SAN ANTONIO – Since making his San Antonio FC debut as a second-half substitute against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 two weeks ago, Diego Restrepo has proven more than adequate cover for the injured Matt Cardone.

On Saturday night the 29-year-old produced arguably his best performance yet, as his four-save shutout proved crucial in a 1-0 victory against Sacramento Republic FC in front of 7,234 fans at Toyota Field.

“Diego knew he had to come in and step up in that moment and tonight he certainly did that,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “I think he’s gotten better and better. We have the good fortune of watching him in practice every day so there’s no surprise on our end, but tonight he grew again as a goalkeeper and we’ve got the best of Diego Restrepo to see.”

Restrepo recorded his second consecutive shutout for SAFC on Saturday night, making two major stops in a clash between two of the top teams in the USL Western Conference. In the 18th minute he was able to get down well to deny Sammy Ochoa in a one-on-one situation, and then late in the game as SAFC was looking to preserve its lead he tipped a close-range redirection by Ochoa round the left post.

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The former College Cup winner gave credit to his back four for the victory, though, as the duo of Stephen McCarthy and Sebastian Ibeagha put in a sterling effort as well.

“It feels very good when you come in and you have a bunch of guys with so much experience in the back, guys that are humble and work hard every day,” said Restrepo. “We’re a big unit here. It’s not that hard to come in and adapt, because they all just brought me in and just told me to play my game. I thank them for helping me get more comfortable.”

SAFC took its seventh win in eight games to start the season, and now sits seven points clear of Real Monarchs SLC in the standings. Saturday night’s game might have been the hardest SAFC had to battle to earn all three points this season, facing a Sacramento side that again had a frustrating night as its scoreless streak reached five games.

With Restrepo approaching the top of his form in front of a defensively strong outfield group, SAFC continued its outstanding start to the season.

“It just shows the mentality of our team this year,” said SAFC midfielder Kris Tyrpak. “To go in and battle every single minute of this game and throughout this season like we’ve done has been huge. It shows that we have the right mindset right now and it’s working for us.”