This is a great hypothesis. If San Antonio FC and Louisville City FC teams were to be picked to form the lineup, who would be in the 2022 USL Championship Finals on Sunday night?
Now, with the team face I came up with, we’re headed for a fascinating battle.
With 6 out of 11 players selected, San Antonio have a slight edge in representation despite some very difficult decisions across the pitch.
Given that the two teams could potentially use some variation of the 3-4-3 formation when they face off at Toyota Field (8:30 PM ET | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | SiriusXM FC) , that’s what we’ve done here.
Now let’s discuss among you.
GK – Jordan Farr, San Antonio FC – Kudos to Danny Foundes for possibly the best story of this postseason, but there’s no way to rule out the 2022 Championship Goalkeeper of the Year. Farr’s 18 shutouts and 76.9 % save percentage puts him at the forefront of SAFC success this year.
CB – Sean Totch, Louisville City FC – A three-time Championship Finals winner in his career, Totch was named to the Championship All-League First Team three times in a row this year, joining several elite companies. With him finishing second in this year’s Defender of the Year voting, you think the veteran is going to win the award before his career ends.
CB – Mitchell Tainter, San Antonio FC – Tainter wasn’t just the Championship Defender of the Year. But he can’t help but nod his head here.
CB – Fabian Garcia, San Antonio FC – This may be the first controversy in the lineup, but Garcia is barely overshadowed by LouCity’s Joshua Wynder. All are well ahead of Winder, with his left foot creating 38 chances and scoring three assists this year.
LWB – Amadou Dia, Louisville City FC – The left wing veteran delivered on expectations when he arrived at Roux City, posting a single season high of eight assists, a tackle completion rate of 72.5% and 41 interceptions.
RWB – Manny Perez, Louisville City FC – The 23-year-old has returned to the kind of form that made him such a strong potential when he was part of the US U-20 Men’s National Team during his college days.Perez leads LouCity with 39 winning tackles, 27 chances and 2 assists
CM – Conor Maloney, San Antonio FC – A nominal defender, Maloney has made the majority of his starting lineup in the SAFC in midfield, so he’s right in the center of the park. Not only is the 27-year-old versatile, but he’s also a high-caliber performer in the role he’s in demand, scoring his 60 tackles and his 63 interceptions this season.
CM – Paolo Delpiccolo, Louisville City FC – The truth is that DelPiccolo wasn’t always LouCity’s 90-minute player. He’s been replaced in 21 of his 25 starts this season – but what he brings to the field still resonates. The rating (+4.70) was about the same as Sean Totsch (+4.79).
LW – Enoch Mushagarsa, Louisville City FC – The Congolese winger has been a bright spot on LouCity’s left flank this season, scoring 10 goals and 3 assists and completing 70 dribbles in the regular season and play-offs. This is his second most in the league and a threat to stretch his line on defense.
CF – Samuel Adeniran, San Antonio FC – This is another very difficult call with Adeniran nodding to Louisville City FC’s Wilson Harris. His 15 goals for Harris are more than his 12 for Adeniran and his two in most other categories. But Adeniran’s form lifts him up with goals and assists while Harris only takes four of his shots.
RW – Santiago Patino, San Antonio FC – We also have quite a few questions about the final standings of the teams. LouCity’s Brian Ownby, on the other hand, is one of the all-time playoff greats in league history. But it’s questionable if he’ll go, which means Patinho will take the spot. This Colombian player boasts his rate of 9 goals and he strikes 1 goal every 111.4 minutes, this post he is in great form in the season he has scored 3 goals.
