Amang, Moshobane, Blake score as club moves closer to top of standings
SAN DIEGO (July 18, 2022) – San Diego Loyal SC moved closer to the top of the standings with a 3-0 win against visiting Colorado Springs Switchbacks Monday night at Torero Stadium.
Thomas Amang, Tumi Moshobane and Jack Blake each scored for the homeside in a rescheduled match from May. With the win, coach Landon Donovan’s team added three points in the Western Conference standings and moved two points behind second place Colorado Springs (13W-7L-0D, 39 points). The win marked the second time SD Loyal has beaten the Switchbacks.
SD Loyal (11W-5L-4D, 37 points) previously beat Switchbacks FC 3-2 on July 4 in come-from-behind fashion, punctuated by a game-winning goal from Evan Conway. This time around, there was no need for last-minute heroics as SD Loyal controlled the match from the first whistle.
Amang opened up the scoring early. The speedy forward blasted a shot into the net to take a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. Amang sent in the right-footed shot off a pass by Jake Blake for his seventh goal this year. The score came seconds after Alejandro Guido hit the right post.
Moshobane extended the lead to 2-0 when he volleyed a shot from outside the penalty box into an empty net. Christian Herrera, the Colorado Springs goalkeeper, had collided with SD Loyal forward Kyle Vassel then slipped. It was Moshobane’s fifth goal of the season.
SD Loyal continued attacking against a Colorado Springs team that mostly defended and finished with nine men. Steve Echeverria was sent off with a second yellow card for a hard foul on Nick Moon in the 66th minute. The penalty helped set up Blake’s goal, one for the highlight reel. Blake sent in his second goal of the year after he blasted a free-kick from 25-yards out. Aaron Wheeler was also shown a red card for the visitors late in the match.
The win sets up another SD Loyal home match when it hosts Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on Saturday July 23 (7 p.m.) in another Western Conference matchup. Tickets are available now on sdloyal.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
SD – Thomas Amang (Jack Blake), 18th minute: Amang buried a shot from the six-yard box off a pass by Jack Blake to open the scoring. SD 1, COS 0
SD – Tumi Moshobane, 21st minute: Moshobane volleyed a shot into an open net after Colorado Springs goalkeeper Herrera collided with Kyle Vassell then slipped. SD 2, COS 0
SD – Jack Blake, 67th minute: Blake blasts a shot into the net off a free kick from about 25-yards out. SD 3, COS 0
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Thomas Amang scored his seventh goal of the season.
- Tumi Moshobane scored his fifth goal of the season.
- Jack Blake scored his second goal and recorded his second assist of the season.
- SD Loyal scored its 24th first-half goal of the season, most in the USL Championship this season.
- Colorado Springs attempted four shots in the game, its lowest total in a single match this season.
