The San Diego Loyal could be streaking into the USL Championship playoffs.
The local kickers roared to their third consecutive victory to extend their unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2) after defeating the Group B leading Phoenix Rising, 3-2, in action last Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The valuable three points kept the Loyal in sole possession of second place in the group standings, as both the L.A. Galaxy II (7-5-0) and Orange County SC (6-4-3) also recorded wins over the weekend.
The Loyal led both the Galaxy and Orange County by one standing point with two regular season games remaining.
The Loyal was scheduled to travel to meet the Galaxy II in a key match on Wednesday in Carson that had major playoff implications for both teams.
The Loyal closes out regular season play with a home match Sept. 30 against Phoenix Rising.
The top two teams in the group standings advance to postseason play.
“It’s our season right there,” Loyal head coach Landon Donovan said in advance of Wednesday’s matchup.
Recent additions continue to impact the Loyal’s fortunes as forward Rubio Rubin, added to the roster on Sept. 1, scored all three goals in last Saturday’s victory. Chula Vistan Alejandro Guido picked up assists on Rubin’s first two goals.
Rubio scored goals in the third, 12th and 45th minutes.
Rubio opened his wrecking crew performance by by taking a quick touch by teammate Jack Metcalf, who had brought down a pin-point floating pass by Guido from left to right.
Guido provided another pin-point assist on the play from outside the penalty box for the 2-0 SD Loyal lead.
The first half ended in dramatic fashion as Rubin scored his hat trick goal in stoppage time to push the visitors in front by a score of 3-1 in front of 1,000 fans at Casino Arizona Field.
It was Phoenix Rising’s first home loss this season.
Rubin, a native of Beaverton, Ore., has four goals since joining the Loyal earlier this month.
Junior Flemings scored in the 41st minute for the hosts. It was only the second goal allowed by Loyal goalkeeper Jon Kempin in 400 minutes.
The home team scored in the 88th minute but could not draw any closer despite the Loyal ending the game with 10 men on the field.
Based on his hat trick showing, Rubin earned honors as the USL Championship Player of the Week.
“To be able to help the team win is the most important thing,” said Rubin, who has earned seven caps with the U.S. national senior men’s team.
“It always gives the team a boost. Scoring goals is nice to be able to do as a striker but the most important thing is that the team won.”
The Loyal improved to 6-4-4 with 22 standings points following its latest win, though Phoenix Rising, last year’s defending USL Championship regular season champion, continued to lead the Group B standings with an 8-3-2 record and 26 points.
Corner kicks
- Loyal defender Morgan Hackworth ran a team-high 9.6 miles in the win in Arizona.
- The initial meeting between the teams went 2-0 to Phoenix.
Loyal, Galaxy II play to 1-1 draw as playoff race remains too tight to call
The Loyal battled the Galaxy II to a 1-1 standoff on Wednesday to remain in playoff contention, though the visiting San Diego team could have helped itself even more with a bit more of a finishing touch.
Rubio Rubin tallied his fifth goal in four games for the Loyal after scoring on a penalty kick in the 42nd minute to send the visitors in front 1-0.
Charlie Adams made a run into the penalty box after taking a filtered pass along the left side but was taken down and the hosts were whistled for a penalty kick.
Miguel Berry (Poway) and Alejandro Guido (Mater Dei Catholic) both recorded near-misses as the Loyal strove to add to its lead.
Former Otay Ranch High School goalkeeper Austin Guerrero, who was filling in for starter Jon Kempin who was out with a groin injury, came within seconds of recording his first win for the Loyal until youngster Alex Alvarado, 17, scored for the Galaxy II in stoppage time to tie the match and save a point for the home side.
The Loyal (6-4-5, 23 points) appeared to be headed to collect another three points in the standings and assume control of second place before Alvarado sent in a header off a long cross from Mauricio Cuevas from right to left to tie the match.
The Galaxy II took advantage of extra space after Loyal defender Elijah Martin was sent off for a second yellow card a few moments before Alvarado’s score.
The deadlock between the teams kept the Galaxy II (7-5-1, 22 points) just one standing point behind the second place Loyal, though the Loyal did move two standings points ahead of fourth place Orange County SC (6-4-3, 21 points).
The Loyal has one match left on its regular season schedule while the Galaxy II and Orange County both have three matches.
The Loyal closes regular season play with a home game against group leader Phoenix Rising while the Galaxy II and Orange County both play Phoenix Rising as well as each other and the last place Las Vegas Lights.
Photos by SD Loyal
