Midway through May, San Antonio FC headed to face the Charleston Battery in what appeared on paper to be a litmus test for new Head Coach Carlos Llamosa’s side.

It didn’t go at all well.

The Battery’s 4-0 victory was one thing, but San Antonio ended the night having conceded the highest Expected Goals Against mark (4.63xGA) on record in the Championship as well as its second-highest total of shots on target faced (10).

Overall, it was a bewildering defensive implosion.

“It was a bad loss,” said Llamosa postgame. “We didn’t have a good game. … We weren’t compact, and they’re a good team. They put the ball on the ground and they played through us easily, and we have to do better defensively as a team.”

For a side that had shown very positive signs overall this season, it was a step back.

Since then, however, things have rebounded well. San Antonio is undefeated in its past three league outings and within a point of first in the USL Championship’s Western Conference as it heads to face the team sitting in top spot, New Mexico United, this Saturday night (9 p.m. ET | ESPN+).

• DRILLING DOWN: Since its defeat to the Battery, San Antonio has regained the defensive sturdiness that has been crucial to its success this season. The lone goal it conceded in the past three games came via a penalty kick against FC Tulsa, while goalkeeper Richard Sanchez has posted consecutive shutouts over the past two weekends against Las Vegas Lights FC and Sacramento Republic FC.

• FORM THE FOUNDATION: When San Antonio’s defense has been on song overall, it’s been a good indicator of success. In the club’s six victories in the league this season, SAFC has allowed only 2.2 shots on target per game, and 0.90 Expected Goals Against, while putting up a 1.67 Expected Goals mark in attack itself.

Producing that sort of performance was the hope going into Charleston, only for it to be quickly detonated by the highest-scoring attack in the league.

New Mexico doesn’t offer the same sort of firepower the Battery do, but United’s desire to control tempo in possession and wear down opponents will offer a different type of test for SAFC.

On home turf, New Mexico’s playing style has proven even more stifling for opponents. Head Coach Dennis Sanchez’s side is allowing only 1.8 shots on target and 0.78 Expected Goals Against per game, helping the side to a 3-1-1 record at Isotopes Park.

Does that mean Saturday’s game could end up far more of a chess match than the 3-2 New Mexico victory we saw when the two sides last played a season ago? It certainly could, although we’re hoping things will open up and provide some high-quality entertainment.

After failing its last major road test, however, this feels like the opportunity for San Antonio to back up the numbers which say it’s a contender and get a marquee victory on the books.