Tag Archives: San Antonio

Scorpions Re-Sign Blake Wagner, Pat Hannigan

Posted on by
Reply

Two players re-sign for the Bexar County club after an impressive season for the organization, wing back Blake Wagner and keeper Pat Hannigan.

The Scorpions pushed the limits for what is to be expected of an expansion club and secured a spot in the second round of the playoffs only to loose to last years cup holders, Minnesota Stars FC.

Minnesota went on to loose in the final to eventual cup winners Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Although their season ended in bitter disappointment, the Scorpions did earn the title of regular season champions and that was because of a deep squad who always performed at a consistent level.

While Darryl Sattler enjoyed an award winning season, earning the 2012 NASL Golden Glove Award, back-up and one-time starter, Pat Hannigan dutifully acted as support throughout the season.

Hannigan had won the job from Sattler and right from the start you could see it was deserved as the former professional indoor soccer player proved his worth in the early stages.  But his starting position was threatened when he went down to a rather serious injury and Sattler was asked to step in as the full-time starter.

Sattler went on to prove himself worthy of the Golden Glove, but it was clear that either player would have been successful behind the accomplished Scorpions back line.  They allowed the fewest goals in the 2012 NASL season.

Blake Wagner, on the other hand, was a big reason for the Scorpions’ strong defensive play.  Blake continually threatened opposing defenses breaking down the left side and often initiating offense where the normal attacking options seemed to falter.  Although he isn’t the speediest of players his skill compensates for his lack of pace against faster midfielders who are often forced to defend his marauding runs down the line.

Blake was one of the more consistent defenders in the league and provided a steady touch at both ends of the pitch.

Although Wagner and Hannigan are not new signings, based on their solid and consistent play at this level, it appears to be a good bit of business for the Scorps.

Here’s the press release below:

Scorpions Re-Sign Blake Wagner, Pat Hannigan

Scorpions retain goalkeeper and key defender for 2013 season
SAN ANTONIO, TX (Dec. 7, 2012) - The San Antonio Scorpions continued to make progress this week in building their roster for the upcoming season, re-signing defender Blake Wagner and goalkeeper Pat Hannigan for the 2013 season.

Wagner, who was a member of the Scorpions backline that allowed the fewest goals during the 2012 NASL season, will return for a second season in San Antonio after starting in all 23 matches he appeared in and logging 2025 minutes on the year. Wagner also tallied a goal and assist.

Hannigan started the first three matches of the 2012 season for the Scorpions before suffering a leg injury that sidelined him for several months. He finished the season with a 2.05 goals against average and nine saves in three matches played.”Having Blake back is great for our team moving forward. Not many wing defenders have the ability under pressure to retain possession and also press the attack forward like he can,” Head Coach Tim Hankinson said. “Pat began last season as our starter and was unfortunate to fall to injury, but he has made a great comeback and I’m sure he will be our hungriest player, looking to make a mark this upcoming season.

Before signing with the Scorpions last March, Wagner was a member of FC Dallas from 2006 to 2009 before signing with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2010 and stayed with the team when they transitioned to Major League Soccer in 2011. The American defender finished the 2011 MLS season with Real Salt Lake.

Prior to joining the Scorpions, Hannigan was playing professional indoor soccer with the Rochester Lancers in 2011 and played with Miami FC, currently the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, in 2007 and 2009.

Scorpions vs Rowdies Slideshow – 08/19/2012

Posted on by
Reply

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Eric Patrick

San Antonio Scorpions Dominate Carolina Railhawks with 8-0 Thumping

Posted on by
Reply

First published on IMSoccer News

San Antonio shuts out Carolina 8-0 behind a four goal performance by NASL scoring leader Pablo Compos.

The Carolina Railhawks visited Heroes Stadium Saturday night for the first time ever, looking to improve their away form with only one win on the road.  The Railhawks have improved in recent weeks adding six wins to their record after a rocky start to their season. Carolina Midfielder, Nick Zimmerman, came into the contest as the league’s second leading scorer with 9 goals on the season and faced his ex-teammate and league leading goal scorer Pablo Campos.

San Antonio were looking to continue a string of strong performances still atop the league behind the news of a big player signing earlier this week of Jeff Cunningham.

The Scorpions started the match with debutant Luis Tiago from Brazil in attack with his fellow countryman Pablo Campos.  Missing Kevin Harmse from a suspension last week San Antonio head coach Tim Hankinson elected to start with a four man midfield and two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation.

The game started on equal footing but just under five minutes Jonathan Greenfield rather lazily pointed a cross from a free kick in the direction of the six yard box.  The ball bounced around the Carolina defense as the Railhawk defenders struggled to clear the six.  As the ball fell away from the crowd an astute Greg Janicki turned on a dime and finished the shot past Carolina keeper Ray Burse for the first goal of the night.

Around the 15th minute mark Carolina began looking comfortable in possession until during a venture forward they turned the ball over to the Scorpions and Fabian Kling moved the ball wide to Tiago who picked out Campos further forward.  The pass was poorly dealt with between the two Railhawk defenders but the ball could have been easily cleared.  However, Campos never gave up on the play and pestered the defenders into sending a stray ball toward their own box to which Campos obliged himself to hammer into the back of the net past a helpless Burse.

Carolina continued to look like a team who really wasn’t ready to start the match and with a two goal deficit continued to hemorrhage possession turing the ball over constantly.

Despite their horrible form early in the match, their play began to improve with some great passing sequences through the midfield.

But even as they began to settle in, another turnover in the Scorpions half led to a fast break up the field and a precise through ball was sent forward to Campos and the tall Brazilian looked set to break until he was fouled from behind by Carolina defender Austen King. King was deemed the last defender by the referee and he was penalized with a red card.  The resulting free kick banged off of the post denying Luis Tiago his first goal for the Scorpions.

Carolina certainly had their opportunities in the Scorpions’ half playing quite open but their most dangerous opportunity was a low driven shot from Railhawk midfielder Zach Schilawski.  Scorpions keeper Daryl Sattler easily handled the shot to end the half and any hope for Carolina to get back into the game.

The second half started with Esteban Bayona coming on for Luis Tiago and Bayona immediately began to contribute offensively.  Around the 53rd minute Greenfield gained control of the ball and moved forward releasing Pablo Campos who broke free from Carolina defender Gale Agbossoumonde, and was brought down in the box for a penalty.

Campos cooly finished the PK in the lower left corner exercising past demons from the last time he was in front of the center spot where he missed two penalties against Puerto Rico during the home opener.

Shortly after, San Antonio earned a corner kick and Josue Soto sent an expertly taken corner kick which Greg Janicki finished with a towering header scoring his second of the night.  Almost immediately aferward Esteban Bayona found himself breaking toward the Carolina goal with only Carolina defender Agbossoumonde to beat and fought past the US U-23 international slotting the ball past Burse into the opposite corner scoring his fifth goal of the season.  The scoreline was 5-0 and the Scorpions looked no closer to holding back.

Just about then, Blake Wagner, in the 65th minute, pressed forward in possession of the ball and was practically invited to shoot about twenty yards out.  Wagner pointed his head down and drove a ball high and to the right with a blistering shot past Burse ballooning the score to six and cementing Carolina’s road misery.

Shortly afterward, Walter Ramirez received the ball from a 40 yard pass by right back Wes Knight.  He controlled the pass on the opposite side of the field and sent a cross toward the box meeting Bayona.  Bayona helped the ball toward the net but Campos helped himself to a wide open goal and scored for a hat-trick.

Carolina continued to believe that attacking with few numbers was going to bring them closer to a goal.  Turnovers, however, continued to haunt Carolina and in the 71st minute, Ramirez, collected a ball in the midfield and raced toward the goal leaving the Carolina defense in his wake with only Agbossoumonde to beat.

Ramirez, couldn’t get past the defender and needed to adjust his attack but saw that Campos was all alone in front of goal.  Ramirez passed to Campos and the Brazilian forward padded his score total with a quick and easy finish topping a four goal performance against his former club.

Carolina had no illusions at this point and were giving everything to stay organized through the defense and midfield.  Zach Schilawski was the lone forward for Carolina and seemed lost amid a forest of white jerseys as he patiently waited for the ball.  The ball never came and when it did, the Scorpions defenders easily redirected Carolina’s advances.

The Scorpions continued their dominance toward the end of the match with an eight goal win shutting out Carolina in their second match of the season.  The Scorpions continue next week hosting the Puerto Rico Islanders who trounced San Antonio by four goals during their inaugural home opener.

The Scorpions have already beaten Puerto Rico at home and will go into the match with a great deal of confidence, especially up front.

“A striker needs confidence, when you’re not confident it’s very hard to score,” said Campos about his 4-goal performance. “My teammates respect me and they fight for me as I do the same for them.  It is a mutual feeling and that’s what makes a great environment to play in.”

Earlier in the week the Scorpions signed MLS veteran and goal machine Jeff Cunningham from his short stint in Guatemala. Cunningham comes into a squad with 32 points at the top of the table and will most likely provide additional scoring punch deep into the middle of the season.

On the prospect of Cunningham and Campos partnering in the offense, head coach Tim Hankinson said, “I do see Cunningham and Campos partnering up front, They’re slightly different types of players, it will take time for everyone to get to know each other.  But Pablo has played against him, Blake (Wagner), Pitchkolan, Harmse have all played with him, Wes (Knight) has played against him.  It’s not like he’s a guy coming from overseas that guys have never seen play before, so I think he will be embraced pretty quickly.”

Scorpions Add MLS All-Time Leading Goal Scorer Jeff Cunningham

Posted on by
Reply

ISI Photos – Rick Osentoski

The San Antonio Scorpions have announced the signing of Major League Soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer Jeff Cunningham.

Cunningham, 35, scored 134 goals in 14 season in MLS.  The Jamaican-born striker played with the Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and FC Dallas in his MLS career and also made appearances for the United States Men’s National Team.

Cunningham most recently played for C.S.D. Communicaciones in Guatemala’s top division, making 12 appearances and scoring four goals in 2012.

“This is a great opportunity to be a part of a new organization that’s having a great run,” Cunningham said.  ”I’m grateful to Coach Hankinson and the organization for this opportunity and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

The first-place Scorpions add Cunningham to help bolster their scoring production in the second half of the season as they make their run for the playoffs in their inaugural season.  He will be eligible for NASL competition upon completion of the ITC transfer process.

“I have seen firsthand what Jeff Cunningham can do in Major League Soccer and I am thrilled to have him join us here in San Antonio,” Scorpions President Michael Hitchcock said.  ”Having a player of his caliber and professionalism will help us a great deal in our push for the playoffs.  As the leading goal scorer in MLS history, Jeff has had a very successful career so far and we can’t wait to see him continue that career as a Scorpion and score goals like he has done throughout his career.”

In 2006 and 2009, Cunningham won the MLS Golden Boot for being the league’s top goal scorer and was named to MLS Best XI team three times in his career (2002, 2006, 2009).

He is also tied with former U.S. MNT standout Brian McBride for the Crew’s all-time scoring record with 62 goals in eight seasons with Columbus.

The Scorpions currently sit in first place in the NASL standings with 32 points and have scored 26 goals in 17 games played this season, the third-highest total in the NASL this season.

“We were very fortunate to find a player that has performed at an all-star level in MLS and eventually became the all-time leading goal scorer in the league at this point in our season,” Scorpions Head Coach Tim Hankinson said.  ”He is a great addition, someone who will help us reach our goal of winning a championship for San Antonio.”

San Antonio Scorpions and Minnesota Stars battle for point

Posted on by
Reply

First published at IMSoccer News

The second and third place teams in the NASL faced off in San Antonio in a match which ended scoreless with a point each for the Scorpions and Stars.

The Minnesota Stars FC and San Antonio Scorpions were each looking to continue their good form amid advancing in the US Open Cup. Minnesota has been on the road now since May 12th. This was their 3rd league game away and their 5th game on the road in all competitions since then. They will be on the road for two more matches,  traveling to San Jose for their USOC 4th round game on Tuesday. After returning home the team turns around and heads out one more time to play Carolina in Cary, N.C. on a brutal road journey.

San Antonio, on the other hand, have enjoyed a relatively comfortable travel schedule hosting the Houston Dynamo midweek in their win against the MLS side which sees them advance in USOC play. They will host the Charlotte Eagles (USL-PDL) midweek before taking on Atlanta at the weekend for league play.

The starting lineup for Minnesota had only two regular starters, VanOekel (GK) and Simone Bracalello who has started half the games this season for Minnesota.  That didn’t prevent the Stars from coming out early and testing San Antonio as they almost executed on some early opportunities.

But it was clear in the early goings, the game was a chess match between two squads who like to dominate possession.  Both squads were very organized with Minnesota sharing a larger portion of possession forcing San Antonio’s defense to bunker down.

Minnesota began to have some early success on the right side of the pitch with some experienced flank play between Andy Lorei and Bracalello.  The combination of the two players attacking the right side led to a few dangerous chances but the offense were frustrated by the disciplined San Antonio defense.

Chances for San Antonio often resulted from counterattacks but were undone with sloppy play moving forward. A clear header on goal from Wes Knight in the 19th minute was handled easily by VanOekel and was their most dangerous attack in the first half.

The trend continued in the second half with Minnesota pressing early and limiting equal possession, but San Antonio never quit making things difficult for the visitors.  As the Bexar County club began taking care of the ball they started seeing more possession develop.

Scorpions forward Pablo Campos began presenting problems in the second half with the Brazilian’s physicality a difficult proposition for Minnesota’s back line.

Both teams were frustrating each other and enjoyed some equal possession.  San Antonio went offensive and changed their tactics a bit by bringing on Esteban Bayona and playing with three up front on the attack.

To counter, Minnesota brought in Martin Nunez to slot in behind Devin Del Do in an effort to open up the attack for the Stars.

An injury to San Antonio forward Hans Denissen caused the Scorpions to alter their shape and adjust offensively. Just as the change was made, the ball was moved out to the right flank with Stars’ right back Evan Sassano sending a ball into the box for Del Do who had a direct header toward goal go just over the crossbar.

The match ended with both teams trading blows and having equal opportunities on goal without any reward. Minnesota head coach, Manny Lagos, received a red card for dissent and was sent off prior to the second half winding down.

“I thought we did really well at times, it’s not easy for guys playing a lot of minutes to come in and do well in a tough place like this and I thought we did a good job creating tempo and we had a few chances,” said Lagos.

“I thought we had two PKs that should have been called, unfortunately I reacted emotionally and I wish I hadn’t but I was disappointed both calls didn’t go our way.”

San Antonio defended their home but couldn’t wrestle the win away from the Stars while the games continue to add up for them.

“I was very pleased under the circumstances, our play wasn’t great, our conditioning wasn’t great, [but] we didn’t give the match away and we were patient.  The chances were there for three and we understand the fight to become first is going to be difficult,” said head coach Tim Hankinson.

Both teams advanced in Open Cup play by besting two very experienced MLS sides and turn around in a 48-hour window of preparation for fourth round USOC action. Minnesota has now lost only 1 game in the last 19, going back to last season, and are still undefeated this year.  They are now tied with the Islanders after their loss Saturday night to Carolina.

The Scorpions are one point back from the league leaders and are unbeaten in 7 games stretching all the way back to the home opening loss to the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Shakedown: the season for the Scorpions so far

Posted on by
Reply

Photo provided courtesy of SA Scorpions FC

The young NASL season has brought various milestones and firsts for the newest pro soccer franchise.  With so much media scrutiny surrounding their maiden voyage, a proper shakedown was in order.

Four games in, and the Scorpions have managed to claw their way to fifth place with 5 points and a -3 goal differential.  With a 1-2-1 record, the season so far could be seen as a baptism of fire. Continue reading →

San Antonio Scorpions Lose 3-0 to US U-23 Men’s National Team

Posted on by
Reply

The US U-23 Men’s National team took on the San Antonio Scorpions on Friday evening in Frisco, Tx. It was the first-ever game for the new NASL Scorpions team. Although the San Antonio franchise was dominated most of the match by the young U.S. Olympic hopefuls, they were not able to score on the well organized back line of San Antonio in the first 45 minutes.

Eventually the skill and organization broke down the tired legs of the Scorpions who had only been in camp for 7 days. Brek Shea scored in the 53rd minute off a cross from the left side.

Just 9 minutes later Dilly Duka scored cutting in and out on the left side of the goal box until he forced a shot that slotted into goal near the left post.

In the 78th minute Jack McInerney found the back of the net for the U.S. His goal came after a cross from the right side that Scorpions goalkeeper Craig Hill mishandled, tipping the ball right to McInerney who headed in from close range.

FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK ON THE LINK TO VISIT IM Soccer News

New Signings Add Experience and Local Flavor to Scorpions

Posted on by
1

San Antonio Scorpions FC continue their preparation for the start of the 2012 NASL season with new player signings announced earlier today.  With the signatures of Pablo Campos and Ryan Cochrane, the Scorpions recieve two players who are familiar with MLS and professional soccer in the US.

Campos, born in Brazil, has bounced around MLS most notably with a stop in Utah with Real Salt Lake, where he was a part of the squad that wone MLS Cup in 2009, can offer some experience on the front line for the Scorpions.

Although his career hasn’t been what most expected in MLS, it seems he has found a home in the NASL, earning top scoring marks with the Carolina Railhawks the year prior.

Cochrane, however, is very familiar with Texas having played with the Houston Dynamo and also with the San Jose Earthquakes.  Cochrane, also played for the US U-18 & U-20 National Teams as well.

These signings clearly add more experience and a connection to the country’s top league further preparing the young club for life in the NASL.

Scorpions also announced the acquisitions of two local born players in Matt Gold and Craig Hill.  Both players leading accomplished professional and college careers, respectively, look to return home to the country’s newest soccer city.

These local signings bode well for the community and show a commitment to the local soccer scene.

There has always been soccer fans in San Antonio, but more importantly, there has always been top talent in San Antonio as well.  The South Texas region is spilling over with talented youngsters that often get overlooked by domestic teams and end up leaving the state or playing in another country.

San Antonio has always assembled competitive club sides to compete in youth tournaments around the country.  The signings of these two youngsters are the first locally born professional players for the Scorpions and pave the way for local collegiate and amateur players as well.

Who will be the next local signing for the Scorpions?  Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.