San Antonio Scorpions
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| Full name | San Antonio Scorpions Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Scorpions | ||
| Founded | 2010 | ||
| Stadium | Toyota Field San Antonio, Texas (capacity: 8,000) |
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| Owner | Gordon Hartman | ||
| Head Coach | Tim Hankinson | ||
| League | North American Soccer League | ||
| 2012 | Regular Season: 1st, Playoffs: Semifinals |
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| Website | Club home page | ||
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San Antonio Scorpions is an American professional soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Founded in 2010, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2012.
The club operates differently than most professional sports clubs in terms of its operating profit. As part of owner Gordon Hartman's Soccer For A Cause, all profits from Scorpions operations will go towards funding Morgan's Wonderland, a special needs park located in the Longhorn Quarry, next to STAR Soccer Complex and the future Scorpions Community Stadium.[1]
The Scorpions currently play at Toyota Field, a soccer specific stadium that was completed in 2013.
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History [edit]
On October 4, 2010, NASL announced that a San Antonio expansion team would join the new league in 2012. The team's ownership group is led by San Antonio businessman and philanthropist Gordon Hartman.[2]
The official name of the team was revealed at a press conference on January 10, 2011.[3]
In the team's first NASL competition, the Scorpions tied the Atlanta Silverbacks 0–0.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Year-by-year [edit]
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 | NASL | 1st | Semi-Finals | 4th Round | 9,176 |
| 2013 | 2 | NASL | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Supporters [edit]
The Scorpions' largest organized supporters group is the Crocketteers. This group was in existence for 18 months prior to the team's announcement,[7] and was instrumental in helping consolidate the San Antonio soccer fanbase behind the new team. The group currently has over 1000 registered members. The Crocketteers celebrated their third anniversary in 2012.
Other supporter groups include The Bexar County Casuals Football Firm, The Alamo City Ultras and Dragoons 78.[8]
Stadia [edit]
- Heroes Stadium (2012), capacity 11,000
- Blossom Stadium (2012 U.S. Open Cup Round 2 vs Laredo Heat), capacity 11,000
- Toyota Field (2013-present), capacity 8,000-18,500
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 Blossom Soccer Stadium as an alternate playing site for their 2012 U.S. Open Cup matchup against the Laredo Heat. Blossom Soccer Stadium is owned by North East ISD, the same owner of Heroes Stadium.[9]
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 on April 13, 2013. Toyota Field seats 8,000 fans, with plans to expand the complex up to 18,000 as demand necessitates.[10][11]
Current roster [edit]
As of February 26, 2013[12]
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Defender | Lyle Martin |  United States |
| 5 | Midfielder | Pat Phelan | United States |
| 6 | Midfielder | Kevin Harmse |  Canada |
| 7 | Midfielder | Stephen deRoux |  Jamaica |
| 8 | Midfielder | Jeff Jennings | United States |
| 9 | Forward | Nikola Vasilić |  Serbia |
| 10 | Forward | Hans Denissen |  Netherlands |
| 11 | Forward | Esteban Bayona |  Colombia |
| 12 | Defender | Greg Janicki | United States |
| 13 | Midfielder | Bryan Jordan | United States |
| 17 | Defender | Blake Wagner | United States |
| 18 | Midfielder | Sean Arters | United States |
| 21 | Midfielder | Walter Ramírez |  Honduras |
| 22 | Forward | Adin Džafić |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 23 | Midfielder | Javier Saavedra |  Mexico |
| 24 | Goalkeeper | Jeremy Vuolo | United States |
| 25 | Goalkeeper | Patrick Hannigan | United States |
| 26 | Forward | Ivan Miličević |  Croatia |
| 27 | Defender | Luka Vučko | Croatia |
| 28 | Defender | Christopher Williams | United States |
| 45 | Defender | Daniel Medina | Mexico |
| 55 | Midfielder | Edin Husić | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 00 | Goalkeeper | Craig Hill | United States |
Notable former players [edit]
Pablo Campos
Ryan Cochrane- Jeff Cunningham
- Josue Soto
- Wes Knight
Fabian Kling- Aaron Pitchkolan
Jonathan Greenfield- Daryl Sattler
References [edit]
- ^ "Soccer For A Cause". Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ "San Antonio to join NASL in 2012". NASL.com. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ Bailey, W. Scott (2011-01-10). "Pro soccer team to be named Scorpions".
- ^ "Match Report | North American Soccer League". NASL. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Match Recap | North American Soccer League". NASL. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Match Recap | North American Soccer League". NASL. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ Clow, Damen (10 February 2011). "FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo meet at Whataburger Field". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
- ^ http://sanantonioscorpions.com/partners/supporters-group
- ^ "Scorpions Could Host Houston Dynamo in 3rd Round of Open Cup". Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ McCullough, Bob. "Ground Broken for Scorpions Community Stadium, Home of San Antonio’s New Pro Soccer Team". San Antonio Scorpions. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Toyota Announces Presenting Sponsorships of Morgan’s Wonderland, New Scorpions Stadium". San Antonio Scorpions. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ http://www.sascorpions.com/club/the-team/roster
External links [edit]
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