After a 2-2 Draw, San Antonio Remains One Point Behind Fall Season Leaders
Soccer News: The San Antonio Scorpions earned a point in a 2-2 draw with FC Edmonton thanks to Omar Cummings‘ league-leading eighth goal and two assists from Billy Forbes.
Forbes and Cummings showed early on why they are the Scorpions’ go-to offensive weapons. In the 17′, Rafael Castillo played a ball to Forbes on the right side of the Edmonton 18-yard-box. Forbes was tackled and briefly lost possession, but Cummings picked up the loose ball and fired a shot into the left inside netting to give the Scorpions a 1-0 lead.
However, the young Eddies – whose lineup totaled just two goals on the season heading into the night – found their first goal in the 36′. Forward Michael Nonni tapped in a cross from left winger Johann Smith, evening the score before halftime.
With inspiration from Julius James‘ video message on the scoreboard, the red and black found the net once again in the 57’, this time from César Elizondo. Forbes made a high-energy run along the left wing into the box, played the ball across goal, and found Elizondo with no one in front of him. The Costa Rican forward deposited his first goal of the season into the back of the net to give the Scorpions the 2-1 advantage.
The most dramatic goal of the night came in the 72′, this time off the foot of Edmonton midfielder Cristian Raudales. Left back Allan Zebie found Raudales unmarked on the edge the right side of San Antonio’s area. With a lack of pressure on the ball, Raudales stepped up and blasted a one timer past a diving Scorpions goalkeeper Daryl Sattler to even the game once again.
One of the last real chances for the Scorpions came in the 78′, with Forbes and Elizondo teaming up again to nearly give the Scorpions the winner. Forbes made yet another run into the left area of the box and played a cross. Elizondo was able to get a foot on the ball, but the shot sailed up and over the crossbar, preserving the tie.
While the Scorpions couldn’t find the defense to capture their second win in a row, Forbes made Scorpions history by appearing in his 35th consecutive game for the Alamo City boys.
“Forbes has been a great addition to this club,” said head coach Alen Marcina. “He’s been very consistent, which you like to see as a pro, and he’s got many years ahead of him.”
Forbes’ 35 game streak surpassed former Scorpions forward Esteban Bayona‘s all time consecutive match streak, further cementing the Turks and Caicos Islands native’s legacy. Forbes’ two assists, his fourth and fifth of the season, also vaulted him to the top of the league’s assist leaders, tying him with Tampa Bay’s Georgi Hristov.
“The team performance was good, but we let Edmonton get their way tonight,” said Forbes. “We should have pressured them a little bit more, but hopefully it is something we will learn and take to North Carolina.”
As has been the case for the Scorpions this past week, rest will prove to be extremely valuable as the Scorpions will travel to North Carolina to face the third-place RailHawks on Saturday night to play their third game in eight days.
