San Antonio FC Claims 3-2 Rivalry Win over El Paso
USL San Antonio FC

San Antonio FC Claims 3-2 Rivalry Win over El Paso

Published on April 19, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Antonio FC News Release


SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio FC handed its intrastate rival its first loss of the season, defeating El Paso Locomotive FC 3-2 on the road Saturday.

Alex Crognale put San Antonio up in grand fashion in the 16th minute, pulling up past midfield in his own half to catch El paso's goalkeeper out and send a floating ball in the back of the net. Mikey Maldonado found Jorge Hernandez open in the box to put home San Antonio's second goal in the 43rd minute.

El Paso pulled back within one during first-half stoppage time, with SAFC heading into the break still up 2-1. The Locomotive evened out of the half, scoring their second goal in the 55th minute.

The teams traded close chances in the second half, but SAFC poached the match-winning goal in the 90th minute as Cristian Parano took a pass from Hernandez and dribbled past a pair of Locomotive defenders to poke in the finale strike.

Goalkeeper Joey Batrouni made a career-high six saves in the match, including a game-saving effort late in stoppage time to help SAFC preserve its lead and take the win.

The victory puts SAFC in a prime position to claim its second-straight Copa Tejas trophy, which will officially be decided in the team's final meeting of the season at Toyota Field in August.

Scoring Summary:

SA: Alex Crognale (Assisted by Mitchell Taintor) 16'

SA: Jorge Hernandez (Assisted by Mikey Maldonado) 43'

ELP: Rubio Rubin (Assisted by Arturo Ortíz) 45+2'

ELP: Roberto Avila (Assisted by Rubio Rubín) 55'

SA: Cristian Parano (Assisted by Jorge Hernandez) 90'

Next Up

San Antonio FC opens up group play in the Prinx Tires USL Cup next weekend, hosting Birmingham Legion FC Saturday, April 25. Kickoff from Toyota Field is set for 7:30 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Golazo Network. The 2026 season is presented by Toyota.

Postgame Notes:

SAFC improves to 4-1-3 on the season with 15 points, taking over 2nd place in the Western Conference standings. San Antonio takes an 8-4-4 lead in the all-time series against El Paso, winning its third straight against the Locos. SAFC is undefeated in 43 straight league matches when leading at halftime, going 38-0-5 in a streak dating back to October 2021. SAFC scored three goals for the first time this season. Defender Alex Crognale's goal was his second in El Paso since his game-winning score on July 4, 2025. Midfielder Jorge Hernandez made his 100th appearance for SAFC across all competitions, scoring his team-leading third goal of the season and second assist. Forward Cristian Parano scored his first goal this season, his first since returning to the club and 15th overall in his club career. Goalkeeper Joey Batrouni made six saves in the match, the most of any SAFC goalkeeper this season. Midfielder Mikey Maldonado and defender Mitchell Taintor each recorded their first assists of the year. Forward Diogo Pacheco made his first appearance back from injury since San Antonio's home opener on March 7, subbing on in the 74th minute.

SAFC Starting XI: Joey Batrouni, Emil Cuello, Mitchell Taintor (Captain), Danny Barbir (Tiago Suarez 69'), Alex Crognale, Akeem O'Connor-Ward, Dmitrii Erofeev (Curt Calov 69'), Mikey Maldonado, Jorge Hernandez (Nelson Flores Blanco 90'), Cristian Parano, Santiago Patiño (Diogo Pacheco 74')

Substitutions Not Used: EJ Johnson, Richard Sanchez, Christian Sorto

Disciplinary Summary:

SA: Yellow Card (Daniel Barbir) 17'

ELP: Yellow Card (Arturo Ortíz) 38'

ELP: Yellow Card (Ricky Ruiz) 90+4'

Quotes:

Head Coach Carlos Llamosa

(On the result...)

"We're happy with the game, happy with the three points. I think we played a great first half. Starting in the last 20 minutes, we gave up the ball. El Paso controlled the game, scored two good goals, and we suffered for a moment there, but our team brought our personality out and we fought for 90 minutes and we were able to score the third goal. We created more chances ... I was happy with the team, the way we defended, the way we played for most of the game and also that we scored three goals."

(On the team's defense...)

"It was an open game, two good teams playing good football, playing in a tough venue against a team who was unbeaten in the league this year, it wasn't easy. It's a team who scored a lot of goals this year, but we were able to score three goals on them, so I'm very happy for that part."

(On the team's defense...)

"We have a lot of quality on the team, and we've been creating a lot of chances. We just need more confidence on the ball. I'm happy that Jorge [Hernandez] scored tonight. [Cristian Parano] scored tonight. He created a lot of chances for us and leads the team in assists and tonight, he finally got the opportunity to score, and also Alex [Crognale] scoring from distance."

Defender Alex Crognale

(On the win...)

"It was a heck of a fight from the guys, going up 2-0 and then giving up a goal right at the end of the first half would defeat a lot of teams, but we stayed confident and continued to fight, and it was a heck of a battle and we're excited to come out with three points."

(On scoring from his own half...)

"A few minutes before, Mikey [Maldonado] said, 'Look at the goalie, he's off his line.' Those who follow me know I've scored more of those before, and I had that one in the locker, so Mitch [Taintor] played me a great ball, and I put a good touch and let it fly."

Forward Cristian Parano

(On the win...)

It was a really tough match. This field and environment is always tough, but as always, San Antonio's standard is to always give our best at every match, and we know that's how we'll succeed in the game."

(On the game-winning goal...)

"It was an incredible feeling. Scoring a goal is a beautiful feeling, and I'm very grateful to be able to score again, my first goal of the season. I'm very happy, and I hope there's many more to come."

# # SanAntonioFC.com # #

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 19, 2026


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