San Antonio FC settles for draw after late Phoenix equalizer
The Western Conference leaders couldn’t capitalize on a man advantage as Phoenix Rising salvaged a point late Saturday night.
San Antonio FC walked away from Arizona with a frustrating 1-1 draw against Phoenix Rising FC after conceding an equalizer in the final 10 minutes.
Why it matters: SAFC had a prime opportunity to create separation atop the USL Championship Western Conference standings after Phoenix went down to 10 men late in the first half.
What happened: San Antonio grabbed the lead before halftime and appeared in control after Phoenix’s Charlie Dennis was shown a red card.
- But despite the advantage, SAFC generated only two shots in the second half.
- Phoenix broke through in the 80th minute when 19-year-old Adrián Pelayo buried a low finish into the bottom-right corner for his first professional goal.
The big picture: The draw kept San Antonio at the top of the Western Conference, but it felt more like two points dropped than one gained after playing a man up for more than a half.
Key stat: Saturday marked just the fourth draw in 19 all-time meetings between the clubs across regular season and playoff play, with Phoenix still holding an 8-7-4 edge in the series.
What they’re saying: SAFC feels like the game was more of a loss, considering they were a man up for a majority of the match.
- “I feel we actually lost the game today because of the advantage we had with being a man up,” San Antonio midfielder Lucio Berron said. “We should’ve won this game.”
- “I know it’s a point away, but to play with a man up for more than 45 minutes, we should do better managing the ball,” SAFC Head Coach Carlos Llamosa said.
What’s next: San Antonio returns to the pitch next weekend looking to rebound after missing a chance to put away one of its longtime Western Conference rivals.
