Just two years removed from being crowned champions of the United Soccer League (USL), disappointing doesn’t begin to describe the 2024 season for San Antonio Football Club (SAFC). 2018 was the last time that SAFC finished outside of the top four in their conference (or division during the adjusted seasons for COVID-19). They currently sit 12 points back of fourth place with just seven games left of the 34-game season.
The fans of the team have every excuse to be frustrated and desolate — not just about this year, but for years to come — as turnover in the front office and the starting lineup have not lived up to the team’s extremely high standards. Nevertheless, in just about 30 minutes, two Trinity professors and SAFC season ticket holders managed to convince me that this season is not the new normal. SAFC fans rest assured — the winning ways may be back as early as next season.
Jacob Tingle is head of the sports management department at Trinity University and an alum himself from the class of 1995. Tingle has been a huge link between SAFC and Trinity, providing opportunities for students to attend games at Toyota Field on multiple occasions and commonly being seen at the stadium himself rooting for the team. I asked Tingle what he saw as the detrimental turning point for SAFC this year.
“I think that would be the three things: less consistency, more roster turnover, less veterans and a shakier defense. … [any of those reasons] may be related to the [other] two things as well,” Tingle said.
The weaker defense, the byproduct of the other two major factors, is detrimental for SAFC. However, Tingle was a little optimistic about this seemingly downward trend for SAFC.
“It seems to be an active strategy,” Tingle said. “I suspect[ed] that at the beginning of the season. … It’s unlikely we’re going to compete for a home playoff spot this year. … I don’t think that was an accident.”
Besides new players who have been brought in and new faces in the front office, Tingle pointed to two new partnerships across the Atlantic that seem to prove that this is more intentional than it seems on the surface.
“These are comprehensive partnerships designed to elevate the clubs, both on and off the pitch, exchanging Academy players and young players to experience different coaching styles,” Tingle said. “If you could bring in somebody from the German second division and somebody from La Liga for a half-season and he slots right in right away … and then could send some … of our players out to those teams … those two partnerships do gives me real hope.”
Angela Breidenstein, chair of the department of education at Trinity and a graduate of Trinity’s master of arts in teaching program, shared that fans are still bought in despite the subdued atmosphere.
“They’ve not been as harsh on the other team,” Briedenstein said. “The general atmosphere is a little subdued. I think that the people I sit with call it a building season … We have a lot of new players … we’re still figuring out the names of the players and what to cheer for … I think our fans are San Antonio through and through and we will always back the team.”
A disappointing season is hard to deal with for any fan, and this season has been nothing short of disappointing for SAFC. Goals are down and goals conceded are up, which isn’t a recipe for success. SAFC currently sit outside a playoff spot in the USL, which is a strange sight considering that eight of the 12 teams in their conference will make the playoffs. All signs point to the end of an empire in the Texas heat.
However, there is a plan to quickly and actively adapt to the new players that are replacing SAFC’s veterans. Briedenstein informed me of the unwavering commitment from the fans which is so crucial to having success.
“It seems like there has been, you know, some, there is some kind of progression,” Tingle said. “I’d rather be kind of where we are in terms of winning these last two on the road … you still might be out of the playoffs, but you’re finishing on a high, as opposed to have having been in that seventh or eighth spot and then dropping out.”
On the surface, it looks like SAFC’s long run of top form has come to an end with years of rebuilding and restructuring to come. As is often the case in the sports world, nothing is as it seems on the surface. With a clearly implemental plan, new partnerships, growth throughout the year and an unwavering fanbase to back them, who’s to say SAFC can’t compete for the playoffs or even a title next year?
