San Antonio FC head coach Carlos Llamosa made significant changes to the starting eleven Saturday for round two of the USL Cup against One Knoxville SC at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn. Only two players who started for SAFC in the last match started this one.
The run of play in the first half ebbed and flowed for each side. Neither side dominated possession as both clubs shared joint custody of the ball and created chances on the attacking third of the pitch. San Antonio goalkeeper Richard Sanchez and his counterpart, One Knox goalkeeper Johnathan Burke, each played well throughout and had key saves.
In the 49th minute, just before extra time expired in the first half, SAFC had a corner kick opportunity. SAFC midfielder Dmitrii Erofeev’s service into the box was redirected by his teammate Tiago Suarez, who leapt above a slew of One Knox defenders to execute a brilliant flick-on into the goal and give SAFC a one-nil lead at halftime.
“It was a long time coming. We’ve had a lot of center backs who’ve scored this year and set the standard pretty high so, I’m glad to have gotten on the sheet,” Suarez said.
The second half was more of a stop-and-start affair. Neither club was able to establish a rhythm and there were significantly more stoppages in play than the first half due to a substantial increase in fouls and substitutions on each side. SAFC threatened with three shots on goal in the second half, but Knoxville’s Burke proved to be a brick wall.
Likewise, the SAFC back line forestalled the Knoxville onslaught thanks to two crucial saves in extra time by Sanchez, who was the best player on the pitch on Saturday night. Sanchez kept a clean sheet and preserved the victory for San Antonio. In four starts across all competitions this season, Sanchez has yet to allow a goal in 2026.
“Beside the three points, it was a good opportunity for the guys who haven’t played earlier in the season,” Llamosa said. “It was a good performance by the team. We held them to zero goals and we created a lot of chances.”
With the 1-0 win, SAFC earned three points in round two of the USL Cup group stage. San Antonio is currently the pole-sitter in Group Three with a total of five points in group play. SAFC remains atop the table in the west and returns to league play next Saturday at Toyota Field to host Sacramento Republic FC.
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