Otay Ranch High School graduate Austin Guerrero earned his first start with the hometown San Diego Loyal SC in last Saturday’s USL Championship match against Reno 1868 at Torero Stadium.
However, the 2007 Mustang alumnus did not get the offensive support he needed in absorbing a 3-1 setback to the league’s Group A co-leaders.
The visitors, in securing their fourth win in their last five matches, scored goals in the 25th and 62nd minutes to mount a 2-0 lead. The hosts got one goal back in the 66th minute but conceded a goal in the 85th minute to sink to their third consecutive loss.
With the loss, the Loyal (3-4-2, 11 points) slid farther down the Group B standings. Phoenix Rising FC tops the group standings with a 6-1-2 record and 20 points, followed by Orange County SC with a 4-0-2 record and 14 points.
The Loyal sits in third place ahead of fourth place LA Galaxy II (3-3-0, nine points) and fifth place Las Vegas Lights FC (1-3-2, five points)
The Loyal is 0-3-1 in its last four matches during which it has been outscored 7-1. The team has not won a match since July 25.
The Loyal lost, 2-0 at home to Orange County on Aug. 12 and, 2-0, in Arizona on Aug. 15.
“It was quite embarrassing actually by our performance in the first half,” San Diego head coach Landon Donovan said in regard to his team’s latest trip to the pitch. “We were lucky to be down 1-0, to be honest. The second half overall was very good but, in the end, we just need to make more soccer plays.
“A more mature performance and it’s 1-1 at most. That’s frustrating but we just (need) to get back to work and keep fixing problems. We figured some things out in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. A couple mistakes and it’s 3-1 against a good team.”
Reno 1868 FC took a 1-0 lead when Foster Langsdorf scored off a rolling cross into the penalty area from teammate Tucker Bone. The Loyal had exhibited fluid ball movement prior to an offside call that helped set the Reno scoring play in motion.
The Nevada team controlled action throughout the first half while racking up a commanding 21-3 edge in shots, with Guerrero credited with six saves.
He remained under pressure for the duration of the match.
Guerrero, who as a member of the Nevada team last season, was forced to make a one-handed save to deny another Reno scoring chance midway through the second half. He was not so fortunate on another play as he was caught out of position when coming off his line to attempt to gather a loose ball.
Instead, Bone got there first and fired in volley to make the score 2-0.
The hosts began to pick up the pace in the latter stages of the game. Carlos Alavarez halved the Loyal deficit to 2-1 after firing in a low right-footed shot four minutes after Bone’s tally.
Aidan Apodaca closed out scoring on a one-on-one play against Guerrero, who tried to close down the angle to no avail.
The Loyal continued to push to final whistle.
“Obviously, I’m happy with the second half; we just have to make the plays that count,” Donovan said.
Reno (6-2-0) is tied for the lead in the Group A standings with the Sacramento Republic, with both teams possessing 18 points. The Tacoma Defiance follows with a 2-5-1 record and seven points in third place while the Portland Timbers 2 occupies the cellar with a 0-7 record and negative 20 goal-differential.
Donovan remains patient with his first-year team.
“It’s a war every week,” the Loyal coach said. “It’s a long-term process. We’re building. Some parts we’re getting it right but we’re not putting it together yet. We have to keep building and grinding and improving. Those are good challenges. We know exactly what our team is about. We’re not getting any easy matches. We’re seeing guys put in the fire and seeing how they respond.”
The Loyal will attempt to regroup for an Aug. 29 match at Orange County FC. Kick-off is scheduled for 7p.m. at Championship Stadium in Irvine.
For updates, visit the website at www.sdloyal.com.
Loyal picking up the pace, adds key points in playoff quest
SAN DIEGO TEAM ADDS FORMER MATER DEI CATHOLIC STANDOUT ALEJANDRO GUIDO TO 2020 ROSTER
The San Diego Loyal SC continues to add talent in its quest to qualify for the upcoming USL Championship playoffs, including former Mater Dei Catholic High School standout Alejandro Guido.
Guido was among three players signed by the team on Sept. 1, joining Tarek Morad and Rubio Rubin.
The Loyal previously received the services of striker Miguel Berry on loan from the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. That deal was concluded Aug. 28.
The Loyal has received strong performances by Berry in its last two matches, both draws on the road as the team has started to pick up points in the Group B standings. Berry, a first-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, set up the Loyal’s only goal in its 1-1 draw in Las Vegas on Wednesday (Sept. 2).
With the two ties, the Loyal has extended its record to 3-4-4 and but has dropped to fourth place in the group standings with 13 points — two standings points behind the third place L.A. Galaxy II (5-4-0, 15 points) and five points behind second place Orange County FC (5-1-3, 18 points).
The Phoenix Rising leads the group standings with a 6-2-2 record and 20 points.
The top two teams in the group standings qualify for the playoffs.
The Loyal and OC team played to a scoreless tie Aug. 29 at Championship Stadium in Irvine. Berry, who grew up in Poway and played four seasons at the University of San Diego, ran out of time in making a field-length sprint in a bid to end the game in the visitors’ favor.
Guido did see field action in the game in Las Vegas as a substitute for Francis Atuahene at the start of the second half. Guido helped create some room on the flanks and helped set up dangerous crosses.
The visitors struck first in the second half.
Collin Martin gave the Loyal a 1-0 lead by converting a feed from Berry in the 57th minute. Berry had made a full-effort play to set up the goal after chasing a rolling ball near the corner flag. He slid to keep the ball in, got up, dribbled and fed a pin-point pass to Martin for the go-ahead marker.
However, the Lights evened the score in the 73rd minute when Blake Frischknecht poked at a low rolling pass and sent it in as a one-timer, catching SD Loyal goalkeeper Jon Kempin off guard.
Berry nearly scored his first goal with his new team in the 54th minute. He had a ball near the six-yard box, set up from Guido on a two-on-one run. But Berry sent his right-footed shot over the crossbar.
Berry looks to be the team’s major impact addition for the second half of the season.
In four seasons at University of San Diego, Berry made 72 appearances, 69 starts, scoring 38 goals and registering 16 assists. He was named 2019 All-American, West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year and he was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann National Player of the Year award.
“I had the opportunity to watch Miguel play in person last year at USD and it was evident that he was ready to play at the next level,” Loyal manager Landon Donovan said. “He has all the tools to be a top-level striker in this country and we are fortunate to have another San Diegan join us as we push towards the playoffs.”
Berry, born in Barcelona and raised in Poway, was selected seventh overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew.
“To play at Torero stadium, my home for four years, again is a dream come true,” Berry said. “I’m extremely excited to be able to contribute to what the organization is building here in San Diego and I’m looking forward to being able to give back to this great city.”
Guido, Morad and Rubin join the Loyal for the remainder of the 2020 season.
Guido, a midfielder and San Diego native, is on loan from MLS side Los Angeles Football Club. Prior to signing to LAFC, he played for Club Tijuana and was a U.S. youth international, representing his country at the U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels.
Morad, a Los Angeles native, most recently played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Egyptian-American defender also had stints at Louisville City FC, OKC Energy FC and played at UC Irvine where he won the Big West Conference title and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament — a school record.
Rubin, a forward from Oregon, most recently played for Dorados de Sinaloa on loan from Club Tijuana of the Liga MX. Prior to that, he spent time playing in Northern Europe and played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
