SAN ANTONIO – With three games left to play, the message is clear for San Antonio FC.
Win, and they're in.
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After their 2-1 victory over Fresno FC on Saturday, the Alamo City club currently holds the tiebreaker over New Mexico United for the 10th and final playoff spot in the USL Championship's Western Conference. That means that regardless of other outcomes, if SAFC takes care of their business, they'll qualify for the playoffs.
"The bottom line is we have to build on Saturday night's performance and take that momentum into this game," said head coach Darren Powell. "We know what we have to do to be in control. I thought you saw that emphasis from the players on Saturday night. That needs to continue this week in training and on to the game."
"Right now we're in the playoff spot, so we just need to keep winning and control our own destiny like the coach says," defender Moises Hernandez said. "Each game, we're playing like it's the final one in order to qualify for the postseason. The fans deserve it, the city deserves it, so we're going to do everything we can to do that."
The biggest test starts this weekend with the first game of back-to-back road matchups against Las Vegas Lights FC. San Antonio has struggled on the road this season, currently posting a record of 2-3-10 in matches held outside of the confines of Toyota Field. The team knows they'll have their hands full against a Las Vegas squad that boasts an 8-4-1 record at Cashman Field.
"Las Vegas just won this past weekend, and they have a very strong home record," Powell said. "When they're in their stadium they play with a lot of energy, so it'll be a very challenging game. The stakes are very high. We know that, and we want to make sure we're ready for Saturday evening."
San Antonio will face Las Vegas Saturday at 9:30 p.m.