San Diego Loyal and Albion San Diego will face off once again in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup, but this time at the SDSU Sports Deck. The last time both sides met was on April 6, 2022, at Canyon Crest Academy with the team led by then head coach Landon Donovan coming out with a dramatic 2-1 win thanks to the 89th-minute goal by defender Taylor Crull.
“Last year the game came down to the wire with us getting edged late,” said Albion San Diego CEO and executive director Noah Gins. “This game is great for soccer and great for San Diego.”
San Diego Loyal will be the home team this time around and will have already played several preseason and regular season games by the time the match takes place sometime in early April.
Albion San Diego completed its final day of open tryouts for the upcoming NISA season on Saturday and will be starting training camp in the coming days with players like defender Jacob Haupt and midfielder Lennyn Carreon among those returning for 2023. Albion will play its first regular season match on April 16 at home versus Chattanooga FC after the league moved the game against the defending champion Michigan Stars from April 9 to June 24.
“We are excited to play in our second US Open Cup,” said San Diego Loyal president Ricardo Campos. “We take the tournament very seriously and are thrilled to be able to host the first round this season.” San Diego Loyal plays its USL Championship home games at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego. Despite the match taking place at SDSU this time, the team led by first-year head coach Nate Miller will be the home team for the second round. The Loyal are entering their fourth season and are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances while Albion San Diego made it to the championship match in its rookie season as a member of NISA last year.
“Albion San Diego, San Diego’s homegrown professional team, is here to build top professional soccer and drive player development,” Gins added. “A matchup like Loyal in our first Open Cup game will always raise the stakes and make for a great game.”
The exact time and date are yet to be determined. The current maximum capacity at the SDSU Sports Deck is 3,000.
Photo courtesy: David Frerker
