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San Antonio earns draw

May 30, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
San Antonio Scorpions News Release


SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The San Antonio Scorpions earned a point in the standings in a 1-1 draw with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Toyota Field in front of 6,396 fans.

The Alamo City boys started off the match on the front foot and after failing to capitalize on a series of corner kicks starting in the 12th minute, they found their opener from an unlikely source in the 21st. Rafael Castillo brought the ball up the right side of the pitch and sent an early cross towards the Ft. Lauderdale goal from about 35 yards away. Striker Omar Cummings got onto the end of the cross and flicked it towards the center of the box as Strikers 'keeper Lionel Brown began to rush off his line. Scorpions midfielder Joseph Nane beat him to the ball and deftly flicked it over Brown's head where it softly fell into the goal.

The Scorpions looked to be headed into the half with a lead, but a late flurry by the visitors eventually produced the equalizer. In the 41', FTL attacking midfielder Dani Sanchez broke in on San Antonio goalie Daryl Sattler and took a quick shot from about 12 yards away, but Sattler's reactions were quick as he got all of his left hand onto the ball to push it wide of the post. Just three minutes later, Ft. Lauderdale again got behind the Scorpions' line with James Marcelin breaking into the box on the right side. As Sattler converged, Marcelin slid the ball across to the left side just outside the 6-yard-box and found Stefano Pinho, who easily finished into the open goal to tie the match at 1-1.

Though neither side found a winner in the second half, the match turned into an open, entertaining affair with chances for both teams. The best chance for the visitors came in the 68' when Léo Moura stepped up to take a 21-yard free kick. The Brazilian went up and over the Scorpions' wall and just over the crossbar as Sattler looked to cover.

The red and black had a flurry of opportunities at the end, starting in the 75th when César Elizondo ripped a hard shot from outside the box that forced a diving save by Brown. The Scorpions collected the rebound and Cummings then took his own opportunity from inside the area that Brown again was able to save. Then starting in the 85th, Billy Forbes created back-to-back-to back opportunities for the Scorpions to take potentially all three points.

The first chance was a left-footed laser that Brown had to parry to his right rather than attempt to a catch. Then in the 90', the Turks and Caicos international had a darting run through the Strikers defense before passing to Cummings in the center of the box. The Jamaican turned and hit a hard, low shot that was tantalizingly close to the left post. Finally in stoppage time, Forbes drove hard towards the endline from the right side and then went right at Brown. His shot was hit firm and low, but once again the Ft. Lauderdale backstop was up to the task.

Next week the Scorpions go back on the road to face the Atlanta Silverbacks while the Strikers will be home at Lockhart Stadium to take on Indy Eleven.

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