HIGHLIGHTS:
RENO – A brace from Cristian Parano lifted San Antonio FC to a 4-1 win over Reno 1868 FC (13-6-5) at Greater Nevada Field on Saturday night.
The win is the first in Reno for SAFC in club history and gets them back into the top ten in the USL Western Conference. San Antonio has won three of their last five matches and lost just once in their last five overall.
“We want to be trending in the right direction at this stage of the year,” SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. “What’s very important for us is maintaining the level of performances week in and week out and not letting that standard drop. Next week, when we get back on the training ground we need to make sure that level remains.”
San Antonio opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the match when Reno gave the ball away. Walter Restrepo would find Parano, who buried a shot into the top left corner of the net, putting SAFC up a goal early. Parano was not done yet as he added a second goal off the feed from Pecka, putting SAFC up 2-0 at the end of the first half.
The second half began the way it started for San Antonio as they scored two goals in the span of two minutes. After missing out on two chances in the first half, Frank Lopez got in on the scoring action. He took on a defender, beating him to put San Antonio up 3-0 in the 56th minute. Jack Barmby continued his solid play over the last few weeks, adding a tally of his own, give San Antonio full control with a 4-0 lead.
Reno finally stopped the bleeding in the 71st minute with a goal from Sam Glendle off a set piece. The home side made a final push but it would not be enough as SAFC came away with the win.
Game Notes
- With the win, San Antonio FC now sits ninth in the USL Championship Western Conference standings. It marks the first time this season the club has cracked the top 10.
- Walter Restrepo and Pecka each had a solid night out, adding two assists on the goals to Parano.
- Since June 18, San Antonio is 5-2-3 in their last 10 matches.
Three Standout Players
Cristian Parano
The 19-year-old had a solid first half for SAFC, scoring two goals to put San Antonio up two at the halftime break. His first came from just outside the 18 in the 12th minute and the second coming just before halftime in the 44th minute.
The brace gives Parano four goals in the last eight matches. Paired with Frank Lopez, the two of them have been a huge bulk of San Antonio’s offense the last few weeks.
“I’m extremely thankful for everything that happened tonight, and I am thankful to God for the experiences I am having,” Parano said. “We are thrilled as a team with the victory. We have been training to the fullest and haven’t gotten complacent and tonight that was shown on the field with the result.”
Frank Lopez
The striker has been a force since arriving in San Antonio. He tallied a goal in the win on Saturday, giving him a total of 10 in the 2019 season. With SAFC, he has sparked the offense as he’s scored four goals in a San Antonio kit.
Jack Barmby
The English midfielder continues his solid scoring run and added to that with a goal on Saturday night. The marker was his sixth of the season and he has now scored a goal in back-to-back matches.
Barmby, Forbes, Guzman, Lopez, and Parano seem to be figuring things out at the right time and with two months to go, it may be better late than never.
“Tonight was a great win and we just have to continue fighting and building on what we have been working on,” Parano said. “We have a very talented squad and the possibilities are endless for us, so we have to put our heads down and work hard to keep progressing.”
UP NEXT:
San Antonio FC is now 8-9-6 (30 points) on the season and will return to the pitch next Saturday when they face off RGV FC Toros (6-11-6) at Toyota Field with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 pm Central Time.
