San Antonio FC took a first-half lead but was held to a 1-1 draw by Rio Grande Valley FC at Toyota Field on Saturday in the final South Texas Derby of the season and will now wait for the outcome of Sunday’s game between the Swope Park Rangers and LA Galaxy II to find out its playoff fate.
San Antonio threatened in the fifth minute as a good through-ball found Jose Escalante in the right side of the penalty area, but his shot was smothered by RGVFC goalkeeper Michael Nelson. San Antonio took the lead in the 23rd minute, however, as a half-cleared corner kick was recycled to Lance Laing on the right side and the Jamaican’s cross to the back post was headed home by Ever Guzman into the left side of the net. San Antonio took its lead to the break, but the Toros hit back six minutes into the second half when a low cross by Jesus Enriquez from the left was put home on a first-time finish by Carlos Small that got through SAFC goalkeeper Matt Cardone at the near post.
Enriquez almost gave the visitors the lead with 20 minutes to go with a shot that curled just wide of the right post, and the sides exchanged chances with 15 minutes to go as first Nelson kept out a shot to the left corner by SAFC’s Rafael Castillo before Pablo Aguilar also threatened for the Toros on a low shot from 25 yards that Cardone got down to save before Small’s rebound chance bounced harmlessly into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Cardone made another save with four minutes to go as he got his fingertips to a shot by Enriquez that was bound for the right corner, while Jordan Jones almost struck on the counterattack for the visitors as Cardone came up big again with a minute to go, but as hard as San Antonio pushed in stoppage time to find a winner it was unable to find a decisive finish to leave it to sit and wait until Sunday.
