Scorpions Prepare For Contest With Laredo Heat in Open Cup

Published on May 21, 2012 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
San Antonio Scorpions News Release


SAN ANTONIO, Tx (May 21, 2012) - The San Antonio Scorpions face off with the Laredo Heat of the PDL in a regional showdown in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. A win against the Heat would set up a third round matchup with the Houston Dynamo of MLS in San Antonio on May 29.

Tuesday's match will be the third meeting between the two teams after the Scorpions defeated the Heat twice, 3-0 and 3-1, in two preseason games in March.

This marks the first time the Scorpions will participate in the U.S. Open Cup, which is the oldest competition in United States soccer.

Standing room only tickets, $15 for adult and $10 for youth, are still available for tomorrow's match. You can purchase tickets online at SanAntonioScorpions.com. Parking for this historic match at Blossom Athletic Center is free.

SCOUTING LAREDO

The Heat, founded in 2004 and based in Laredo, Texas, play in the Mid South Division of the Premier Development League (PDL) and play their home games at Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.

After qualifying for Open Cup play for the first time since 2006, the Heat defeated the ASC New Stars 4-2 in extra team in the first round to set up a second round matchup with the Scorpions. This is the farthest the team has advanced in the tournament.

Laredo has been one of the most successful teams in the PDL since its inception, having won the championship in 2007 and becoming the first PDL team to make three consecutive trips to the finals in 2008. The Heat have won the Mid South Division for each of the past three seasons and were the Southern Conference champions for the fourth time in franchise history in 2011.

LAST TIME OUT

The San Antonio Scorpions extended their winning streak to four games with a 2-0 victory over FC Edmonton Saturday before a crowd of 8,310 at Heroes Stadium.

Jonathan Greenfield scored one goal and assisted on another from Ryan Cochrane, whose 75th minute goal was his first of the season.

In the 40th minute of the match, Pablo Campos was awarded a penalty kick on contact in the box, which set up a penalty kick for Greenfield, who stepped up to the penalty spot and fired the ball hard and low in the left corner of the goal to give the Scorpions a 1-0 lead.

The second half was a little more up-tempo than the first as the Eddies tried desperately to find a chance at goal, but the Scorpions' staunch defense prevented many quality opportunities for the opposing side.

Cochrane added another Scorpion goal in the 75th minute when he headed a Greenfield free kick past Eddies goalkeeper John Smits into the back of the net.

ROLLING ALONG

The Scorpions are the hottest team in the NASL, riding a four-game winning streak and have not lost a game since their April 15 home loss to the Puerto Rico Islanders. San Antonio has steadily risen in the NASL standings, currently sitting in third place just three points behind first-place Puerto Rico with one game in hand on the Islanders.

HOLD THE LINE

The Scorpions have been one of the stronger defensive teams in the league this season, allowing just one goal per contest and posting four shutouts this season.

San Antonio is second in the NASL in goals allowed this season (7), allowing just one goal per contest.

SATTLER UNBEATEN

Daryl Sattler is 4-0-0 this season as a starter and has only allowed one goal during that span for the Scorpions to go along with three shutout performances.

His 0.25 goals against average is an NASL-best among goalkeepers with more than 90 minutes played.

BAYONA FACES FORMER TEAM

Scorpions forward Esteban Bayona played for the Laredo Heat from 2009 to 2011, where he was one of the PDL's top goal scorers in 2011 and the Heat's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010.

ABOUT THE U.S. OPEN CUP

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in United States and is among the oldest in the world, beginning action in 1914. The tournament is open to all affiliated amateur and professional teams in the country, and U.S.-based NASL teams will be competing for the first time ever in 2012.

As the oldest, annual team tournament in U.S. sports history, the Brooklyn Field Club won the first national title by defeating the Brooklyn Celtics in Pawtucket, R.I. in 1914. First instituted as the National Challenge Cup under the aegis of the United States Football Association, it was conceived as a competition open to all players and based upon England's Football Association Cup format.

The tournament is similar to domestic cup competitions that are popular throughout

Europe, South America and the rest of the world and gives local amateur teams a chance to compete against the best teams a country has to offer.

This year's edition of the U.S. Open Cup, which features teams from professional and amateur level soccer in the United States, features a modern era record 64 teams that includes all U.S.-based MLS, NASL and USL PRO teams for the first time ever.

The first four rounds of the tournament will take place in back-to-back weeks from May 15 all the way through June 5. The quarterfinals will be held on June 26 and the semifinals are set for July 10.

The tournament final will be played on Aug. 7 or 8 and the winner of the tournament earns a CONCACAF Champions League berth.

The Seattle Sounders of MLS have won the tournament each of the past three years, defeating the Chicago Fire in the U.S. Open Cup Final in 2011 by a score of 2-0.

Due to increased sponsorship and greater media attention, the Open Cup is now beginning to enjoy a prominence equal to its importance as America's soccer championship.

COMING UP

The Scorpions return to NASL play at FC Edmonton on May 27 at 3:05 p.m. CT. A win against the Heat would set up a match against the Dynamo on May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Heroes Stadium.

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