San Antonio FC (4-1-0, 13 points) defeated OKC Energy FC (1-2-3, 5 points) 3-0 on Saturday night at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City behind goals from Cristian Parano, Callum Montgomery and Ignacio Bailone. San Antonio has now won three straight games and remains unbeaten on the season. SAFC are in first place in Group D.
It was the first match since the restart in which SAFC played in front of fans, granted, with a limited capacity.
Cristian Parano hammered home a Connor Maloney rebound at the top of the box in the 31st minute to give San Antonio the early 1-0 lead. It was his team leading third goal of the season. Parano has a goal or an assist in every game he has played in 2020. On this night, he would have both.
Former SAFC striker Frank Lopez, one of three former SAFC players in the match for OKC (Ward, Gordon), received a yellow card late in the first half for dissent after he angrily argued a non call in the box.
In the second half Callum Montgomery scored his second goal of the season on a beautiful set piece that saw him head home the goal from inside the six yard box to double the lead. Parano continued his hot start to 2020 by adding an Assist to the goal, his second of the season. Just minutes later, at the 77 minute mark, Bailone scored on a precision corner shot from outside the box to clinch the victory. It was his first goal in a SAFC uniform. Luis Solignac added his team leading third Assist on the goal, which put San Antonio up 3-0.
After not winning any of the first 7 League matches against OKC, San Antonio has now won 3 of the last 4 against their northern rivals. San Antonio has never lost at Taft Stadium. They have 2 wins and 4 ties in six all time League games at the stadium.
Next up for San Antonio FC is an important midweek road match against FC Tulsa, one of the early leaders in Group D. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the former Tulsa Roughnecks re-branded to FC Tulsa.
FC Tulsa won their match against St Louis on Saturday 2-0, so SAFC maintains a 5 point lead over FC Tulsa ahead of the meeting. FC Tulsa has one game in hand on San Antonio. The pivotal Group D match will kick off at 7pm on Wednesday night.
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PHOTOS: DARREN ABATE, INSTAGRAM: @PEAKACTION