USL San Diego Loyal

SD Loyal Plays First 2021 Preseason Game

Published on March 13, 2021 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Diego Loyal News Release


Chula Vista, Calif. -Soccer is back...the preseason kind. The wait for San Diego Loyal SC on-field action is over as coach Landon Donovan's team played to its first preseason match Saturday.

Newcomer Niki Jackson found the net in the 2-1 loss against Cal United Strikers FC at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in a scrimmage that consisted of two 40-mimute halves.

Jackson scored in the second half. His goal came after Tony Lopez-Carrillo and Gonzalo Salguero gave the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) team a 2-0 lead in the second of the 40-minute sessions. It was the first action against a different opponent for Donovan's team since it began training camp earlier this week.

The scrimmage featured SD Loyal starters playing the entire first half. Donovan subbed his entire set of starters in the second half. He sent in Ben Spencer, Sal Zizzo, Morgan Hackworth, Austin Guerrero and Jackson to play the second session with a handful of team trialists. Donovan got a chance to see his player's fitness and skill set for the first time heading into the 2021 USL Championship season.

"Fitness wise, we're way farther than we were at this point last year," Donovan said. "Our guys came in really fit, which is great. There was very good stuff and there was a lot of sloppiness as you'd expect with a first preseason game. Overall, there were some good moments."

One of those moments was Jackson's goal. The recently signed forward buried a low shot when he cut inside towards the top of the Strikers' penalty box. He then fired his right-footed shot, bouncing inside the left post.

"I thought Niki (Jackson) did OK," Donovan said about his speedy striker. "He's someone we're going to count on to create chances, whether it's scoring or helping others score, along with Ben (Spencer), Corey (Hertzog), (Alejandro) Guido, Collin (Martin), Jack Blake. We don't have Rubio (Rubin) this year to take the ball and make a play on his own, so we need other guys this year to make plays."

SD Loyal heads into second week of preseason training camp as it prepares to face Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy Saturday March 20 at the Dignity Sports Health Park in Carson, Calif.

As for what he saw in the first preseason action, Donovan said he has certain expectations for his team.

"You always hope to see more than you actually see in preseason," Donovan said. "You want everyone to be farther along, but the reality is this is a process. We have to remind ourselves that this is a process. Four weeks into last preseason we were not a good team at all. Four games into last season we were not a good team. We're already starting to become a good team, but it's going to take time. We need more experiences together on the field in games, because that's how guys gel."

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 13, 2021


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