Exantus, Nguyen Score in First Win

The Knights secured their first win of the season on Friday by shutting out Rio Hondo 2-0 with first-half goals from Jamesley Exantus and Johnson Nguyen. With the win, the Knights improved to 1-2-3 on the season with two more non-conference games remaining.

The first half saw San Diego City applying early pressure, and after several attempts from both teams, Exantus broke the deadlock in the 38th minute with his third goal of the season, assisted by Marko Alonso.

Just a few minutes later, in the 43rd, Nguyen doubled San Diego City's lead with a well-placed goal off a short pass from Abel Ferrer, sending them into halftime with a 2-0 advantage. It was also Nguyen's third goal this season.

In the second half, Rio Hondo fought hard to get back into the game and took nine shots with two hitting the crossbar. Four of those shots were on target, but San Diego City goalkeeper Diego Garcia was able to save all of them, including two in the final five minutes.

San Diego City's defense, anchored by Garcia, held firm throughout as San Diego City's two first-half goals were enough to secure the victory, while Rio Hondo's offensive efforts remained fruitless.

The Knights have another two home games coming up this week. They will host Santiago Canyon at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and will play Compton at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20.