San Antonio FC wins appeal, Batrouni red card overturned ahead of Las Vegas Lights match

San Antonio FC won its appeal and had Joey Batrouni’s red card from the July 4 draw with Monterey Bay FC overturned, putting the goalkeeper back in the mix for the club’s July 18 match against Las Vegas Lights FC.

The ruling changes the immediate shape of San Antonio’s schedule because Batrouni is eligible again after the USL Championship’s Independent Review Panel erased the send-off and the one-game suspension that came with it. That matters for a team that has leaned on the San Antonio native through the first half of the season and entered the ruling sitting second in the Western Conference.

Batrouni’s red card came in the 63rd minute of a scoreless home match at Toyota Field on Independence Day, forcing San Antonio to finish with 10 men for the final 38 minutes plus stoppage time. Even shorthanded, the club held on for a 0-0 draw that preserved a seven-match home unbeaten streak at Toyota Field. Monterey Bay left with a point as well and stretched its own run to six results without a loss in its last seven matches.

The appeal restores more than just roster flexibility. Batrouni had already built a strong case for himself before the red card, and the league recognized that form on June 30 when it named him its Fans’ Choice Midseason Goalkeeper of the Year. He entered the award with 37 saves, tied for third-most in the league, and a 74 percent save percentage.

That profile has made him one of San Antonio’s most important pieces. Batrouni, an SAFC Academy product who also played at the University of Virginia, signed a multi-year deal with the first team on January 21, 2025, after completing his college career. With the suspension removed, San Antonio avoids having to cover for him in a critical early-summer window, and the club can go into the Las Vegas Lights match with its top goalkeeper available for selection instead of patching the position after a disputed dismissal.