San Antonio FC Clinches Playoff Berth With 2-1 Win Over Orange County at Toyota Field

San Antonio FC clinched a berth in the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs on Saturday night, beating Orange County SC 2-1 in the regular-season finale at Toyota Field. The club's own post-match release, carried by OurSports Central, and the USL Championship's official highlights account both reported the same scoreline and the same scorers: Emil Cuello either side of halftime with Cristian Parano.

San Antonio needed a win or a draw on decision day to secure the club's sixth postseason appearance, according to the release, and took the lead quickly. Cuello punched in the opener from a tight angle in the box in the 15th minute, assisted by Nelson Flores Blanco. Parano doubled the advantage in the 59th minute, tapping in a rebounded shot for his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Orange County pulled one back in the 86th minute through Chris Hegardt, assisted by Yaniv Bazini, but San Antonio held on before a crowd of 6,069.

The win closed the regular season at 11-7-12 with 45 points and a sixth-place finish in the Western Conference, the release said. It is San Antonio's second straight playoff appearance under head coach Carlos Llamosa, and the club is 8-1-1 this season when scoring first. Cuello's goal was his fourth of the year, and Flores Blanco's assist was his fourth of the year and his second in as many matches.

Parano, quoted in the club release, said: "Amazing, the team looked amazing. I think we have one of the best teams in the league. We are ready for playoffs, so I'm very, very happy." San Antonio now opens the postseason on the road, traveling to face El Paso Locomotive FC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals on Friday, Oct. 30, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. CT and broadcast details still to be announced, according to the release.