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USL San Diego Loyal

SD Loyal Plays to 2-1 Loss at Oakland Roots in Week 23

September 23, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Diego Loyal News Release


Livermore, Calif. (Sept. 22, 2021) -Austin Guerrero was in position. He made the right choice Wednesday night. But the SD Loyal goalkeeper still had to pick the ball out of his net. It was a moment he perhaps wants back. And maybe also the rest of his teammates as SD Loyal played to a 2-1 loss against host Oakland Roots.

Guerrero dove to his left and got his hand on the penalty shot by Oakland's Jose Hernandez but it still made it across the goal line into the right wall of the SD Loyal net. It ultimately was the game-winner for Oakland in the Week 23 match played at Las Positas College.

The conditions that led to the SD Loyal penalty were not to Collin Martin's liking as he was whistled for a questionable foul in the penalty area. Despite appealing, Collin and his teammates had to watch referee Joshua Encarnacion uphold his call. Hernandez converted the penalty kick in the 63rd minute to help his team to three points in the Pacific Division.

The call came at a time in the match in which SD Loyal had picked up momentum in the second half after it tied the game 1-1 with a goal by Martin in the 45th minute. SD Loyal (11-10-4, 37 points) found the equalizer when Martin sent in a blast from about 25-yards out on a one-timer. He left Oakland goalkeeper Paul Blanchette with nothing to do as the ball crashed into the upper-right corner of the net. Martin struck the ball off a bounce from a pass by Alejandro Guido. It was Martin's first goal of the season and it came at a key moment before halftime.

Oakland had taken a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Johnny Rodriguez sent it in a goal via a bicycle kick off a cross by Brian Brown from right to left. Brown dribbled the ball all the way to the end line before sending his pass to a wide open Rodriguez who leaped into the air and connected on the flying kick, sending it past Guerrero the SD Loyal goalkeeper. It was one of few of Oakland's threatening plays as SD Loyal held its attack mostly at bay.

It was SD Loyal attacking after the home side's first goal.

Chase Boone tried a shot from about 30 yards out but it was slapped away over the crossbar by Blanchette as the ball began to dip towards goal in the 18th minute. And there was a Tumi Moshobane one-timer off a cross by Miguel Ibarra from right to left going wide right in the 30th minute.

SD Loyal coach Landon Donovan opted to rest some starters in this match as it was the second of three games in seven days. The moves appeared to be fine as his team responded to the early Oakland goal until things changed with the Hernandez penalty kick that Guerrero nearly stopped.

"I thought we played a really good game under difficult circumstances, bad field, choppy game that they made choppy, so, all in all, we tried to do things the right way," Donovan Said. "They scored a great goal. Maybe goal of the year. And then they got a penalty and that ended up being the difference. Disappointing in the result but I thought the performance was great. The reality now is we have to wash it away and get ready for Saturday."

Donovan said he was fine with his team's efforts Wednesday and there were just off the mark.

"Something that we pride ourselves in is that we play like the home team no matter where we go," Donovan said. "We played like the home team. We wanted to win the game, play the game the right way and we played a team that was very defensive. Credit to them for doing what they needed to do but I was proud of the performance. Collin's goal was great. Fantastic strike from him. We probably created enough scoring chances to tie the game and it didn't happen."

More scoring against Oakland didn't happen but Donovan said his strikers were not too far off from making this a different score.

"Ultimately, you need attacking players to score goals to be successful," Donovan said." But our guys do a lot of things on the field that help us win games. We make a point of not only focusing on scoring goals all the time. All of them were a little bit off tonight in front of the goal and when they got in some good positions, we hurt their chances as it was choppy and slow. It made it a little bit challenging when we got in the good moments. I know they'll all be frustrated they didn't hit the back of the net but the beauty of soccer is you have another one in three days."

Donovan's team remains in USL Championship playoff contention despite the loss as it remains in the top four spots of the Pacific Division. SD Loyal now will head to the desert to face Las Vegas Lights FC Saturday Sept. 25 at Cashman Field.

SCORING

1-0: Oakland Roots (6') Johnny Rodriguez (Assist: Brian Brown)

1-1: SD Loyal (45') Collin Martin (Assist: Alejandro Guido)

2-1: Oakland Roots (63') Jose Hernandez (PK)

LINEUPS:

SD Loyal -1. Austin Guerrero, 33. Callum Montgomery, 24. Miguel Ibarra, 5. Grant Stoneman (46'- 14. Josh Yaro), 3. Elijah Martin, 11. Tumi Moshobane (78'- 8. Sal Zizzo), 21 Corey Hertzog (68'- 6. Charlie Adams), 17. Collin Martin, 10. Alejandro Guido, 31. Chase Boone, 10. Alejandro Guido, 27. Douglas Martinez (46'- 26. Douglas Martinez). Coach: Landon Donovan.

Oakland Roots -20. Paul Blanchette, 3. Soya Takahashi , 21. Emrah Klimenta, 33. Kai Greene, 23. Memo Diaz, 7. Matias Fissore, 18. Jose Hernandez, 5. Wal Fall, 10. Lindo Mfeka, 28. Brian Brown, 61. Johnny Rodriguez. Coach: Jordan Farrell

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