SD Loyal SC match preview against Tacoma Defiance
Credit: SD Loyal
Tacoma Defiance vs. San Diego Loyal SC
Cheney Stadium – Tacoma, Washington
The kickoff is Thursday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN+, Fox 5 San Diego
The Loyal hit the road for the first time in a month as they travel north to Tacoma, Washington.
The unbeaten streak lasted nine straight games. The Phoenix Rising handed the San Diego Loyal their first home loss of the season as well, winning the season series (2-1-1).
The Loyal dropped to (6-5-3) with 21 points and sit in third place in the Pacific Division. The season isn’t even halfway over yet, but San Diego looks favorable for a postseason appearance.
This will be the second and final time the Loyal play in Tacoma, as their next two matchups are at home in San Diego.
What to expect in their second matchup of the season
When these two teams met back in May, the Defiance defeated the Loyal 3-1. That was San Diego’s third match of the season, and have clearly shown much improvement since then.
The result in Thursday’s matchup should not be the same. Even though the Loyal is coming off a loss, they are playing too well to allow three goals — but anything is possible. That loss was the last time the Loyal conceded three goals in one match.
The Loyal brought in a few more players to the roster who are likely to contribute at this stage of the season. Chase Boone got some playing time in the loss to Phoenix, getting those early jitters out of the way. The other signee Haji Abdikadir has yet to play but should make an appearance in the near future.
Manager Landon Donovan dives into the takeaways from Phoenix, what the fans can expect from newcomer Chase Boone and the keys to getting 2️⃣ wins on the road this week. #SDLoyal pic.twitter.com/PTxUpWLoIq
— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) July 28, 2021
Tacoma is currently sixth in the division with a (3-4-4) record and has played in three fewer matches this year. This will be an important road matchup for the Loyal, as a loss could allow for Tacoma to sneak upon them.
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Additional news
- San Diego will play again Sunday, August 1, on the road against LA Galaxy II.
- Goalkeeper Trey Muse leads the USL Championship with 52 saves
- Tacoma has three clean sheets on the season
- Both Charlie Adams and Jack Blake are top 20 in the USL with 21 chances created
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.