The USL Players Association's statement about demonstrating on the opening weekend of the 2026 USL Championship season amid an ongoing dispute with the league over a new collective bargaining agreement
The referee blows for the start of #LEXvLOU and the players, acknowledging the ongoing labor dispute, #StandUpForStandards, standing in place and not actually kicking off for almost a minute.
Velazquez, as far as I recall, is a new name, new face. Head coach Carlos Llamosa had talked about signing another goalkeeper but never did, so Velazquez is the third option for now.
SAFC adds three players on academy contracts right before the start of the season...Mercado was with the Puerto Rican U-20 team recently as they fought for World Cup qualification, Urrutia played in five matches in preseason and scored once. #Defend210 www.sanantoniofc.com/news/2026/03...
Even if these matches do go forward, it certainly won't be business as usual and I'm sure the players will have a not-so-subtle message, keep your eyes peeled.
I was waiting to see if we got any definitive word today about whether this first week would go forward, didn't want to put out a preview for a match that wouldn't happen. It still seems up in the air so there's a normal preview buried under discussion of the labor dispute 🤷♂️
It's the start of another USL Championship season...but unlike the start of any other season before. Even if #SAvPHX and other matches go forward, an ongoing labor dispute between the league and players has come to the foreground too. #Defend210 bluishmoonblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/06/s...
Yeah, the instability isn't a good look at all and screws over players, staff, fans, etc...while the players getting pro standards is obviously the most important part of all this, learning how the league ownership works and how the money doesn't trickle down is also a useful takeaway from this saga
Sooo turns out the USL was trying to union-bust the players association at the same time it was trying to seem like it was making a more reasonable offer Wednesday night...classy 😌 www.theguardian.com/football/202...
SAFC set to feature on ESPN2 three times this season and CBS Sports Network twice, mostly in the middle of the season. #Defend210 www.uslchampionship.com/news_article...
A graphic from the USL Players Association showing that it has rejected the latest collective bargaining agreement offered by the league and has authorized a potential strike a week before the start of the 2026 USL Championship season
A statement from the USL Players Association discussing its rejection of the latest collective bargaining agreement offered by the league and authorization of a potential strike a week before the start of the 2026 USL Championship season
A continuation of the statement from the USL Players Association discussing its rejection of the latest collective bargaining agreement offered by the league and authorization of a potential strike a week before the start of the 2026 USL Championship season
We've discussed this on the @safcfancast.bsky.social for the last couple months...everything has seemed like business as usual with preseason and all, but we're a week away from it becoming very surreal with the potential of a player strike.
Players modeling the new San Antonio FC jerseys for the 2026 season, being unveiled on the evening of Feb. 25, 2026, at The Rock at La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas
The 2026 SAFC jerseys #Defend210
👇👇👇
Just a few minutes until the SAFC jersey reveal at The Rock at La Cantera...I should have asked earlier, but what do we think it is, what do you want to see!? #Defend210
Despite letting a few goals slip later in the first half, SAFC started strong and finished stronger Saturday in a 5-2 preseason win over Houston Dynamo 2 in the only preseason match open to the public, led by a brace from Nelson Flores Blanco. #Defend210 bluishmoonblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/s...
SAFC 5-2 HOU2 (FT)
A couple defensive mistakes in the first half but SAFC roars back in the second with four goals...take it with a grain of salt, particularly the way it snowballed by the end, but it builds confidence, if nothing else 🤷♂️ #Defend210
SAFC 5-2 HOU2 (85')
SAFC gets to the endline on the left side of the box before cutting it back to Sorto, who calmly finds the opening to get it across the line from a couple yards out. #Defend210
SAFC 4-2 HOU2 (80')
Quick counterattack following a Houston corner and Parano slides it past the onrushing goalkeeper from the right side of the box, should be safe for SAFC now 👍 #Defend210
SAFC 3-2 HOU2 (74')
Required a second corner kick but SAFC eventually gets it in, Blanco scoring his second goal of the match but this time from a header. #Defend210
SAFC 2-2 HOU2 (54')
Nelson Flores Blanco draws SAFC level again from close range. #Defend210
I'm sure by then we'll be borderline-freezing again 🙃
SAFC 1-2 HOU2 (HT)
Aggressive start from SAFC which rewarded it with a goal, but a bit loose defensively as it concedes two different goals for Dynamo Dos to turn this around...it's just preseason, I guess 🤷♂️ #Defend210
SAFC 1-2 HOU2 (33')
SAFC can only half-clear a free kick before Houston plays some tidy passes in the box and beats Sanchez with a shot into the bottom left corner from a few yards out. #Defend210
SAFC 1-1 HOU2 (19')
Dynamo Dos equalizes with a strike from outside the box, well-placed to equalize. #Defend210
SAFC 1-0 HOU2 (14')
SAFC wins a free kick on the right side of the box, Jorge Hernandez swings it in and Santiago Patiño redirects it with his head for his first goal of preseason - payoff for the dominance SAFC has had in the early stages. #Defend210
San Antonio FC and Houston Dynamo 2 players warming up before a preseason match at Toyota Field on Feb. 21, 2026
Both teams out warming up...weather is nice today, partly cloudy, temperature in the 70s, a bit of a breeze - can we bottle this and have it for every match? 😅 #Defend210
A picture from the corner of Toyota Field before a preseason match between San Antonio FC and Houston Dynamo 2 on Feb. 21, 2026
A picture from the press box of Toyota Field before a preseason match between San Antonio FC and Houston Dynamo 2 on Feb. 21, 2026
Taking it from the top...another year of covering SAFC begins, this time with a preseason match against Houston Dynamo 2 - not the most exciting opponent but it's at least something to whet everybody's appetites 🤷♂️ #Defend210
SAFC gets behind the Houston defense and Semenyo squares the ball to a wide-open trialist at the back post where he slots it in to open the scoring.
...At least, that's what I dreamed last night, before SAFC's one open-door friendly today 😅
The loan pipeline from Minnesota to SAFC sends another player in Curt Calov, who provided seven assists and a goal in 21 appearances in MLSNP last year. He played collegiately at Rutgers and Syracuse, winning a national championship with the latter. #Defend210 www.sanantoniofc.com/news/2026/02...
San Antonio FC's starting lineup for its preseason match against the University of the Incarnate Word on Feb. 18, 2026
SAFC rotates today's starting XI against UIW heavily, understandably with another match on Saturday even though last Saturday's was cut short...Parano, Sorto and Patiño the only three who have already started in preseason this year. #Defend210
Richard Sanchez, Mitchell Taintor, Alex Crognale, Mikey Maldonado and Jorge Hernandez continue to have perfect attendance, starting all three matches, but Lucio Berron misses out for the first time.
San Antonio FC's starting lineup for its preseason match against FC Tulsa on Feb. 14, 2025
Dmitrii Erofeev gets his first start of preseason while Alex Greive, Cristian Parano and Diogo Pacheco make their second straight starts...rather attacking lineup on paper for this preseason match against FC Tulsa 🧐 #Defend210
