Late penalty sinks San Antonio FC in home loss to Oakland

San Antonio FC appeared headed for a scoreless draw Saturday night before a stoppage time penalty flipped the result, handing Oakland Roots SC a 1-0 victory at a hot and steamy Toyota Field.

Why it matters: The loss cost San Antonio an opportunity to strengthen its position in a crowded Western Conference playoff race, dropping its second straight and is winless in its last three overall.

• The winless drought has added to the frustration for a team that believes it has the talent to contend but hasn't consistently turned performances into results.

What happened: Neither side found a breakthrough through the opening 90 minutes, with San Antonio and Oakland locked in a defensive battle.

• SAFC finished with 49% possession compared with Oakland's 51%.
• San Antonio put three shots on target while Oakland managed two.
• Oakland held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.
• The decisive moment came deep into second-half stoppage time when Oakland was awarded a penalty.
• Peter Wilson converted from the spot in the 93rd minute to give the Roots the 1-0 advantage.

What they're saying: SAFC Head Coach Carlos Llamosa pointed to San Antonio's decision making in possession as one of the biggest problems, saying his team moved away from the patient buildup it had shown in previous matches.

“Well, it’s another disappointing night, to be honest. We created a couple chances. We had one or two chances in the first half, but every time we got the ball, we tried to go with a home run, and we kicked the ball away too easily and too quickly.”

Llamosa said Oakland was more effective at controlling possession while SAFC relied too heavily on long balls.

“They were smarter than us, keeping the ball, possessing the ball," he added. "Which is something that we stepped away from the previous games that we played at Louisville, and against Indy and Brooklyn.”

Between the lines: Llamosa's assessment suggests the frustration went beyond the late penalty. San Antonio had found success in recent matches by being more deliberate with possession, but the coach felt his team abandoned that approach against Oakland.

“This time, we were trying with the long balls all the time instead of trying to play and be smart with the ball,” Llamosa said.

The big picture: The result was frustrating for San Antonio because the match offered few signs that either team would find a winner in open play. SAFC limited Oakland's opportunities but couldn't turn its own chances into a breakthrough.

The defeat also left an unhappy locker room, according to SAFC defender Alex Crognale, but not one ready to concede anything with nine matches remaining.

“It's obviously disappointing. Guys are mad," he said. "Guys are upset the way we're playing, but there's still a lot of optimism and positivity because when we look around the locker room, we have a great group and a group that can win games and fight for championships.”

Zoom out: Crognale's comments reflect the balancing act facing SAFC. The club can't ignore the frustration surrounding its recent performances, but there is still enough season remaining to change its trajectory.

“That's why we're all here, so we're gonna continue to push,” Crognale said. “There's still nine games left, so we're going to continue to go and fight and scrap for the top spot, but the season is a long way from over.”

Up next: San Antonio FC is now 8-5-8 (32 pts) on the season and will hit the road to face New Mexico United (10-4-4) at 8:30 p.m. on August 30.