RECAP | Scorpions 1, Armada FC 0
The San Antonio Scorpions beat the Jacksonville Armada, 1-0, on a Billy Forbes goal in front of 7,569 fans at Toyota Field.
Forbes didn’t start the match as he was nursing a couple of knocks most of the week, but he quickly put his stamp on the game only minutes after coming on in the 59th. The red and black attack immediately showed more life as Forbes made penetrating runs on each side of the field.
In the 64th minute, Rafael Castillo sent a switch from left to right and found Tyler Gibson with space moving into the Armada FC third. The rookie from UNC Charlotte pushed deeper into Jacksonville territory and then skipped a ball forward that perfectly met Forbes’ run on the right side. Forbes motored towards goal unmarked and hit a hard, low, left-footed shot towards the far post that Jacksonville ‘keeper Miguel Gallardo got a touch on, but not enough to redirect it away from the back of his net. The goal was Forbes’ fourth of the year.
While the Forbes goal gave the Alamo City boys the lead, it was heroics from goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes that preserved the vital three points and first shutout since July 11. In the opening seconds of the match, Fernandes was put to the test by Jacksonville forward Pascal Millien, but the former Portuguese international was up to the test and made the save. In the 54th minute, Fernandes displayed lightning-quick reflexes when he dropped to the ground to smother an Armada FC shot from well inside the box, and he also made an important stop on a hard shot by Jemal Johnson in the 78th minute from just outside the 18.
The first half was played mainly in the middle of the field as each side worked to impose their philosophy on the other. The Armada FC wanted to control the ball and work up the pitch while the Scorpions absorbed pressure in the 5-4-1 setup and looked to counter.
Each team did have a couple of close opportunities in the opening frame, with the best chance for the Scorpions coming in the 31st. The Scorpions moved up the left side of the field through Stephen DeRoux, and he burst into the Jacksonville area and drew defenders towards him. This left the streaking Omar Cummings open in the middle, but DeRoux’s cross was agonizingly just long and out of the reach of the sliding Jamaican.
