The Deltas Clinch a Playoff Spot and Go Top of the Fall Standings

The expansion side, the SF Deltas, clinched a playoff spot and jumped to the top of the fall season standings in search of a home playoff game. The team that Marc Dos Santos has built in one season is nothing short of amazing. The ability of the Deltas to grind out results all season has been very impressive.

Wednesday night was no different as the Deltas came back from down an early goal to beat Indy 11 by a score of 2-1. When the final whistle blew at Kezar Stadium, the Deltas had achieved their main objective for the season set out by Dos Santos by reaching the playoffs.

The Deltas fell behind early off a beautiful strike from the top of the foot of Craig Henderson to give Indy the lead. “I felt the first 8 minutes we were not clean,” said Marc Dos Santos after the game. “When you are tired physically it brings you sometimes to make bad decisions. Your decision making gets affected, and I feel the first 8 minutes we were sleeping.”

The Deltas responded quickly when an Indy own goal off of a Kyle Bekker corner kick went in to level the match. “That’s what we needed,” said Dos Santos about the fast response. “The game today was a difficult one, one you have to grind. We lost a lot of balls, we weren’t good in possession, it wasn’t a clean game, our decision making was very very poor, but it’s important sometimes when you have bad days to find a way and that’s what we did today.”

The Deltas did just that as substitute Dagoberto would score what turned out to be the winning goal and a playoff-clinching goal for the Deltas in the 81st minute. “That’s why we brought him. We knew that in moments like that he had the spark and he showed that spark,” said Dos Santos about his Brazilian star.

With the win, the Deltas have clinched a playoff spot with 4 games remaining, thus achieving the objectives set aside by Marc Dos Santos and his staff at the beginning of the year. “Some people thought making the playoffs in year one was a little bit delusional on our part, but we always believed we could make it. We had two objectives at the beginning of the year for year one. We wanted to reach a round of the US Open Cup that would allow us to play an MLS team. We reached that. And the 2nd objective was to make the playoffs and we reached that also.”

With those objectives completed Dos Santos had to put out new goals for the rest of the season having already completed his other goals. “But now you set new objectives with 4 games left between teams and we are in first in the fall season, so you have to believe you can do something and win the fall season.” By winning the fall season, or potentially staying in second in the combined standing, the Deltas are in control to host a home playoff semi final match.