Only a few hours left before the kick-off in San Antonio. Hopefully, by now you’ve listened to the two Adams of Next In Line go into detail about the opponent coming into this game, but if you haven’t, here’s a short preview of what to expect.
The opponent: San Antonio FC
The 2022 USL Champions might not have repeated in 2023, and many of their best players have scattered to the winds in the following two offseasons, but they are still a very strong team, arguably top 5 in the league. Loudoun, for all their changes, still has quite a bit to prove before they can stand with the elite in the USLC, so this will be a tough test.
Between the sticks, SAFC acquired two different goalkeepers, including Kendall McIntosh from Sporting KC and Pablo Sisniega from Charlotte FC, either of whom could make a case to be the starter. In front of goal, Mitchell Taintor returns to head up a solid backline that includes Richard Windbichler and loanee Trova Boni joining him at the center, with Lucas Silva shoring up the left wing, and Carter Manley on the right. In midfield, SAFC has loanee Kevon Lambert and former DCU legend Mohammed Abu on the defensive side, and youngsters such as Jorge Hernández and Kameron Lacey on the attacking side. Most of their forward corps has been replaced over the season, with Birmingham striker Juan Agudelo as their biggest get, in addition to Santiago Patiño looking to build off his impressive display from last summer, and Nashville winger Luke Haakenson looking to terrorize opponents from the left wing.
Usually, SAFC prefers to lob the ball forward, letting their wingbacks streak down the field and act as the equivalent of wide receivers (in American Football terms) to get the ball and create havoc before the opposing defense can get set. However, the new regime headed by Marco Ferruzi and head coach Alan Marcina has hinted they might go with a more traditional, possession-based style of play.
We predict SAFC going with a 5-back setup, something like this:
Projected Starting XI for Loudoun:
Coach Martin reportedly tried some experimenting with a 3-back setup early on in preseason, but then later switched back to this more familiar setup. Assuming no further injuries happen right before the game [heavy knock on wood here] the team will be lining up in a 4-2-3-1, using a double-6 setup to stuff an SAFC attack while relying on ElMedkhar and Francois at the other end to get the ball to Ryan or threaten with their own shot if they can slip by.
Three Questions going into this game:
- Who is the X-Factor? Does someone in the Starting XI take control of the field? Maybe one of the bench players like Riley Bidois explodes off the bench? Maybe a loanee or graduate from the DCU Academy makes an appearance that leaves us all gasping in surprise like Kristian Fletcher did a few years ago.
- Can they break the wall? Zach Ryan was amazing at finding ways to score goals last year, but when opponents figured out how to mark ElMedkhar and Panos, Loudoun had almost no way of getting him the ball. With the solid backline that SAFC could have tonight, will our new attackers like Valot and Francois be able to threaten the enemy and make them pay, either by themselves or in tandem with their team?
- So you’re telling me there’s a chance? Most 2024 USLC season previews have this team somewhere around the bottom 3 of the league. Will Loudoun mesh together, establish a solid team identity, and become a dynamic force to be taken seriously? Or will they fall back on bad habits and fall apart later as varying egos clash within the team?
Tonight’s Prediction
My head says that we’re going to lose, but my heart thinks we’ll manage to pull out a victory to start the season right, as we have the past couple of years. What happens after that is an open question. But just for tonight, I’ll be optimistic and say 2-1 win for Loudoun in a nailbiter at the end, with ElMedkhar and Skundrich making it happen.