| Clubname: | San Antonio FC |
| Fullname: | San Antonio Fútbol Club |
| Short Name: | SAFC |
| Stadium: | Toyota Field |
| Capacity: | 8,296 |
| Chrtitle: | Chairman |
| Chairman: | Peter J. Holt |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Manager: | Alen Marcina |
| League: | USL Championship |
| Season: | 2023 |
| Current: | 2024 San Antonio FC season |
| Position: | 4th, Western Conference Playoffs: Conference Semifinals |
| Website: | https://www.sanantoniofc.com/ |
| American: | true |
| Leftarm1: | 000000 |
| Pattern La1: | _pumaglory22b |
| Body1: | c2ccd2 |
| Pattern B1: | _blackstripes3 |
| Rightarm1: | 000000 |
| Pattern Ra1: | _pumaglory22b |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | 000000 |
| Leftarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern La2: | _blackborder |
| Body2: | FF0000 |
| Pattern B2: | _pumaliga2122w |
| Rightarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern Ra2: | _blackborder |
| Shorts2: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern Sh2: | _pumaliga2122w |
| Socks2: | FFFFFF |
| Leftarm3: | 000 |
| Pattern La3: | _redborder |
| Body3: | FF0000 |
| Pattern B3: | _thinblackstripes |
| Rightarm3: | 000 |
| Pattern Ra3: | _redborder |
| Shorts3: | 000 |
| Socks3: | FFFFFF |
San Antonio FC is a professional soccer club based in San Antonio, Texas. It competes in the USL Championship, the second-highest level of the United States soccer league system, as a member of the Western Conference.
San Antonio FC was awarded the thirty-first USL franchise on January 7, 2016. The establishment of the club, along with the concurrent purchase of Toyota Field by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, was part of a plan by local officials to obtain an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer.[1] As a result, the San Antonio Scorpions franchise of the North American Soccer League was shut down. The first head coach in club history was former Elon University men's soccer coach and Orlando City SC Pro Academy Director, Darren Powell.[2] Carlos Alvarez was the club's first player signing on February 2, 2016.[3]
After failing to make the playoffs in its inaugural season, San Antonio FC finished the 2017 USL regular season with a 17–11–4 (W-D-L) record, finishing second in the USL Western Conference standings and earning their first playoff berth in club history. SAFC advanced to the Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated.[4] San Antonio failed to make the playoffs in consecutive years in 2018 and 2019 by a combined 4 points in the conference table.
San Antonio FC parted ways with head coach Darren Powell on October 30, 2019, after four seasons with the club. He accumulated an overall competition win-draw-loss record of 59–39–44. He led the club to its only playoff appearance in 2017, but failed to make the playoffs in the other three seasons under his management.[5] His assistant coach, Alen Marcina, was named to replace Powell on December 9, 2019, in preparation for the 2020 USL Championship season. He led the former San Antonio Scorpions to their only NASL championship in the 2014 season.[6] On October 20, 2021, Marcina led the club to their second consecutive post-season berth – the first back-to-back playoff appearance in club history.[7] San Antonio would advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in club history, losing to eventual league champions Orange County SC in penalty kicks.[8]
Marcina led the club back into the playoffs for a third consecutive time, part of the most successful season in club history. San Antonio captured five trophies in 2022; the Copa Tejas, Copa Tejas Shield, USLC regular season title, the Western Conference championship, and the USL Championship having beaten Louisville City FC 3–1 in the 2022 USL Championship Final.
See main article: Toyota Field and STAR Soccer Complex.
San Antonio plays its home matches at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas. Toyota Field is an 8,296-seat soccer-specific, natural grass stadium designed to be expandable to over 18,000 seats. Originally built for the former San Antonio Scorpions, the stadium was sold by its owner, Gordon Hartman, to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County in November 2015. San Antonio FC set a Toyota Field attendance record of 8,534 for the 2022 USL Championship Final, a 3–1 victory against Louisville City FC on November 13, 2022.[10]
San Antonio's club colors are black and silver, showing strength and unity with the other SS&E franchises. Red is an accent color that is from the same red in the Texas state flag signifying the pride the club has in Texas.[11]
The shape of San Antonio FC's badge was derived from a variety of traditional national and international club crests. The heart of the badge contains two prominent elements: the five diagonal stripes, which were inspired by the armed forces’ service stripes, are a salute to San Antonio's rich military history and their upward movement signifies the club's goal to play at the highest level; and the rowel of the Spur symbolizes the direct link between San Antonio FC and its parent company, Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Binding all of the interior elements is a single "S”—a subtle nod to the hometown heritage and how it unites the community.
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2021 | Nike | Toyota | [12] |
| 2022–2023 | Puma | [13] | |
| 2024–present | Community First Health Plans | [14] |
San Antonio was designated as the USL affiliate of New York City FC for the 2017 season.[15] there is no reported affiliation between San Antonio FC and New York City FC.
On July 23, 2024, in accordance with the renewal of the sister city agreement between the cities of San Antonio and Darmstadt, Germany originally created in 2017, the leading soccer clubs in both cities, San Antonio FC and SV Darmstadt 98, entered into a "comprehensive partnership designed to elevate the clubs both on and off the pitch".[16]
See main article: Copa Tejas. San Antonio FC shares an in-state rivalry with USL Championship side – El Paso Locomotive FC, and formerly with Rio Grande Valley FC and Austin Bold FC. Begun in the 2019 USL Championship season, all three teams participate in the Copa Tejas[19] – a head-to-head competition during the USL regular season schedule. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the trophy. San Antonio won its first Copa Tejas in 2022, going 3-1-0 against their opponents while also capturing the Copa Tejas Shield.
See main article: South Texas Derby. Since 2016, the annual rivalry with Rio Grande Valley FC, who served as a hybrid affiliate of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer from 2016 until 2020,[20] was one of the most hotly contested matches in lower division US soccer. The two teams were located about 237 miles apart from each other in South Texas. Due to this proximity, the matches tended to draw well and often featured aggressive play for bragging rights. The derby ended on December 18, 2023 when RGV FC officially ceased soccer and business operations.[21]
The club is owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment.[22]
For recent transfers, see 2024 San Antonio FC season.