San Antonio FC
| File:San Antonio FC.png | |
| Full name | San Antonio Fútbol Club |
|---|---|
| Short name | SAFC |
| Founded | January 7, 2016 |
| Stadium | Toyota Field |
| Capacity | 8,400 |
| Owner | Spurs Sports & Entertainment |
| Chairman and CEO | Julianna Hawn Holt |
| Head coach | Darren Powell |
| League | United Soccer League |
| 2017 | 2nd, Western Conference Playoffs: Conference Semifinals |
| Website | Club website |
San Antonio FC is a professional soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas that competes in the United Soccer League (USL), the second highest level of American Soccer as a member of the Western Conference. The team was awarded the thirty-first USL franchise on January 7, 2016 and are a United Soccer League (USL) affiliate of New York City FC.[1]
History
The establishment of the club, along with the concurrent purchase of Toyota Field by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, was part of a plan by local officials to obtain an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer.[2] As a result, the San Antonio Scorpions franchise of the North American Soccer League was shut down. The first head coach in club history is former Elon University men's soccer coach and Orlando City SC Pro Academy Director, Darren Powell.[3] Carlos Alvarez was the club's first player signing on February 2, 2016.[4]
After failing to make the playoffs in its inaugural season, San Antonio FC finished the 2017 USL regular season with a 17-11-4 (W-D-L) record, finishing second in the USL Western Conference standings and earning their first playoff berth in club history. SAFC advanced to the Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated.[5]
Stadium
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- Toyota Field (2016–present), capacity 8,400
San Antonio plays its home matches at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas. Toyota Field is an 8,400-seat soccer-specific, natural grass stadium, which is designed to be expandable to over 18,000 seats. Originally built for the former San Antonio Scorpions, the stadium was sold by its owner, Gordon Hartman, to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County in November 2015. San Antonio FC set a Toyota Field attendance record of 8,466 for its inaugural home match vs Swope Park Rangers on April 9, 2016.[6]
Crest and colors
San Antonio's club colors are black and silver, showing strength and unity with the other SS&E franchises. Red is an accent color that is from the same red in the Texas state flag signifying the pride the club has in Texas.[7]
The shape of San Antonio FC's badge was derived from a variety of traditional national and international club crests. The heart of the badge contains two prominent elements: the five diagonal stripes, which were inspired by the armed forces’ service stripes, are a salute to San Antonio’s rich military history and their upward movement signifies the club's goal to play at the highest level; and the rowel of the Spur symbolizes the direct link between San Antonio FC and its parent company, Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Binding all of the interior elements is a single "S”—a subtle nod to the hometown heritage and how it unites the community.[7]
Kit manufacturers and sponsors
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016– | Nike | Toyota | [8] |
Culture
Affiliation
San Antonio is designated as the USL affiliate of New York City FC for the 2017 season.[1] The partnership will result in organizational collaboration for on and off the field initiatives between the two clubs.
Rivalries
San Antonio shares an in-state rivalry with fellow 2016 USL newcomer, RGV FC, from Edinburg, Texas. The Toros serve as a hybrid affiliate of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. The two clubs play the South Texas Derby. San Antonio also shares regional rivalries with the Oklahoma City Energy and the Tulsa Roughnecks.[9]
Supporters
- Mission City Firm is an independent football organization whose mission is to give 100% of their support to San Antonio FC. They are a very diverse group of individuals and "welcome any and all persons who share the same passion for the game and for what professional football here in San Antonio will do for our community."[10]
- The Crocketteers are the largest organized independent soccer supporters group based in San Antonio. The group was founded in March 2009 by Michael Macias.[11]
Ownership
The club is owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment.[12]
Players and staff
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of August 24, 2018.[13]
|
For recent transfers, see 2018 San Antonio FC season.
Team management
| Executive | |
|---|---|
| Chairman and CEO |  Julianna Hawn Holt
|
| Managing Director | Tim Holt
|
| Technical staff | |
| Head Coach |  Darren Powell
|
| Assistant Coach/SAFC Pro Academy Director |  Nick Evans
|
| Assistant Coach/Goalkeeping Director |  Juan Lamadrid
|
| Medical staff | |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Adam Quigley
|
| Equipment Manager | Rashad Moore
|
Last updated: August 17, 2018
Source: [14]
Year-by-year
- As of October 8, 2018
| Year | USL Regular season | Position | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Top scorer | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Conf. | Overall | Player | Goals | ||||
| 2016 | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 10th | 17th | Did not qualify | Fourth round |  Rafael Castillo Franck Tayou
|
5 | |
| 2017 | 32 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 45 | 24 | 62 | 2nd | 3rd | Conference Semifinals | Third round |  Billy Forbes
|
10 | |
| 2018 | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 9th | 14th | Did not qualify | Fourth round | Éver Guzmán
|
11 | |
Head coaches
- Includes USL Regular season, USL Playoffs, and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Draw | Loss | Win % | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren Powell | England
|
January 7, 2016 | present | 105 | 46 | 29 | 30 | 43.81 |
Average attendance
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6,170 | N/A |
| 2017 | 7,153 | 7,026 |
| 2018 | 6,934 |
Club captains
| Dates | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Josh Ford |  United States
|
| 2017 | Michael Reed | United States
|
| 2018–present | Ryan Roushandel | United States
|
References
- ^ a b http://www.sanantoniofc.com/news_article/show/755810?referrer_id=2436046
- ^ Staff (December 22, 2015). "Spurs Sports & Entertainment reaches agreement with Bexar County and City of San Antonio to play soccer at Toyota Field in 2016" (Press release). San Antonio: Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ "Meet Darren Powell". uslsanantonio.com. January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ http://uslsanantonio.com/2016/02/usl-san-antonio-signs-midfielder-carlos-alvarez/
- ^ http://www.sanantoniofc.com/news_article/show/860465?referrer_id=2436046
- ^ "SAN ANTONIO FC EARN 1-1 DRAW IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD". San Antonio FC. April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ a b "We Are San Antonio FC". San Antonio FC. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "San Antonio FC". Archived from the original on March 12, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "San Antonio FC". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/media/2.0/teamsites/spurs/PDFs/2017%20SAFC%20Media%20Guide.pdf
- ^ "About Us". Crocketteers.
- ^ "Spurs Sports & Entertainment Closes in on USL Club". www.uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "San Antonio FC roster". sanantoniofc.com. San Antonio. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "San Antonio FC Staff". sanantoniofc.com. March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ https://www.sanantoniofc.com/news_article/show/942548
