 | ||||
| Full name | San Antonio Scorpions Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Scorpions | |||
| Founded | October 4, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-10-04) | |||
| Dissolved | December 22, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-12-22) | |||
| Stadium | Toyota Field San Antonio,Texas | |||
| Capacity | 8,296 | |||
| Owner | Gordon Hartman | |||
| League | North American Soccer League | |||
| 2015 | Spring: 7th Fall: 10th Combined: 10th Playoffs: Did not qualify | |||
TheSan Antonio Scorpions were an American professionalsoccer team based inSan Antonio,Texas. Founded in 2010, the team made its debut in theNorth American Soccer League in 2012. The Scorpions played atToyota Field, asoccer 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 fundingMorgan's Wonderland, a wheelchair accessible theme park located in the Longhorn Quarry, next toSTAR 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 fieldSan Antonio FC, which plays in theUSL.[2][3]
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 theAtlanta 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 theFort Lauderdale Strikers, withPablo 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 CoachAlen 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.
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 the2014 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]
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While the club waited forToyota Field to be constructed, the Scorpions usedHeroes 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 byNorth East ISD, the same owner of Heroes Stadium.[18]
In 2013, the team debuted in Toyota Field, built across the street from theSTAR 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 NASLSoccer Bowl between the San Antonio Scorpions and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.[21] The Scorpions won 2–1.[22]
The Scorpions had threesupporters groups:
On April 12, 2014, San Antonio unveiled its new mascot at a home match againstMinnesota 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.
The Scorpions playedMLS sideFC 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 theUSL'sAustin Aztex. This game gave "Central Texas bragging rights" to the winner.[30]
For the 2015 season, "all 15 regular season home matches will air live onESPN3 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 onKSAT-TV Channel 12.[32]
The Scorpions had declared their interest in moving toMajor 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 CEODon 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 CommissionerDon Garber all received a letter from the president of theMexican 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]
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Draw | Loss | Win % | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Hankinson |  United States | September 14, 2011 | August 27, 2013 | 50 | 21 | 11 | 18 | 042.00 | 2012 North American Supporters' Trophy |
| Alen Marcina (interim) |  Canada | August 27, 2013 | November 20, 2013 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 030.00 | |
| Alen Marcina | Canada | November 20, 2013 | November 1, 2015 | 62 | 26 | 14 | 22 | 041.94 | 2014 Fall Champions 2014 NASL Champions |
| Year | Division | League | Spring season | Fall season | Combined table (North American Supporters' Trophy) | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Top Scorer | Avg. attendance (regular season) | Avg. attendance (playoffs) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Goals (regular season) | ||||||||||
| 2012 | 2 | NASL | # | # | 1st | Semi-Finals | Fourth round |  Pablo Campos | 20 | 9,176 | 6,249 |
| 2013 | 2 | NASL | 3rd | 8th | 7th | did not qualify | Second Round |  Hans Denissen | 12 | 6,937 | did not qualify |
| 2014 | 2 | NASL | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | Champions | Fourth round |  Rafael Castillo | 7 | 6,810 | 7,198 |
| 2015 | 2 | NASL | 7th | 10th | 10th | did not qualify | Third Round |  Omar Cummings | 10 | 6,736 | did not qualify |
^ # Spring & Fall Championships not instituted until 2013 season
| Team | W | D | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks | 7 | 4 | 3 | 14 |
| Carolina Railhawks | 8 | 1 | 5 | 14 |
| FC Edmonton | 6 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 |
| Indy Eleven | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Jacksonville Armada | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Minnesota United | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 |
| New York Cosmos | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Ottawa Fury | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Puerto Rico Islanders$ | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
^ $ Dissolved after the 2012 season
| Competition | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 |
| Deeproot Funds Cup | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 050.00 |
| Friendlies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Date | Competition | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2012 | 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–0 | Houston Dynamo | San Antonio, Texas |
| March 1, 2014 | Deeproot Funds Cup | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–1 | FC Dallas | San Antonio, Texas |
| March 20, 2014 | Friendly | Houston Dynamo | 0–2 | San Antonio Scorpions | Houston, Texas |
| June 17, 2014 | 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | FC Dallas | 2–0 | San Antonio Scorpions | Frisco, Texas |
| February 28, 2015 | Deeproot Funds Cup | San Antonio Scorpions | 2–1 | FC Dallas | San Antonio, Texas |
| Competition | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendlies | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 022.22 |
| Date | Competition | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 14, 2012 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 3–0 |  Dorados de Sinaloa | Stockton, California |
| July 6, 2013 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–5 | Tigres UANL | San Antonio, Texas |
| July 20, 2013 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–2 | Dorados de Sinaloa | San Antonio, Texas |
| April 5, 2014 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–1 |  Deportivo Saprissa | San Antonio, Texas |
| June 21, 2014 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–2 | Tigres UANL | San Antonio, Texas |
| June 28, 2014 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 3–3 | Mexico U-21 | San Antonio, Texas |
| July 6, 2014 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 1–1 | C.F. Monterrey | San Antonio, Texas |
| March 28, 2015 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 4–2 | Costa Rica U-23 | San Antonio, Texas |
| June 27, 2015 | Friendly | San Antonio Scorpions | 0–1 | C.S. Cartaginés | San Antonio, Texas |
^ * denotes co-champions
Statistics are for NASL regular season and post season only.
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| Player | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Pablo Campos4 | July 28, 2012 | Carolina Railhawks |
4Player scored 4 goals.
Pablo Campos (2012)
Billy Forbes (2015)Billy Forbes (May 31, 2014 – September 5, 2015)The following records are for NASL regular season only.As of September 9, 2015
