The San Francisco Deltas won their second game in a row on the road against FC Edmonton on Sunday. Here are three things we learned from the game:
1) The Deltas somehow, someway, are getting the results
Whether it is luck or determination, San Francisco has been able to secure significant results all season. On Saturday the Deltas and FC Edmonton looked destined to head for a scoreless draw before Christian Portilla’s free-kick dropped into the box and into the goal.
The previous weekend after San Francisco conceded a late North Carolina FC goal, they responded with a goal of their own to claim three points. The Deltas have recorded an impressive road record of two wins, two draws and no losses to secure 8 out of a possible 12 points.
Coach Marc Dos Santos has assembled a squad that is solid and well coached tactically, plays hard the whole game, and doesn’t make many mistakes. It’s turned into a successful recipe for the expansion side.
The Deltas run of form has moved the team up into second place, just behind Miami FC. Because of the split Spring and Fall season in the NASL, every regular game has importance.
San Francisco’s home game Friday against Jacksonville will mark the half-way point for the Spring schedule. If the team gets a result, the final eight games will be exciting for the Delta fans. The Miami FC and the Deltas home and away series on July 8th and July 15th could well decide who wins the Spring Season and a birth into the NASL playoffs.
2) It has been six games since the Deltas have scored a goal in the run of play
The two wins on the road have brought good vibes to San Francisco, but a large part of it has been because of the excellence of Christian Portilla on set pieces. His free kicks helped the Deltas secure maximum points on the road. The Deltas defense has also been fantastic, having only allowed four goals through the first seven games.
But it is hard to hide the fact that San Francisco’s offense has sputtered for most of the season. Since Tommy Heinemann scored a goal against North Carolina FC on April 8th, the Deltas have played five games where they have not scored a goal in the run of play.
After playing the first five games of the season in a 4-3-3 formation Dos Santos switched to a 4-4-2. He re-inserted Tommy Heinemann back into the lineup on Sunday alongside Pablo Dyego up front. The forwards only managed three shots for the game and one on target.
The Deltas have not been afraid to shoot this year. They only trail league-leading Miami FC in shot attempts (118 to 83) but have only scored seven times. Many of San Francisco’s shots are from a distance and have not come from a sustained offensive possessions.
As long as San Francisco continues to get the results it can be overlooked, but it is a worrying statistic for the team.
3) Romuald Peiser is the team’s most valuable player
Once again Peiser showed how important he is to the Deltas helping the team keep a clean sheet. FC Edmonton garnered one decent chance in the game when the Eddies striker Jake Keegan had a one on one opportunity with Peiser early in the second half. Peiser came out quickly and cut off the angles forcing Keegan to make a choice. His shot for the near post went just wide.
“From where I was, it was probably a little tight to go near post, looking back on it, but obviously hindsight is 20/20.” Keegan told the Edmonton Journal after the game.
If Keegan had scored the whole match would have shaped up differently. It is likely the Deltas would have come away empty handed from their trip to Canada. Peiser had little to do most of the match but came up big when needed. That has been the case all season.
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The Deltas have a busy week ahead. On Wednesday they will face off in their first US Open Cup game ever against the USL-PDL’s Burlingame Dragons. The Dragons defeated El Farolito on penalty kicks in the first round of the US Open Cup last Wednesday to advance. Burlingame faced SF City FC in San Francisco this past weekend and tied 1-1.
On Friday San Francisco returns home to Kezar Stadium to face the Jacksonville Armada. The league-owned side has been the surprise of the league so far and sits in fourth place with 10 points. Their first matchup in Florida was a physical affair with a number of yellow cards. The Deltas Jackson was suspended for two games as well for violent conduct.
