WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Leading by one goal, the Des Moines Menace knew messing with Texas would be a tall task.
Photo credit: Dan Mable/Des Moines Menace
The visiting USL side San Antonio FC tallied two goals in the final 18 minutes to erase a second-half deficit in front of a crowd of 1,754 at Valley Stadium on goals from Sam McBride and Jacques Francois.
“We knew we were going to have to defend for our lives,” said Menace midfielder and captain Leigh Veidman. “It was always going to be a tough game. We sort of restricted ourselves from the game we were playing when we went ahead. We sat back and we were unorganized. Once their first goal went in, that’s when everything fell apart.”
Des Moines was on the board first in the 58th minute off a free kick from Christian Flath. From 30 yards out, Flath skipped his shot around the outstretched hands of Josh Ford to the far post.
San Antonio, having better looks most of the night, equalized on a free kick of its own in the 72nd minute through Sam McBride.
“I think that’s a lesson we need to take from the game,” head San Antonio head coach Darren Powell. “Des Moines got the goal and we stepped up our urgency in the final third of the play and our quality improved in that the moment.”
Working in front of his defender, McBride got his head onto the end of a free kick from Carlos Alverez. The goal was the first professional goal for the defender.
“We were down one-nil at that point, so I knew I had to get in the box,” McBride said. “I’ve been working on that a lot through preseason and first part of the season. I just wanted to get in there behind the defense and see if I could flick it on goal.”
In the 81st minute, Haiti native Francois found open space near the penalty spot as Greg Cochrane drove the left endline. Cochrane split the Menace defense with a cross, and Francois, with yards of space, took one touch to his right and placed a shot beyond Des Moines Menace Nico Campbell.
“After my goal, I knew we were going to win it,” McBride said. “We were going to get a goal and Jacques took his really well off the cross from Greg, so it’s exciting. Win and advance.”
San Antonio was working on short rest, but not in terms of games played. SAFC’s last game was last Wednesday, which finished scoreless. Instead, the short rest came from Mother Nature. Harsh storms resulted the visitors coming to Des Moines later than expected. The team landed at Des Moines International Airport just 11 hours before kickoff.
“Last 24 hours and the journey, took a little bit, little bit longer, so maybe that’s the preparation we need for the future,” Powell said with a smile. “Seriously, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys, to go a goal down and then to show the fight and the character they did, I’m pleased with that result.”
Up to the goal in the 72nd minute, San Antonio had been in a scoreless drought. The team had gone 268 minutes since its last goal – a 74th-minute goal against Corinthians FC of San Antonio in the US Open Cup second round on May 18.
With the win, San Antonio, debutants of the Open Cup, moves on to the fourth round for a date at Houston Dynamo of the MLS on June 15. Under the new brand of San Antonio FC, the team is in its first year of the USL. The previous professional team in San Antonio, the San Antonio Scorpions, dissolved from the NASL before the 2016 season.
Lineups: Des Moines: Nico Campbell; Edward Cass, Connor Corrigan, Austin Ledbetter, Austin Polster; Christian Flath, Raul Gonzalez, Jack Griffin, Ramone Howell, Leigh Veidman; Mark Heath-Preston.
San Antonio FC: Josh Ford; Max Gunderson, Bobby Moseley, Stephen McCarthy, Sam McBride; Carlos Alverez, Michael Reed, Greg Cochrane, Victor Aravjo; Jason Johnson, Jacques Francois.
Stats: DSM/SAFC
Shots: 5/6
Saves: 6/3
Corners: 1/6
Fouls: 9/10
Offsides: 2/3
Attendance: 1,754
Cautions: SAFC: Alverez (57), Garcia (88), Francois (90+); DSM: Ledbetter (71)
Ejections: Ibisevic (89)
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