, scoring what they all assumed would be the game-winner.
“Obviously, it’s an emotional game. If you could bottle that feeling of the crowd after the third goal, we’d be millionaires,” Taintor said.
Colorado, however, had other ideas. Mounting an impressive final attack, CSFC forced a corner kick in the 100th minute. Service into the box was punched out by Batrouni, but Switchbacks midfielder Brennan Creek followed with a quick shot, which ricocheted off the outstretched foot of San Antonio’s Curt Calov and into the back of the net. With less than a minute to play, SAFC frantically attempted to score, but time ran out and the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
“Unfortunately, at the end of the game, it’s the little details that change it –but we had the game, up to the last minute of the game,” Herrera said.
With the draw, each side earned a point in the standings. SAFC maintains a one-point lead atop the table in the west. San Antonio FC will take its show on the road this Saturday, facing Phoenix Rising FC at 38th Street and Washington in Phoenix, Ariz.
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