San Antonio Scorpions Explained

Clubname:San Antonio Scorpions
Fullname:San Antonio Scorpions Football Club
Nickname:Scorpions
Stadium:Toyota Field
San Antonio, Texas
Capacity:8,296
Chrtitle:Owner
Chairman:Gordon Hartman
Mgrtitle:Head coach
League:North American Soccer League
Season:2015
Position:Spring: 7th
Fall: 10th
Combined: 10th
Playoffs: Did not qualify
American:true
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The San Antonio Scorpions were an American professional soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 2010, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2012. The Scorpions played at Toyota Field, a soccer specific stadium that was completed in 2013.

The club operated differently from most professional sports clubs in terms of its operating profit. As part of owner Gordon Hartman's Soccer for a Cause, all net profits from Scorpions operations went towards funding Morgan's Wonderland, a wheelchair accessible theme park located in the Longhorn Quarry, next to STAR Soccer Complex and Toyota Field.[1]

On December 22, 2015, it was announced that Toyota Field and S.T.A.R. Soccer Complex were sold to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, a deal which was accompanied by an agreement for Spurs Sports and Entertainment to operate the facilities and field San Antonio FC, which plays in the USL.[2] [3]

History

NASL expansion

On October 4, 2010, the NASL announced that a San Antonio expansion team would join the new league in 2012. The team's ownership group was led by San Antonio businessman and philanthropist Gordon Hartman.[4] The official name of the team was revealed at a press conference on January 10, 2011: San Antonio Scorpions FC.[5]

In the team's first NASL game, the Scorpions tied the Atlanta Silverbacks 0–0.[6] Despite Heroes Stadium's listed capacity of 11,000, the Scorpions drew 13,151 to their home opener against the Puerto Rico Islanders on April 15, 2012. The Scorpions lost the game 4–0.[7]

The Scorpions scored their first goal the following weekend in a 2–2 tie with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, with Pablo Campos netting the first goal in the 41st minute. Hans Denissen scored in stoppage time to give San Antonio its first ever home points.[8]

The Scorpions sold 3,040 season tickets for the 2013 season.[9] After a promising spring season in which the team finished 3rd,[10] the fall season told another story. On August 27, 2013, Tim Hankinson was fired as Head Coach after an 0–0–4 start in the NASL fall season. Assistant Coach Alen Marcina was named to replace him on an interim basis.[11] Marcina was named permanent head coach on November 20, 2013.[12] The Scorpions would finish last in the fall season standings[10] and finish in 7th place in the combined table at the end of the 2013 season.

NASL Soccer Bowl champions (2014)

The 2014 season, Marcina's first full season at the helm, was a complete turnaround for the Scorpions from the previous year. After finishing third in the spring season standings, the Scorpions captured the fall season championship on a stoppage-time goal from captain Adrian Cann in a 1–0 win over the visiting New York Cosmos.[13] The Scorpions would face the Cosmos again just a week later in their NASL Championship semi-final game at Toyota Field.[14] The Scorpions would go on to win that game in extra-time, 2–1, as Wálter Restrepo scored the winning goal in the 110th minute.[14]

On November 15, 2014, the Scorpions hosted the 2014 Soccer Bowl at Toyota Field against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in front of a modern-era NASL Championship game record attendance of 7,847 fans.[15] The Scorpions would go on to win their first NASL title beating the Strikers 2–1 in the Soccer Bowl.[16] Rafael Castillo was named the Man of the Match after he opened up the scoring with a bicycle kick that garnered national attention.[17]

Stadium

See main article: Toyota Field.

While the club waited for Toyota Field to be constructed, the Scorpions used Heroes Stadium in San Antonio as their home for the 2012 season.

The Scorpions used Comalander Stadium as an alternate playing site for their 2012 U.S. Open Cup matchup against the Laredo Heat. Comalander Stadium is owned by North East ISD, the same owner of Heroes Stadium.[18]

In 2013, the team debuted in Toyota Field, built across the street from the STAR Soccer Complex. Construction on Toyota Field began in February 2012 and was opened in April 2013. Toyota Field seats 8,000 fans, with the possibility of expanding the complex up to 18,000 as demand necessitates.[19] [20]

On November 15, 2014, Toyota Field hosted the NASL Soccer Bowl between the San Antonio Scorpions and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.[21] The Scorpions won 2–1.[22]

Club culture

Supporters

The Scorpions had three supporters groups:

Mascot

thumb|right|Sting is unveiled to fans and supportersOn April 12, 2014, San Antonio unveiled its new mascot at a home match against Minnesota United. During halftime, the new mascot was introduced to fans and supporters.[26] [27] The club held a naming contest with the fans on social media[28] and after an online vote, Sting was the name given to the new mascot. Sting attended all home games at Toyota Field and could be seen alongside the team at marketing and community outreach programs.

Rivalries

The Scorpions played MLS side FC Dallas in the deeproot Funds Cup, an annual rivalry game between the two clubs.[29] The team also played in the Hill Country Derby versus the USL's Austin Aztex. This game gave "Central Texas bragging rights" to the winner.[30]

Broadcasting

For the 2015 season, "all 15 regular season home matches will air live on ESPN3 in the U.S., ESPN Play in Latin America, and ESPN Player in Europe, the Middle East and Africa." In total reached 75 countries.[31] All home games were also broadcast locally on KSAT-TV Channel 12.[32]

Major League Soccer expansion

The Scorpions had declared their interest in moving to Major League Soccer.[9] Toyota Field is expandable to MLS standards of 18,000 seats, although the stadium's location 20 minutes northeast of downtown does not meet MLS's preference for downtown stadiums.[9] Owner Gordon Hartmann had preliminary discussions with MLS CEO Don Garber in spring 2014.[9] The Crocketeers supporters group have collected over 5,000 signatures in a petition to join MLS.[33] As of January 2015, San Antonio is still in discussions with MLS and "has been very active" according to Commissioner Garber.[34] On February 26, 2015, the San Antonio City Council, Scorpions owner Gordon Hartman, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all received a letter from the president of the Mexican Football Federation, Justino Compeán, stating he and the Federation support Gordon Hartman on his bid to bring MLS to San Antonio.[35] Compeán wrote that "The city has the infrastructure, resources and diversity that makes San Antonio the ideal place for MLS expansion...I am very pleased that these local leaders have initiated the effort to bring professional soccer to San Antonio and I look forward to having them as my partner.”[36]

Year-by-year

All-time San Antonio Scorpions coaching stats! Coach !! Nationality !! Start !! End !! Games !! Win !! Draw !! Loss !! Win % !! Honors
Tim Hankinson2012 North American Supporters' Trophy
Alen Marcina
(interim)
Alen Marcina2014 Fall Champions
2014 NASL Champions
YearDivisionLeagueSpring seasonFall seasonCombined table
(North American Supporters' Trophy)
PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTop ScorerAvg. attendance
(regular season)
Avg. attendance
(playoffs)
PlayerGoals
(regular season)
20122NASL1stSemi-FinalsFourth round Pablo Campos209,1766,249
20132NASL3rd8th7thdid not qualifySecond Round Hans Denissen126,937did not qualify
20142NASL3rd1st2ndChampionsFourth round Rafael Castillo76,8107,198
20152NASL7th10th10thdid not qualifyThird Round Omar Cummings106,736did not qualify
  1. Spring & Fall Championships not instituted until 2013 season

Record vs. NASL clubs

Regular season record
TeamWDLTotal
Atlanta Silverbacks7 4 3 14
Carolina Railhawks8 1 5 14
FC Edmonton6 4 4 14
Fort Lauderdale Strikers4 6 4 14
Indy Eleven4 0 2 6
Jacksonville Armada1 1 1 3
Minnesota United3 6 5 14
New York Cosmos3 0 5 8
Ottawa Fury1 3 2 6
Tampa Bay Rowdies7 0 7 14
Puerto Rico Islanders1 0 3 4
$ Dissolved after the 2012 season

Record vs. MLS clubs

DateCompetitionHome TeamResultAway TeamLocation
May 29, 20122012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupSan Antonio Scorpions1–0Houston DynamoSan Antonio, Texas
March 1, 2014Deeproot Funds CupSan Antonio Scorpions1–1FC DallasSan Antonio, Texas
March 20, 2014FriendlyHouston Dynamo0–2San Antonio ScorpionsHouston, Texas
June 17, 20142014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupFC Dallas2–0San Antonio ScorpionsFrisco, Texas
February 28, 2015Deeproot Funds CupSan Antonio Scorpions2–1FC DallasSan Antonio, Texas

Record vs. international clubs

DateCompetitionHome TeamResultAway TeamLocation
March 14, 2012FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions3–0 Dorados de SinaloaStockton, California
July 6, 2013FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions1–5 Tigres UANLSan Antonio, Texas
July 20, 2013FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions1–2 Dorados de SinaloaSan Antonio, Texas
April 5, 2014FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions1–1 Deportivo SaprissaSan Antonio, Texas
June 21, 2014FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions1–2 Tigres UANLSan Antonio, Texas
June 28, 2014FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions3–3 Mexico U-21San Antonio, Texas
July 6, 2014FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions1–1 C.F. MonterreySan Antonio, Texas
March 28, 2015FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions4–2 Costa Rica U-23San Antonio, Texas
June 27, 2015FriendlySan Antonio Scorpions0–1 C.S. CartaginésSan Antonio, Texas

Honors

League

Minor

Player honors

YearPosPlayerHonor
2012FWPablo CamposGolden Ball Award
Golden Boot Award
NASL Best XI
2012DFRyan CochraneNASL Best XI
2012MFWalter RamirezNASL Best XI
2012GKDaryl SattlerGolden Glove Award
2013FWHans DenissenNASL Best XI
2014MFRafael CastilloNASL Best XI
2014MFWalter RestrepoNASL Best XI

Records

Player records

Statistics are for NASL regular season and post season only.

All-time leaders

Goals!Rank!Player!Goals!Career
1Pablo Campos212012
2Rafael Castillo172014–2015
3Hans Denissen162012–2013
4Tomasz Zahorski152013–2014
5Omar Cummings102015
5Billy Forbes102014–2015
Games Played!Rank!Player!Games!Career
1Stephen DeRoux742013–2015
2Greg Janicki682012–2014
3Walter Ramírez512012–2013
4Billy Forbes502014–2015
5Hans Denissen482012–2013
Minutes Played!Rank!Player!Minutes!Career
1Stephen DeRoux6,2342013–2015
2Greg Janicki5,9732012–2014
3Rafael Castillo4,0562014–2015
4Billy Forbes3,8422014–2015
5Walter Ramírez3,7912012–2013
Shutouts!Rank!Player!Shutouts!Career
1Daryl Sattler152012, 2014–2015
2Josh Saunders72014
3David Bingham52014
4Daniel Fernandes42015
4Jeremy Vuolo42013–2014

Hat tricks

4 Player scored 4 goals.

Records

Team records

The following records are for NASL regular season only. As of September 9, 2015

Attendance

Matches

Seasons

Streaks

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Soccer For A Cause. May 20, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120518020902/http://sanantonioscorpions.com/club/about-the-club/soccer-for-a-cause. May 18, 2012. mdy-all.
  2. News: SS&E announces USL franchise for 2016. Terrence Thomas. San Antonio Express-News. December 22, 2015. December 28, 2015.
  3. Web site: NASL Releases Statement on San Antonio Scorpions. NASL.com. December 22, 2015. December 28, 2015.
  4. Web site: San Antonio to join NASL in 2012. NASL.com. October 6, 2010. October 5, 2010 .
  5. News: Pro soccer team to be named Scorpions . W. Scott . Bailey . January 10, 2011.
  6. Web site: Match Report North American Soccer League. NASL. May 20, 2012.
  7. Web site: Match Recap North American Soccer League. NASL. May 20, 2012.
  8. Web site: Match Recap North American Soccer League. NASL. May 20, 2012.
  9. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/03/04/san-antonio-scorpions-know-what-it-will-take-join-mls-ranks-has-be-community "San Antonio Scorpions know what it will take to join MLS ranks: "This has to be a community effort""
  10. Web site: Standings - nasl.com. nasl.com. March 3, 2015.
  11. Web site: Scorpions Name Alen Marcina Interim Head Coach. North American Soccer League. August 27, 2013.
  12. Web site: Alen Marcina Named Scorpions Head Coach . December 16, 2013.
  13. Web site: NASL: San Antonio Scorpions 1 New York Cosmos 0.
  14. Web site: NASL: San Antonio Scorpions 2 New York Cosmos 1.
  15. Web site: NASL: MATCH PREVIEW: The Championship Final.
  16. Web site: NASL: Scorpions Raise Soccer Bowl Trophy With 2–1 Win Over Strikers.
  17. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions 2–1 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers: Scorpions win NASL title at home.
  18. Web site: Scorpions Could Host Houston Dynamo in 3rd round of Open Cup. May 20, 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20120716113938/http://sanantonioscorpions.com/team-news/item/297-scorpions-could-host-houston-dynamo-in-3rd-round-of-open-cup. July 16, 2012. mdy-all.
  19. Web site: McCullough. Bob. Ground Broken for Scorpions Community Stadium, Home of San Antonio's New Pro Soccer Team. San Antonio Scorpions. May 20, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120302145604/http://sanantonioscorpions.com/team-news/item/256-ground-broken-for-scorpions-community-stadium-home-of-san-antonio%E2%80%99s-new-pro-soccer-team. March 2, 2012. mdy-all.
  20. Web site: Toyota Announces Presenting Sponsorships of Morgan's Wonderland, New Scorpions Stadium. San Antonio Scorpions. August 28, 2012.
  21. Web site: NASL: MATCH PREVIEW: The Championship Final.
  22. Web site: NASL: Scorpions Raise Soccer Bowl Trophy With 2–1 Win Over Strikers.
  23. News: Clow. Damen. FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo meet at Whataburger Field. February 10, 2011. Corpus Christi Caller-Times. February 10, 2011.
  24. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions. https://web.archive.org/web/20110826163909/http://sanantonioscorpions.com/partners/supporters-group . August 26, 2011 .
  25. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions. https://web.archive.org/web/20140228054028/http://www.sascorpions.com/page/slug/supporters-group#.VQB-bPnF_ec. usurped. February 28, 2014. sascorpions.com. March 19, 2015.
  26. Web site: Scorpions Mascot. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/zay2WQILDyM . 2021-12-21 . live. April 12, 2014. YouTube. March 3, 2015.
  27. Web site: Over-the-top minor league mascot reveal. April 18, 2014.
  28. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions. https://web.archive.org/web/20150116192516/http://www.sascorpions.com/news/detail/lang/EN/uuid/hi0wwcjvzk8f1j2brbht4yr4n/name-the-new-san-antonio-scorpions-mascot#.VLkpJ0fF_ec. usurped. January 16, 2015. sascorpions.com. March 3, 2015.
  29. SAScorpions. SA Scorpions. 559772796398477312. January 26, 2015.
    1. BigScorpionsAnnouncement @MLS comes back to SA on 2/28 when we take on @FCDallas in 2nd Annual deeproot Funds Cup!
    . March 19, 2015.
  30. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions. https://web.archive.org/web/20150312202206/http://www.sascorpions.com/news/detail/uuid/1ev7h7i9h8y771l7c8lqmldsb0/scorpions-to-face-austin-aztex-in-inaugural-hill-country-derby#.VP9-VvnF_cI. usurped. March 12, 2015. sascorpions.com. March 19, 2015.
  31. Web site: NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES GLOBAL AGREEMENT WITH ESPN . nasl.com . March 26, 2015 . March 26, 2015.
  32. Web site: San Antonio Scorpions games to be aired on KSAT, MeTV – San Antonio Business Journal . Bizjournals.com . April 8, 2013 . December 28, 2013.
  33. Crocketteers. Crocketteers. 619152080243044352. July 9, 2015. Went over 5000 signatures yesterday for #MLSREADY..
  34. Web site: MLS Commissioner Don Garber gives update on potential expansion cities, including St. Louis. MLSsoccer.com. March 3, 2015.
  35. News: Mexican Federation backs San Antonio bid for MLS. San Antonio Express-News. February 26, 2015. March 3, 2015 . McCarney . Dan .
  36. danmccarneyNBA. Dan McCarney. 571406358274125824. February 27, 2015. Here's the full letter from Justino Compean, president of the Mexican Football Federation, to MLS re: Los Scorpions.. March 3, 2015.