San Diego Loyal SC fall to Vancouver White Caps FC 1-0
Credit: SD Loyal
The San Diego Loyal SC and Vancouver White Caps FC finish scoreless in preseason home opener.
The Locals were back in the bleachers, and the supporters came to cheer on their hometown squad- The San Diego Loyal. This was an exciting match to be a part of.
Manager Landon Donovan issued what looked to be a 4-2-3-1 formation to start out. The starting XI seemed like an ideal lineup to use for Opening Night on March 12. Goalkeeper Koke Vegas, defender Kyle Adams, midfielder Nick Moon, and forward Kyle Vassell all started for their Loyal debut.
Defender Jack Metcalf started in his return to the team after missing the second half of last season after he underwent shoulder surgery.
Seeing @JackPezMet back on the pitch gives us all the serotonin. 😁 pic.twitter.com/3Yd5Fryxk5
— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) February 13, 2022
First Half
The first 15 minutes of the match was a typical feeler moment as neither side proved to be real aggressive. Each side took their time with possession and tried to find the weaknesses in the defense.
Around the 20th minute, Vancouver attempted a shot on goal, but it was no threat to Vegas. Another attempt in the 27th but once again, no stress to Vegas as it came right toward him.
In the 30th, Vassell came close after a turnover near Vancouver’s penalty box, but he missed wide left. That was the last attempt for a shot in the half.
The Loyal put one in the back of the net in the 33rd minute, but it was waved off due to offsides. Moon set up the shot that was deflected right at Vassell, but the defender was nowhere in sight.
Vegas saved a fantastic attempt in the 37th minute where the White Caps had a chance for an opening goal. After the deflection, the attempt was wide right. Vancouver was very close to a 1-0 advantage early. Vegas seemed to be the star of the show early on for San Diego.
The head official seemed to miss some obvious calls in the first half. It seemed as if the Loyal could have had a couple of free-kicks late in the half, but the official let them play. The half ended 0-0.
Second Half
The starters came out for the second half and played until the hour mark. All eleven starters came off the pitch to a loud applause from the supporters.
Evan Conway came on and almost scored less than a minute in. The ball deflected off the crossbar, which would’ve given the Loyal the advantage. What a moment that would have been for Conway and the Loyal.
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The second-half unit came to play. They competed against the MLS starters and played aggressively the entire time. The possession stayed in their favor and kept the supporters on their feet.
The White Caps controlled the possession toward the end of the match, and they took advantage of it. They scored a late goal after multiple attempts. Vancouver led 1-0 with less than 10 minutes it play.
That would be all she wrote, however, as the Loyal couldn’t connect with an equalizer. Nonetheless, the Loyal played great in their first match in months.
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.