Why you shouldn’t be concerned about the slow offensive start for the Loyal
Credit: SD Loyal
The San Diego Loyal are outscored eight to two during their three-game losing streak to start the 2021 season.
Manager Landon Donovan and the Loyal are struggling offensively during their brutal four-game road trip to begin the campaign.
The attack is a major part of the game, and so far this season, San Diego is failing to create many chances to score. There are many reasons as to why this is the case, but a few obvious ones stand out. It’s important to remember that this is a brand new club with players who have never played together before. Patience is needed in order to be successful. I explain why you should not be worried about the lack of production at the beginning of a long season.
Donovan said it best when he explained that where they are right now is a process. Building a brand new team will take time before you can get to where you want to be.
“I would rather be disappointed by not getting a result now in exchange for building what we know is coming.”
Losing clearly isn’t fun, but knowing that there is talent across the field will only benefit them as they continue to build their chemistry together. This roster is far more talented than last season’s roster, and they were only a game away from making the 2020 playoffs. Once this team gets more experience together, I expect them to start showing they are one of the elite clubs in the entire USL Championship.
The Loyal have faced some tough competition to start the season and will continue to face them throughout the year. With the top team in the entire league in their division and former USL Champions also on the schedule, San Diego will need to be at their best to make the playoffs. The Phoenix Rising scored four goals against the Loyal on opening night. That match proved that the Rising are arguably the top team in the entire league, but even more, so that experience is a huge factor. The skill on each side was not far off, but the Rising showed they are the better team for now by taking advantage of their opportunities.
Why are the Loyal struggling to score?
Through the first three games of the season, the Loyal only managed to put two balls into the back of the net. It’s been frustrating for the footballers, but they are improving each match.
Soccer is a sport that requires patience, and that is what the Loyal offense is playing like so far. They use the entire field and slowly work their way up the pitch to find the gaps and holes in the defenders. The forwards and attacking midfielders on the Loyal are not doing a good enough job of maintaining possession long enough to create opportunities. Once they get close to the goal box, they either make a bad pass or lose it from a tackle. The rust is showing, but in their last match against the Tacoma Defiance, they picked up their play and managed to get 24 shot attempts off. Only one made it past the keeper, but the Loyal started to find a rhythm offensively. Those are good signs of improvement to see early in the season.
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The Loyal will have a good amount of home games coming up on the schedule, and that will help playing in front of the fans, especially the Locals.
The Mistakes will fix, and the rust will start to shine sooner rather than later. The talent is there with guys like Alejandro Guido, Jack Blake, and Corey Hertzog leading the way offensively. Donovan is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. If anyone can assist with turning around the (0-0-3) start, he can.
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.