San Diego Loyal clinches playoff berth with 4-1 win against Monterey Bay F.C.
Credit: SD Loyal
The San Diego Loyal are heading back to the playoffs! In what will be their final season as a franchise, the Loyal will have a chance to compete for one last Championship.
San Diego is quickly becoming a soccer city. It’s a damn shame that the Loyal have to go, but they are not gone yet. SD still hosts one final regular season match in less than a week and may host a playoff game if they remain a top-4 seed.
The Loyal are currently in 3rd place in the Western Conference with 50 points and (+14) goal difference. Thanks to Ronaldo Damus, the Loyal goal difference extended a bit, and it’s now the 4th best in the conference and 6th best in the entire USL.
With just three matches remaining, San Diego must win two of the next three to give themselves a better shot at hosting a playoff match. In fact, if they win out, there is a chance they can earn the one or two seed as they are just five points behind Sacramento Republic FC and San Antonio FC.
The players and fans want it more than anything, and you saw that last night at Torero Stadium.
Damus notched the second hat trick in Loyal history (Rubio Rubin). Damus’ header in the 26th minute got the scoring started for San Diego, as they were already down 1-0. The Loyal prevailed and went on to score four unanswered goals, as Damus scored two more in the second half. Defender Carlos Guzman drilled in a goal for himself as San Diego looked unstopped against the Union.
No lo pueden detener. Pa dentro, Ronaldo. 🔥#SDvMB | @damus_ronaldo pic.twitter.com/4w4GNyyWaG
— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) October 1, 2023
Damus and Evan Conway have formed a dynamic duo at the forward position and will give any opponent nightmares heading into the postseason.
The next match for the Loyal is this Wednesday on the road in El Paso to take on the Locomotive. The schedule favors San Diego as they play teams that may not make the postseason. The Loyal must keep their foot on the gas pedal to stay in form, as the playoffs are just two weeks away.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris is also an athlete and is huge fan of San Diego sports. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and contributes regularly about the Padres.