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USL San Diego Loyal

Pair of Road Matches for SD Loyal Begin in Bay Area

September 22, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Diego Loyal News Release


On Wednesday, Sept. 22, San Diego Loyal begins a two-match road trip, starting with a match in the Bay Area. The Week 23 match is slated to be streamed on Yurview (Cox 4), ESPN+ and broadcasted on Azteca America 33 in Spanish.

WHO:

- SD Loyal SC

- Oakland Roots

WHEN:

Wednesday, Sept. 22

7 p.m. PT

WHERE:

Las Positas College

3000 Campus Hill Dr.

Livermore, CA 94551

MATCH PREVIEW:

SD Loyal had a list of items it needed to correct earlier in the season. A shaky backline subject to miscues, missing scoring chances in the attack and lack of depth due to injuries. Those items are getting checked off the list as the team makes a push for the 2021 USL Championship playoffs.

Coach Landon Donovan's team has eight regular season matches remaining and it appears to have found solutions to those problems that cost the second-year team points in the standings. But despite the troubles, SD Loyal remains in playoff contention sitting in second place in the Pacific Division standings as it heads into a pair of road matches this week.

Donovan now has depth at his backline, which has shown to be a stingy group that has allowed only three goals in its current four-game unbeaten streak. SD Loyal now has perhaps one of the best defenses in the division with Elijah Martin, Grant Stoneman, Josh Yaro and Callum Montgomery. The ladder is back from an injury that has kept him out for several weeks. And then there is Oliver Larraz and Miguel Ibarra, both who can play in the outside of the backline and help move up the flanks in the attack. Ibarra filled in as the rightback in a 1-0 win against Tacoma Defiance this past weekend. Yaro scored the game-winning goal as he also helped the team to it's fourth shutout of the season, all with Austin Guerrero at goal.

"There's continuity now," Donovan said about his defense. "There is no substitute for this kind of continuity. The good news now is that we also have (Gianfranco) Frachinneri and Callum Montgomery pushing them. Competition is good amongst each other but they all root for each other. We have three games this week in six days and we have guys that can't play 90 minutes every game so we need guys like Callum and Facchineri to come in and help us."

It helps SD Loyal that has already played Oakland Roots a couple of times this season and played to a couple of shutouts, two of the four shutouts on the season. One was a 1-0 win and the other a scoreless draw on Sept. 11.

Oakland comes into Wednesday's match after a 1-0 loss against LA Galaxy last Saturday. Oakland is looking to move into a playoff position as the top four teams in the division clinch a spot. Roots comes into this match sitting in the No. five spot with 27 points, three behind Tacoma Defiance. This match could be crucial for Oakland as LA Galaxy and Sacramento Republic trail them by one points and could move ahead of the Bay Area team. Oakland turned its season around with a long unbeaten streak in August and early September as it moved out of last place after having to face challenges that kept them from playing on its home field, amid other issues. It is 2-2-1 in its last five games. That problem reared its head again as Wednesday's match will be played at Las Positas College.

After facing Oakland, SD Loyal will travel to face Las Vegas Lights FC in the desert on Saturday Sept. 25 in a quick turnaround for another Pacific Division battle.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 22, 2021


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.

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