San Antonio FC started the 2025 USL Championship season on a winning note: a win, solid defense, and attendance record at Toyota Field. In a match that was typified by raw dominance and defensive hardiness, the side defeated Monterey Bay FC 1-0 and began its new era under Carlos Llamosa on a positive note.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
But it was not a run-of-the-mill victory. It was a performance that declared SAFC's pedigree, a team that is capable of enduring, is a tight unit, and scores its chances efficiently.
Dominance from the start
From the very early minutes, San Antonio FC signaled that they would dictate the terms. They played their game at full throttle, kept Monterey Bay deep in their own half, and had 11 shots alone in the first half.
The target came as a testament to that dominance. In the 40th minute, Mitchell Taintor redirected a free kick into the box, and Diogo Pacheco capitalized on the opportunity to score on his SAFC debut. A shot of consciousness, precision, and effectiveness.
If the attack was a portrait of sustained threat, the defense was even more impeccable. Monterey Bay didn't even get a shot on target the whole game.
Impeccable defensive mechanism
If the attack was successful, San Antonio FC's defense proved to be near impenetrable. Using a small yet well-organized formation, the team extinguished any such attempt at reply by Monterey Bay.
Head coach Carlos Llamosa was quick to compliment the group defense: "Since the beginning, I said it's not the defenders who defend the goal, but the entire team. It's ten players committed in front of the goalkeeper, so the opponent has no room. Today we did it very well, but there's always room to be better."
Numbers don't lie: SAFC is 33 consecutive USL Championship games unbeaten in its history when it's ever in the lead at halftime. A stat that underscores the club's competitive composition and the stingy backstop that was tempered in past seasons.
Record Home opener attendance in Toyota Fieldhistory
But if the club earned the on-field result, its fans wrote history off of it. An attendance of 8,164 individuals packed Toyota Field to create the record highest ever attendance in the home opener of the club.
Coach Llamosa made sure he credited the impact that the crowd had: "The crowd tonight was unbelievable. You can feel the energy from the stands, and that inspires the players to give even more on the field. You can't ask for more than that."