SD Loyal SC match preview against RGV Toros
Credit: SD Loyal
After a 4-1 loss in the season opener, the San Diego Loyal travel to Rio Grande Valley Thursday night to take on the Toros.
The highly anticipated matchup between the Loyal and the Phoenix Rising last Friday night did not go as planned for Manager Landon Donovan and the rest of the squad.
With another week of training together, Team 1 looks to improve from the season opener and earn their first win of the 2021 campaign. Once again, on the national stage, San Diego has a chance to showcase their talent in front of a large audience against the (1-0) RGV Toros.
The Rising put on an offensive clinic against the Loyal in the season opener when they scored four goals off 25 shot attempts in the win.
The defensive unit for the Loyal had trouble holding their ground, and at times seemed lost against the Rising forwards. The offense for San Diego didn’t perform any better as they only managed to get off three shot attempts. Forward Ben Spencer arrived as a substitute and scored minutes later for the Loyal, but that was the only celebration from the players all night. Donovan and company know what they are capable of but will have to face another tough opponent Thursday night on the road.
The RGV Toros defeated New Mexico United 1-0 in their season opener last Saturday night.
Forward Elvis Amoh scored the lone goal for the Toros in the 65th minute, and the defenders did their job to secure the win. Their match against New Mexico served as an even matchup between two teams from the Mountain Division. The first half was chippy between the two squads as there was a combined five yellow cards issued. RGV ended with a 33% shooting percentage, with four shots on target on 12 attempts.
The matchup between the Loyal and Toros will be the first-ever between the two clubs. They don’t know much about each other and will have to rely on previous game film to study. Regardless of who is on the other side, Donovan and the Loyal understand that they have to play better offensively to win. The roster is filled with many goal-scoring threats, and it will show sooner or later.
Kickoff is at 5 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN Deportes. The match will also be shown on ESPN+ and Fox 5 as it will all season long.
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Additional Notes and News
- Starting defender Grant Stoneman suffered a knee injury against the Rising last Friday night. The team has yet to announce a time frame for his return.
- Alejandro Guido is expected to see more minutes going forward.
- The Loyal will play six of their first seven matches on the road.
- The home opener for San Diego is Saturday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.