San Antonio FC settles for scoreless draw with FC Tulsa

San Antonio FC dominated the chances but couldn't find the finishing touch Saturday night, settling for a 0-0 draw against FC Tulsa at Toyota Field as the Western Conference playoff race continues to tighten.

The clubs entered the match tied on points in the standings, raising the stakes for their fourth meeting across all competitions this season.

San Antonio controlled nearly two-thirds of possession and spent much of the night on the front foot, outshooting Tulsa 19-5 and putting five attempts on target. SAFC also generated eight corner kicks but couldn't turn its opportunities into a goal.

The defense made sure one wasn't necessary to earn a point.

Tulsa finished without a shot on target as San Antonio recorded its seventh clean sheet of the season, tied for third-most in the Western Conference.

The draw moved SAFC to 9-5-9 with 36 points, keeping the club in fifth place and firmly in the middle of a crowded postseason race.

Head coach Carlos Llamosa said the tight standings have effectively turned every remaining match into a must-win situation.

“Every game is a final,” Llamosa said. “A win puts us right there in probably third or second place. A loss can send us to seventh or eighth place.”

That urgency will carry into San Antonio's next match against Colorado Springs, which sits just two points behind SAFC.

San Antonio has already shown it can pick up important points away from Toyota Field, including a recent 2-1 win at New Mexico and an earlier road victory over Colorado Springs.

“The table is so tight right now, so every game, it doesn't matter where we play, we gotta go full out,” Llamosa said. “Every team that we play away, we got to go there for the three points.”

For San Antonio, Saturday's performance offered both encouragement and frustration. SAFC controlled the match, limited one of its closest Western Conference competitors and added another clean sheet.

But at this stage of the season, with only a few points separating teams across the playoff race, turning that control into goals, and draws into wins, could determine where San Antonio finishes.