San Antonio FC traveled to Jacksonville, FL Wednesday to play league newcomers Sporting Club Jacksonville. Entering Wednesday’s match, SAFC was atop the table in the Western Conference, with 20 points, while Sporting Jax was still seeking its first win in its inaugural season.
The home side wasted no time slicing the ice when – in the 6th minute – Sporting Jax midfielder Rafferty Pedder went on a run through the San Antonio defense and made the key pass to forward Emil Jääskeläinen, who took a quick, first-touch, left foot shot, which deflected off a diving SAFC defender Danny Barbir, up and over goalkeeper Richard Sanchez and into the goal resulting in Sporting Jax up one-nil.
In the first half, Sporting Jax found itself in a position to go up another goal when SAFC defender Rece Buckmaster fouled Jax defender Tyshawn Rose in the penalty box. In the 23rd minute, Jacksonville midfielder Kieran Sadlier took the penalty kick and laced a screamer off his right foot past a diving Sanchez. Sporting Jax up two-nil.
The waking nightmare would continue for SAFC as Pedder, making a run toward the goal, dove when Sanchez challenged him just outside the 6-yard box. Sanchez was issued a yellow card, and Sporting Jax would once again score off a penalty kick from Sadlier. Sadlier, who had previously beaten Sanchez to his right, this time snuck one past him on his left. In the 45th minute, Sporting Jax went up three-nil going into halftime.
“We wasted the first 45 minutes. We didn’t play well. We gave up a lot of chances. I didn’t see the team that’s been playing this season,” SAFC head coach Carlos Llamosa said.
The second half turned around for SAFC. In the 48th minute, SAFC midfielder Dmitrii Erofeev – who has been on a heater the last four matches – struck again, corralling a loose ball following a challenge and sneaking it past Jax goalkeeper Christian Olivares, reducing Jacksonville’s lead 3-1.
Three minutes later, in the 51st minute, SAFC striker Cristian Sorto weaved his way just inside the 18 and uncorked a shot across the face of the goal and into the side pocket. Sporting Jax now led 3-2.
Three minutes after Sorto’s goal, in the 54th minute, SAFC would get the equalizer. SAFC defender Akeem O’Connor-Ward, in the right place at the right time, took a touch off a deflection in the penalty area and snuck a quick left-footed strike past a diving Olivares into the back of the net. Ward’s goal – his first of the season – capped off a six-minute scoring spree for SAFC that erased the seemingly insurmountable halftime deficit.
“As soon as we came out at the half, the body language was better, I was happy to be a part of coming back and we got the momentum,” Ward said.
In the 76th minute, Barbir shredded Jacksonville’s midfielders off the backline when he lobbed a cross inside the 18 to Sorto, who trapped it with his right and fired a volley with his left past a diving Olivares. SAFC now led 4-3.
In the 89th minute, with time running out, all SAFC had to do was run out the clock. Sporting Jax mounted a last-minute attack. Tyshawn Rose – catching San Antonio’s back line napping – snuck a low cross from the near touch line into the center of the box that was received in stride by Rafferty Pedder, who deposited it into the back of the net for the equalizer. The match would end in a 4-4 draw.
“To come back from a 3-0 deficit and end up getting a 4-3 lead is a big step forward. But obviously, giving up a goal in the last couple of minutes is tough. There’s a lot of good things to take away and a lot of things to learn from,” Sorto said.
With the draw, SAFC remain atop the table in the west with 21 points. San Antonio’s next match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6, against FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the third round of the Prinx Tires USL Cup.
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