San Antonio FC will travel to Cashman Field on Saturday night to face Las Vegas Lights FC in a match that could define their push for a playoff spot in the USL Championship. Sitting eighth in the Western Conference with 38 points from 9 wins, 6 draws, and 11 losses, San Antonio knows this game holds significant weight with just four matches remaining in the regular season.
San Antonio enters the fixture on the back of a strong defensive run, having earned back-to-back shutouts in league play for the first time this season. Their most recent outing was a 0-0 draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the best team in the league, where San Antonio controlled possession and limited Tampa Bay to no shots on goal. Coach Carlos Llamosa praised his team’s defensive effort but highlighted the need to improve their finishing. “We played a good amount of minutes in the attacking half, so there is frustration right there when we played a good game and we think that we deserved better, that we deserved the three points,” Llamosa said.
Despite outshooting Tampa Bay 16-4 and registering five shots on target, San Antonio was unable to score, with Rowdies goalkeeper Jahmali Waite making five saves. Llamosa pointed to this as an area for improvement as the season reaches its climax. “If you prevent the opposition creating chances, that’s a positive thing. With (goalkeeper) Joey (Batrouni) and the back line, I think we’ve had a solid season, and we just need to put more guys, creative guys up front around the area and score goals,” he said.
Defender Mitchell Taintor emphasized the effort and discipline behind San Antonio’s recent defensive resilience. “Defending isn’t the most glamorous thing. It’s the thing that takes the most effort, the most discipline, the most willpower, and so the fact that we’re doing that, it just shows that the backbone of this team and the mentality is there,” Taintor said. He acknowledged the team’s need for sharper offensive execution but expressed confidence in the squad’s mentality going into the final stretch. “We just need the final touches going into the last couple games,” he added.
San Antonio’s defensive solidity has translated into 10 clean sheets this season, ranking them third best in the USL. That defensive foundation will be tested again against Las Vegas, who sit 11th in the Western Conference with 33 points but remain mathematically alive for a playoff berth. The Lights are led by Johnny Rodriguez, one of the league’s top scorers with 12 goals.
The teams met earlier this season at Toyota Field, where Las Vegas came from behind to win 2-1. San Antonio scored first in that encounter but conceded two second-half goals. The upcoming match offers San Antonio a chance for revenge and to solidify their place in the postseason.
Coach Llamosa has set a clear target beyond merely qualifying for the playoffs. “Last year we set the bar, just making playoffs. This one, this year, I want to make playoffs, but I want to play at home,” he said. Securing a top-four finish would guarantee San Antonio a home game in the first round, an advantage Llamosa is determined to achieve. “There are 12 points on the table, and we need to go out there and try to get as many points we can and finish in the top four,” he said.
San Antonio’s schedule has been packed recently, including a 7-0 international friendly loss to German side SV Darmstadt 98 on Tuesday, also at Toyota Field. The team now turns its focus to the league and the challenge of maintaining its playoff position in the Western Conference.
The match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday at Cashman Field, where San Antonio will look to extend their defensive run and find the goals that have eluded them in recent matches.
According to Yahoo Sports.
