As Sacramento forward Mitchell Taintor headed in the equalizing goal in the final minute of stoppage time on Saturday, it was a play Landon Donovan felt as though he had seen before.
The cross-field . The leaping goal that turned a 1-0 lead into a 1-1 draw in the 94th minute. It all sounded familiar to the San Diego Loyal manager, mostly because it was.
The Loyal had given up two decisions just like it in the first two months of the season. The first was against Rio Grande Valley on May 6, where a 0-0 game turned into a 1-0 loss in the 87th minute. The second was last month against Phoenix, where a 2-0 lead became a 2-2 draw in stoppage time.
This one, a 1-1 tie to the Sacramento Republic that was spoiled in the game’s final sequence, was just the latest iteration.
“It’s frustrating, we have given up four points in the table like that this season,” Donovan said. “It’s part of the learning process, but it hurts.”
This particular late-game stumble may have hurt more, too, because of what was on the line.
The Loyal, a team that last year had just six wins during a shortened COVID-19 season, had a chance to equal their win total from 2020. They also had a chance to take a brief lead in the Pacific Division. It’s a relatively small accomplishment 12 games into the season, but still a milestone for a franchise in its second year of existence.
“We need to come out with three points there and start building our points in the table,” forward Corey Hertzog said. “It’s a big two-point swing.”
As for how the game played out, it was an uncharacteristic match for the Loyal. Sacramento, which had been winless in its last six games, seemed intent on making the game as ugly as possible just to get a point.
The Loyal were held to just one shot on goal in the first half, a far cry from the free-flowing attack Donovan preaches. Overall, their best chances may have been manufactured by defender Callum Montgomery instead of normal strikers Jack Blake and Alejandro Guido.
In the 62nd minute, it looked as though San Diego may overcome the unconventional. Hertzog headed in his goal that just beat Sacramento keeper Tomas Gomez.
And from there, the Loyal played with the lead. That was until the Taintor goal.
The Loyal will have other chances to move to the top of the table. It just wasn’t Saturday. Instead, they finish a three-game week with a tie.
“I’ll take it,” Donovan finished. “I’m not looking at the table too much right now. We’re getting closer.”
