US Open Cup draw sets up potential Alamo derby

The draw for the first two rounds of the US Open Cup occurred at US Soccer House in Chicago on Tuesday morning. The draw sets up the enticing potential of an Alamo Derby as San Antonio FC could face Corinthians FC SA in the second round should Corinthians win their opening match.

That first match sends Corinthians FC SA north on I-35 to Dallas, as they take on US Amateur Soccer Association team, NTX Rayados in the first round. That match will take place on May 11th, with the winner getting the right to play San Antonio FC in the second round.

While Corinthians FC SA will go in to the match confident of beating the USASA side, the Rayados will be a tough test, having qualified for the tournament for five straight years. But in all those times NTX Rayados have only advanced only once, defeating the Austin Aztex in 2014 on penalties.

Soccer fans in San Antonio have been excited since the draw, as they look forward to the possibility of an Alamo Derby in that second round match. Should Corinthians FC SA get through the first round that is what San Antonio fans have to look forward to.

The match would actually be the second ever Alamo Derby as the two teams played each other in March in a San Antonio FC pre-season match. On that occasion, San Antonio FC claimed the win 2-1, with a late goal giving San Antonio FC the win after a stretched Corinthians FC SA defense couldn’t keep things going. The US Open Cup should see an even better match as the two teams will be much more prepared creating a great atmosphere, which will see the fans of San Antonio torn on who to support.

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San Antonio FC claim tight win in first ever Alamo Derby

The first ever San Antonio derby took place on Wednesday afternoon when San Antonio FC continued their pre-season preparations against Corinthians FC of San Antonio. It was a hard fought match but SAFC claimed the victory 2-1 at Toyota Field.

SAFC struck first after a foul in the box allowed Jason Johnson to step up and take the penalty, he continued his good form, making no mistake with the effort. That forced Corinthians FC SA to respond and the immediately went on the attack.

In the 17th minute they had their goal back after some fluid play allowed Corinthians to move the ball in to the box. That saw the ball fall to Juan Carlos Cacho who made no mistake levelling the scores easily at one.

Only a great save from Tepa kept it level at one in the death of the half as Sebastien Thuriere found space on the edge of the area. That allowed him to shoot but it was well kept out by Tepa at full stretch, letting Corinthians FC SA off the hook, keeping it 1-1 at the break.

The two teams really trading periods of domination, but it was SAFC who had the stronger opportunities at goal in the match. Despite that the Corinthians FC SA defense was strong and they were looking dangerous on the counter.

The changes came on the hour mark with a practical line change coming from SAFC while the Corinthians bench saw some, all be it less, movement. That gave SAFC an advantage, as their larger and professional bench started to give them more of the ball.

In the 61st minute SAFC had a golden opportunity when Ferijo Okiomah was left wide open for a free header. But again Tepa was able to prove his worth to Corinthians, making a superb save to keep his side level.

A stray pass gave SAFC a good opportunity three minutes later as Rafael Castillo gathered it in. That allowed him to set up Okiomah who took a powerful shot from the edge of the area but his effort went wide, keeping it 1-1.

As the match wore on, SAFC were proving to be the better side, with more players, deeper in to pre-season, and a professional side. Yet despite that they just could not break down a stern Corinthians defense.

SAFC finally broke through in the 81st minute a mix up at the back saw Tepa come out and lose the ball. That saw the ball fall to a trialist who was able to simply walk the ball in to the back of the net.

The game got especially feisty late in the match, when Manuel Vidrio was forced to watch the rest of the match from the stands. He walked half-way on to the pitch to protest the officials’ decision making and was deservedly sent off, ending the match with an odd atmosphere, and a 2-1 win for SAFC.

2015 San Antonio Soccer Awards

2015 was a mixed year for soccer fans in San Antonio with the Scorpions performing poorly on the field. But the year ended on a high note with years of uncertainty finally concluded and with that in mind it is time for the 2015 San Antonio soccer awards.

Story of the Year: Marcina sacked at the airport
This award faced a lot of competition in 2015, there were plenty of great stories in the year as the Scorpions vs Spurs story rolled on for the whole year. But the mode of Marcina’s dismissal was picked up so widely by other media, and it was so unbelievable that it needed five sources before going to print and the continuing saga of Howard Cornfield’s mismanagement of the Scorpions wins the story of the year award.

Non-San Antonio Team of the Year: FC Wichita
In their debut season FC Wichita did phenomenally well and that has earned them the Non-San Antonio Team of the Year award. In one of the games of the season FC Wichita defeated Corinthians FC SA 2-1 at Alamo Stadium in June to all but seal the conference title. It was a phenomenal season, on debut for FC Wichita as they lifted the South Central Conference trophy, denying San Antonio some silverware.

Signing of the Year: Kris Tyrpak
Technically Tyrpak was signed twice in 2015, first for the Austin Aztex, where he settled right back in, scoring nine goals through their USL season. Following the USL season, Tyrpak signed on for the Scorpions, scoring in his first two matches in a great six match stint for the club.

Amateur Team of the Year: Crocketteers FC 2000
The Crocketteers playing organization has done one heck of a job of giving youth the opportunity to play and further themselves both on and off the field. The boys 2000 team shows that most clearly, with the state champions doing so well on the field that five players earned selection to the State Olympic Development Team, with one, Noberto Lira, in contention for making the US Under 16 side. But on top of that all players also help their community, logging 20 hours each through the season.

College Team of the Year: OLLU Women
In a hotly contested category, it was the OLLU women’s team that took the crown, thanks to solid season that saw them make the NAIA tournament for the second year in a row. The Saints finished higher in the post-season polls than was anticipated, ending up as No. 22, and look a solid chance to crack the top 20 in 2016.

Game of the Year: USA v Mexico 4/15/15
It seems like it was years ago, but the United States faced Mexico in a rare Dos a Cero match in Texas. San Antonio was honoured to host it and it was the USA who won by that familiar score line, overcoming terrible pitch conditions to win the match in front of a packed house with a maiden goal to Jordan Morris.

Goal of the Year: Kris Tyrpak’s first Scorpions goal (10/3/2015 v Fort Lauderdale)
In a season that was well and truly falling away from the Scorpions, signing of the year, Tyrpak joined the Scorpions and had one heck of a debut. A long ball from the Scorpions defence was half cleared, only as far as Tyrpak, who controlled well and then launched a powerful volley from 25 yards that left the keeper stranded.

Administrator of the Year: James Hope (Crocketteers)
James Hope has long been a servant of San Antonio Soccer, being a big part of the scene for several decades. This year has been a big year for the Crocketteers, with so many home matches for the club, on top of two national team matches and the USL announcement, Hope has been a big part of this, organizing the tailgates for Scorpions fans, if you have eaten at a Crocketteers tailgate you have Hope to thank.

Coach of the Year: Arthur Salazar (OLLU Women)
With OLLU performing so well in the college ranks, and little to choose from with the elite level coaches, Salazar gets the award. Salazar led the team to a high ranking, and narrowly away from going far in the national title, which he should see them push on in 2016.
College Player of the Year: Emily Donnan (Trinity Women)
It was another solid year for Emily Donnan, who claimed NSCAA All-American honors, but her achievements were also great off the field, managing Academic All-American honors as well. Donnan played all 22 games for the Tigers, scoring three goals and one assist.

Player of the Year: Vinny Bailey (Corinthians FC SA)
Bailey was the star for Corinthians FC SA in 2015, as he managed an impressive season for the NPSL side as he added to his assist count. Bailey led NPSL in assists throughout the season and even led the whole country in assists, beating out MLS players, while the NPSL season was in play. Bailey has been an icon of San Antonio Soccer, after starring for UIW in his collegiate career and has remained a key part of San Antonio on the field with his Corinthians FC SA performances.