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USL San Antonio FC

San Antonio FC Plays Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to 0-0 Draw

August 26, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Antonio FC News Release


SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio FC drew league-leading Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0-0 tonight to move to 13-4-9 on the season with 48 points. The draw moves San Antonio's unbeaten streak to six matches, matching a season best.

San Antonio's defense allowed just four shots, and only one on target, for the team's second-consecutive clean sheet. Pittsburgh entered the match leading the USL Championship with 50 points, led by forward Albert Dikwa who is currently tied with SAFC's Tani Oluwaseyi for the league lead with 14 goals. The SAFC defense held Dikwa to just one shot on the night, which was blocked.

The shutout was goalkeeper Jordan Farr's seventh of the season, and third in the month of August. SAFC finishes the calendar month with a 3-0-2 record, including a +5 goal differential and three clean sheets.

Next Up

San Antonio FC is on the road Wednesday, heading south to take on RGV FC in the 2023 Copa Tejas finale. SAFC can win the supporter-created trophy for the second-straight season with a win or draw. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast on ESPN+.

Postgame Notes:

San Antonio FC moves to 13-4-9 (48 points) on the season.

San Antonio FC is now unbeaten in six straight matches (4-0-2).

SAFC posts back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season.

The San Antonio defense has now gone 259 minutes without allowing a goal.

SAFC finishes the month of August with a 3-0-2 record and three shutouts.

SAFC remains second in the Western Conference with 48 points.

Media assets

Game highlights, interviews and photos can be found here.

Attendance: 7,038

Quotes:

Head Coach Alen Marcina

(On the draw...)

"Six games undefeated, back-to-back clean sheets which was important for us. We held them, our pressing actions were very very good tonight. We held them to only one shot on target, if you're doing that you always put yourself in a desirable situation. We said this, when I was asked a question prior to the game, we knew this was going to be a game of limited chances by both teams. I think we had five shots on target to their one shot on target, kind of a playoff-type game. It's two teams that don't give up anything, so the limited chances you have you've got to make best efforts to take. So, a lot of positives to take tonight, we take the draw and we move on."

(On the importance of consecutive clean sheets...)

"Very important, we were leaking some goals on individual errors. And it's good to see something we've been focusing on, making sure that we're focused for 90 plus minutes, and focused on executing in tasks, and no slip ups, no ... lapses in focus, and the guys have taken that to heart and have done incredibly well. Again, you keep a team like Pittsburgh, and only concede one shot that's a very good defensive performance. And again, I do feel we were the aggressors from start to finish and you know it's a tie. Two teams, two heavyweights battle, go toe to toe and I think it's a fair result."

Goalkeeper Jordan Farr

(On the consecutive clean sheets...)

"I think we're finding rhythm ... I think the midfield is improved a ton. ... I think the midfield tracking back, tracking runners, doing the real dirty work and then it starts from the top up. I feel like I said that a lot last year, and I feel that same kind of vibe coming from the team. Everyone kind of doing their job and tracking back, kind of taking their roles defensively very seriously."

(On if the team is peaking at the right time...)

"I think it all kind of comes together. I think guys are understanding the system better. Training, it's very competitive. Guys are fighting for positions. Fighting to kind of be the standouts in their given positions and so I think that breeds a lot of confidence going into game time, and then a lot of intensity coming out of the locker room. And I think 'peaking at the right time' is a great way to put it. We're all very serious about this year, about where we want to end up, and we understand that the months of August, September and October are the most important months of the year. And a lot of teams kind of deteriorate, because it's hard, there's a lot of games in this league. Schedules can be difficult, and so I think we are realizing that and kind of pushing a little extra in training and I think that's proving dividends on the field come game time."

Defender Connor Maloney

(On the draw...)

"Tough result today, it was a tough game. Those are playoff-type games right there. Going against a team right there, toe to toe, it's a really good team. We had a lot of good opportunities, take a lot of positives from this game, you know? We move on. Past six games I think we're four wins, two ties, so I think we're peaking at the right time and I think we played this game at the right time. It's a playoff team and it's getting us set up for the playoffs come then ... but Pittsburgh is a good team, tough to break them down, but we take a lot of positives from this game and move on to RGV on Wednesday knowing there's a trophy on the line."

(On why it was a good time to play Pittsburgh...)

"Great team, they're at the top of the East right now - actually top of the whole USL. You know to be the best you've got to beat the best. And they're the best right now. They're the number one. And it was just a great team. They're well organized, well-coached, tough to break down, as you can see tonight. Blue-collar, hard-working team. So, you know, we take a lot of positives from this game. We had, I think, five shots on target. I think they had one. So defensively, we were very sound and the guys fought tonight. So we just take a lot of positives from this game."

(On back-to-back shutouts...)

"I think it's a mentality thing. You know, last year we were getting shutouts. Now this year it's 'we have to score more than the opponent.' And if we get a shutout, great. If we don't, we have to score more than the opponent. So tonight, 0-0, like I said the guys all wanted the three points. We take the point, we learn from this game. Playoff-type game, and we take what we did well today, and we apply it to Wednesday when there's a trophy on the line."

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