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Castillo Double Leads Scorpions to 2-0 Win over Indy Eleven

September 12, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
San Antonio Scorpions News Release


SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Saturday, September 12, 2015) - The San Antonio Scorpions beat Indy Eleven 2-0 Saturday night in a dominating performance in front of 7,232 fans at Toyota Field. Rafael Castillo provided the spark for San Antonio with a brace on a penalty kick in first half stoppage time and an insurance goal midway through the second half.

The opening frame was quiet with little in the way of clear chances for either side until the closing seconds of the single minute of added time. Omar Cummings received the ball in the middle third of the pitch and spotted the run being made by Marvin Chávez. Cummings sent a looping ball over the top of the Eleven defense and Chávez perfectly timed his run to collect the ball inside Indy's 18-yard-box. He then attempted to take a shot, but was flattened by Indy 'keeper Keith Cardona. Referee Jaime Herrera didn't hesitate and immediately awarded a penalty kick for the home side.

Castillo - who was captain with Adrian Cann on red card suspension - stepped up and drilled his second penalty kick in as many games. Cardona guessed correctly, but Castillo's strike to the upper left corner was perfectly placed and the Indy backstop could not even get a hand on it.

Indy had their best first half chance in the 9' when midfielder Don Smart had a clean look, but Scorpions goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes made an acrobatic, diving save to punch the ball out of danger.

Fernandes came up big in the match with three saves to preserve his third shutout in six starts for the Alamo City boys. His best came in the 50' when an Indy a cross was sent in and tipped by Eleven forward Dane Richards towards goal, but Fernandes reacted with uncanny quickness to grab the ball off the line and prevent the early equalizer.

Bill Forbes had his team-record consecutive appearances streak stopped at 43 straight games when he did not dress for Wednesday's match against Carolina, but he came into this game off the bench in the 63' for Omar Cummings and immediately began looking to distribute the ball. Nine minutes later, his hard work came to fruition as the Scorpions found their insurance goal.

Forbes made a run down the left wing and sent a hard, low cross towards Castillo, who had a step on the man attempting to mark him. Castillo got all of his left boot on the ball and he rocketed a volley past Cardona. That goal was Rafa's seventh of the season, which tied his team-leading total from the 2014 regular season. The goal was also his first this season scored from the run of play. For Billy Forbes, it was his seventh assist of the season, which also tied his team and NASL-leading total from last year.

The only negative of the match for the red and black came in second half stoppage time when César Elizondo was shown a straight red card for a feet-first challenge just outside the Scorpions box. It is the third consecutive game that a Scorpions player has been sent off with a red card and the ninth red card the team has received in 2015.

After finishing a three-game home stand in eight days, the Scorpions will now hit the road to take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, September 19th, at Al Lang Stadium.

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