Sports stats



USL San Antonio FC

Game Information and Match Notes - v Orange County SC 9/23/23

September 22, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Antonio FC News Release


At a glance...

Playoff Push: SAFC is closing in on securing the team's fourth-straight playoff appearance. A win or draw on Saturday guarantees the team's spot in the postseason. If San Antonio were to lose, the team can still secure a playoff spot with either a Monterey Bay loss or draw, or a loss by El Paso. A playoff appearance would make SAFC the only Western Conference team to make the playoffs in each season since 2020 - Alen Marcina's first year leading SAFC.

Fresh off the Press: SAFC leads both the USL Championship and MLS in Passes per Defensive Action (PPDA) per WyScout at 6.8, nearly two passes better than the second-best USL Championship side, Charleston at 8.6. The league average is 11.21. The statistic counts the average number of passes SAFC opponents complete before an SAFC defensive action (tackle, interception, etc.) is made, representing a team's defensive pressing actions.

The Man in Charge: Since taking over in 2020, no active head coach in the league has more points than Alen Marcina. The fourth year manager boasts 213 points behind a 61-21-30 record.

---------------

What they had to say:

Head Coach Alen Marcina

(On the team's excitement to be able to clinch playoffs...)

"It's never been in our mentality since 2020 'are we going to make playoffs or not.' This will be four consecutive years of making playoffs, we are with the mindset of 'are we going to be able to compete for a championship or not.' So that's our mindset right now."

(On what Orange County brings...)

"We know it's a very strong opponent. We go into every game, wanting to win that game. We're relentless in our preparation, the energy from the guys, and the commitment from the guys have been fantastic this week. It's a confident group, you know we felt that we did dominate Tampa and we fell short of the desired result. We made a few errors, unfortunately in soccer it happens, but the group is very confident and we're excited with the opportunity to host a strong OC team."

---------------

USL Championship Match #31 - San Antonio FC v Orange County SC

Date: Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT

Stadium: Toyota Field, San Antonio, TX

Where to Watch: ESPN+, Bally Sports Southwest Extra

San Antonio FC: 13-5-12 (51 pts; 2nd in Western Conference)

Orange County SC: 14-10-5 (47 pts; 2nd in Western Conference)

All-time Series: The all-time regular season series is split 3-3-4, with SAFC falling to OCSC in penalty kicks in the 2021 playoffs. Last season, SAFC went 1-0-1 against Orange County.

Check out the San Antonio FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 22, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central