A pair of late game-winners highlighted the two highest-profile games of the weekend in the USL Championship’s Western Conference, but there was plenty more on offer as the playoff races continued to take shape in both the Mountain and Pacific Divisions. Here are five things we took away from Saturday night’s contests.

SAN ANTONIO EARNS KEY LATE WIN IN RETURN

Having had to wait 20 days for a return to action before playing host to an El Paso Locomotive FC that has been the most consistent side division leader in the USL Championship this season, San Antonio FC could maybe have been excused for a little rust as it returned to action on Saturday night at Toyota Field. Instead, the hosts produced a performance and result that could prove decisive as it fights for a place in the postseason with a 2-1 win that came via a 93rd-minute winner by Justin Dhillon of superb quality that lifted the fans to their feet in joy.

“Those kind of goals – last minute winners – attackers dream about those,” said Dhillon. “It’s a home game against the number one team in the league. The whole team has a statement to prove that we can beat any team in this league. It was a dream finish for myself, and for the team.”

With both New Mexico United and Austin Bold FC falling on Saturday night, the win shifted San Antonio into fourth place in the Mountain Division standings while retaining two games in hand on their rivals. While SAFC will have to handle a busy schedule with four games in 11 days over the next two weeks due to its layoff, the performance and nature of the dramatic win could carry the side through and into a strong position by the middle of the month.

“I’m just so proud of the guys,” said San Antonio Head Coach Alen Marcina. “With what we have had to endure the last few weeks it’s been incredibly difficult. We preach resilience and that’s what the guys showed tonight. They did everything they could on the field. They battled, they fought, and they earned the three points.”

PHOENIX’S CALISTRI STRIKES AGAIN AGAINST NEW MEXICO

Apparently, there’s something about setting up New Mexico United as an opponent in front of Phoenix Rising FC’s Joey Calistri that just seems to raise his game. After his late game-tying goal at Isotopes Park at the end of the 2019 season, the Illinois native stepped to the fore again on Saturday night with a pair of goals before Santi Moar’s late winner in a 3-2 win that steadied the ship for Rising FC after the side’s recent four-game run without a win.

“What do you say about Joey Calistri? Everyone in New Mexico must hate this guy,” said Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz. “I’m sure glad he’s here with us.”

Calistri now has four goals in four games in his career against New Mexico, the most goals he has scored in his career against a single club. Entering the starting lineup for the sidelined Solomon Asante, Calistri was active throughout in Phoenix’s front line before Moar’s winner for his ninth goal of the season provided a late exclamation point to a resolute performance by the defending Western Conference Title-winner.

“Solo [Asante] picked up a little knock so whenever it’s my time to step up, I try to do whatever I can for the team,” said Calistri. “Rick and the rest of the staff know I’m always ready. Luckily, I was rewarded tonight but it was the whole team that put in a good shift. Credit to everyone in the 18.”

OAKLAND’S RISE CONTINUES, PLAYOFFS IN SIGHT

In the words of Oakland Roots SC Head Coach Jordan Ferrell, “It’s been a long time coming,” but his side is quickly becoming one of the more interesting and dangerous sides in the USL Championship. After a 3-1 victory against Tacoma Defiance on Saturday night at Laney Stadium that ran the club’s winning streak to three games and undefeated run to six, it might not be so unbelievable that Roots SC could be a playoff contender in the final stretch of the season.

“There were a lot of things early in the season keeping us from finding a rhythm,” Ferrell added on Saturday night. “You can point your finger at a bunch of things, but I think now we’re in a stretch where we’ve played games consistently and have had some consistency in the lineup. Tonight was the first night of the season where I didn’t have to make a sub in the midfield. Having the heart of our team game to game, and the core of our team game to game, now we’re at that stage.”

That the victory came against Tacoma was key for Oakland, with the Defiance representing the team the clubs currently below the playoff line are taking aim at for the fourth and final playoff position currently after San Diego Loyal SC took victory on Saturday and Orange County SC earned a point on the road against the Charleston Battery. Second-half goals by Ariel Mbumba and Jeremy Bokila provided the platform for a win that saw Roots SC concede possession to their guests but allow few incisive moments while looking the more dangerous of the two sides overall.

Friday’s visit to Eastern Conference Title-holder the Tampa Bay Rowdies now looks an intriguing prospect to further gauge how high Oakland’s ceiling is.

WILLIAMS HELPS SAN DIEGO REGAIN ATTACKING FOOTHOLD

One of the notable things about the before and after of San Diego Loyal SC’s recent club-record 5-1 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC was the fact that it appeared somewhat out of the blue. In the seven games surrounding that contest dating back to July 24 prior to Saturday night, SD Loyal had recorded only five goals cumulatively. That made the club’s 3-1 victory against Sacramento Republic FC at Heart Health Park a pleasant return to form, even more so that the side notched all three goals in the opening half-hour of the contest.

In the middle was Augustine Williams, whose first start for the side produced a pair of goals as the Sierra Leone international showed off the scoring prowess he had displayed as a Championship All-League selection for the LA Galaxy II in 2020. Now signed by the Galaxy, Williams joined SD Loyal on loan for the remainder of this campaign with a chance to reassert himself and proved more than up to the task to the delight of Head Coach Landon Donovan.

 “It was great. The start was great,” Donovan said. “A big principle for this game was to pressure and getting that early goal, that was huge. Augie was fantastic. He did what we brought him here to do which was to scare teams and we have proven that when we scare teams and that we score the goals, we are really hard to beat. All of that came together tonight.”

SD Loyal will face some more important games in the coming month, including two trips to face Oakland Roots SC on the road. If Williams keeps firing, San Diego would be a solid bet to retain its current second-place spot in the Pacific Division.

SWITCHBACKS’ BURKE ENTHUSED BY AMANG’S PROGRESS

The headlines for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC continue to follow forward Hadji Barry, who notched his 20th goal in 20 games this season for the side in its 4-1 victory against Austin Bold FC on Saturday night while converting his seventh penalty kick out of seven to pull the hosts level after conceding early at Weidner Field.

Also among the scorers, though, was Thomas Amang, with the young Cameroonian having now notched two goals and one assist in the past three games as he gets assimilated into the Switchbacks’ system. Having previously spent time with Spanish Third Division club Gimnàstic de Tarragona and Norwegian club Molde FK – a former club of current U.S. international Ethan Horvath – the talent-level of the 23-year-old is starting to emerge fully, and Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke believes there’s more to come which would only add to what is currently the most potent attack in the Championship.

“I can’t wait to see him when he is 90 minutes fit at this altitude,” said Burke of Amang. “We knew when we brought him here that other teams were going to make summer signings. So, we were kinda quiet about Thomas but he has played at a major European league at 18, 19, and 20 he was going through a rough patch. We are really very lucky to have gotten his signature at the time that we did when he was coming out of Spain. His time in Norway he was showing flashes at what he could do now. I think he could tear this league apart when he hits the right run of form and has the right guys around him. Right now, I think he has all of that.”