2012/4/15 - Puerto Rico Islanders

Discussion in 'San Antonio FC' started by jmmj, Apr 10, 2012.

  1. jmmj

    jmmj Member

    Feb 17, 2006
    San Antonio, TX
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    So, anybody going to this match? ;)

    What are you looking for?
     
  2. jhope

    jhope BigSoccer Supporter

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Mar 18, 1999
    San Antonio, TX USA
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Over 8000 tickets are already sold for this game. It will be a sell-out of 11,000.
     
  3. jmmj

    jmmj Member

    Feb 17, 2006
    San Antonio, TX
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    All right, look, there's some real soccer knowledge in the SA community. I like watching the game but my analysis is superficial and uninformed by experience. I'm easy to influence. There wasn't much game commentary between the sponsor mentions and club promotion in the broadcast of the first game, but here's a couple things I did pick up:

    We are a bit disconnected from the front guys. Transitions didn't happen quickly enough to really threaten on the counter. Soto at LB was unrehearsed, so miscues there were to be expected. We didn't have any width in the final third. I'm guessing there's a lack of speed to support the dashes down the flanks. This leaves us with Saavedra and Harmse trying to put the strikers through with perfect splitting passes from central positions. Hankinson wants the guys to keep possession, but does that make us more predictable and easier to shut out?

    mySA says that the Islanders are bringing bigger guns (Addlery) and more physical play. With the emotion of a home debut, I hope the individuals in the team can keep their heads and discipline.

    Somewhere on a forum I saw somebody say they thought Hannigan looked shaky. Do you want to see Sattler this week?

    Perhaps I was projecting, but I thought some of the guys looked a little gassed in the last fifteen and was surprised that no substitutions were forthcoming. Hankinson says he's firm on all his starters (excepting GK), so is there such a drop-off in quality to those guys on the bench that they wouldn't have been better fresh than any of the guys who had been running for 75 minutes?

    Corrections, thoughts?
     
  4. BayVol

    BayVol Member

    Jun 30, 2002
    Clearwater, FL
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wanted to drop by to wish you the best tonight for your home opener. Good luck!
     
  5. drummer

    drummer Member

    Nov 29, 1999
    Atlanta
    Is there no webcast???
     
  6. Daekor

    Daekor Member

    Dec 21, 2011
    San Antonio
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Campos missed both penalty kicks and one of his headers hit the cross bar. Why didn't Denissen take the second penalty? I expected the Islanders to win, but I was hoping that the Scorpions would make a good showing. The score really should have been 4-2 (not that it's any better).
     
  7. antnee7898

    antnee7898 Member

    Oct 19, 2007
    South Houston, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So what was attendance?
     
  8. Offebacher

    Offebacher Member

    May 14, 2006
    Houston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    13151, job well done by everyone in SA to get out to the Game.
     
  9. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Excellent showing in the stands. Hopefully you guys figure it out on the field.
     
  10. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...defeat-fails-to-dampen-enthusiasm-3484094.php

    Slideshow .... picture 5 is especially awesome. Not for the redhead front and center screaming, but for the little guy up on shoulders marching in scarves up ;) ... I'm teaching him right. Sorry for the chest puffing there ...


    ... the night was fantastic. Great tailgating before hand with all of the groups being loud and proud (Crocketteers, Alamo City Ultras, Bexar County Casuals). Marching to the match was amazing. I don't have it, but hopefully someone posts here the pictures and video.

    13151 ... the stadium seats 11K. We had 'em standing around the concourses. Truly awesome night. Sure, the match didn't go as we'd have liked but this was match 1 ... the fact that it happened is what matters. Soccer is here, and everyone showed last night that we are here. Now let's work on scorching the net.

    Great turn out tonight and I'm proud of everyone's work that went into last night and making this all a reality. The rewards will only get better. Now though, we celebrate our victory of bringing a club to San Antonio to call our own.

    VICTORY OR DEATH !


    - you know you've done something when the opposing players stop and show their appreciation ... the stands drew applause from the Islanders players before the match.
     
  11. Taly

    Taly Member

    Feb 25, 2001
    Big Al's Brewery, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am impressed on the turnout! Great job, Scorps.
     
  12. cwgator

    cwgator Member

    Apr 8, 2010
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nice turn out. Now put some goals in the back of the net :D
     
  13. greenroom

    greenroom BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 16, 2012
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Biggest challenge of the Scorpions... Two PK's and 0-2... :confused:

    Would of loved to see how the game would of unfolded if we had converted the first PK to level the game at 1.

    That said the Islanders showed that the Scorpions have a long way to go, but being an expansion team I guess growing pains are to be had.

    Congrats to the Islanders team and fans as it was a great game and even though they ran all over the Scorpions they were a class act group.
     
  14. jmmj

    jmmj Member

    Feb 17, 2006
    San Antonio, TX
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    We sat on the visiting side and high enough that my old eyes couldn't really see jerseys clearly beyond the wide players. I haven't learned the team well enough to know them all on sight (though a few aren't too hard to pick out: Cochrane, Campos, Dennisen, Greenfield).

    The ref was letting the Islanders' defender drag and elbow Ramirez at will. Skills seemed to serve him better than speed later in the first half when he was able to pull off his defender with trickery, but then his passes weren't generally good enough.

    In the latter stages of the second half Wes Knight really showed some energy and nearly lifted the team with a few good balls in and shots. Still, I've got to admit that most of this enterprise showed up after the Islanders had put in four and bunkered so he didn't have to worry about defending.

    In general we seemed to be easily knocked off the ball. (I know, I know, we were warned of the physical play of the Islanders.) We were exposed at the back with speed more than once. Some of our passes went to phantom runs but that chemistry can get fixed with more familiarity. The players did keep their composure in the face of adversity and I'm thankful for that.

    I don't watch a lot of soccer at this level. It's hard to interpolate between U10 and MLS and figure what I should expect. More than once last night we said, "Well, if they were better they would be in MLS. They've got 20 rosters to fill." I want to be realistic about expectations and support the team. But, at the same time, these forums are for arm chair managers.

    Oh, and I know that Saavedra has been a quality player and commands a lot of community support for his history in the FMF, but the couple of times I picked him out last night he passed to the guys in sky blue. First, and so far, only Scorpion to be subbed out of a game...
     
  15. Soccergodlss

    Soccergodlss Member+

    Jun 21, 2004
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Kaiserslautern
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Attendance was promising, but that score was very disappointing.
     
  16. DynamoEAR

    DynamoEAR Member+

    May 30, 2011
    HoustAtlantaDMV
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hope we face you guys at Heroes in the Open Cup.:D
     
  17. Fiorentina lives!

    May 5, 2004
    I was there... rooting for my homeland squad PR Islanders.

    First off, congratulations SA on getting the franchise. Second, way to go with the 13K+ attendance. FC Dallas can't get there. :D Place was packed.

    I do hope they fix the traffic mess because the staff were overloaded trying to manage such a huge amount of cars. That was a con; parking shouldn't be such a huge hassle.

    Coming in though I realized... dang there are MANY Puerto Ricans in SA. :) They brought their percussion and flags... I was so pleased.

    Yes, I did hear Crocketeers from the other side and you guys were rockin'. Keep it up, that's how it's done! Would have said hi (seen you guys here in Houston) but I arrived in SA at 4:30PM. No time.

    SA fans might want to keep in mind a few things. PRI is just two years removed from a title. Faña, Foley, Addlery, Delgado... the current nucleus has been kicking it for 2+ years with great results. Delgado has been with PR since like 2006 or 2007. Until last year Colin Clarke was coaching them. He built up quite a team. Not a nice first rival for an expansion team...

    ... that looked like one. SAS Defense had serious lapses and offensive sequences were not flowing properly. It will take time for your team to gain cohesiveness. Once your boys know how to play as a unit, SA fans will have fun and will see better results.

    Oh yeah... why didn't Josue Soto play?

    Anyway, I had a blast. Good luck rest of the way, SA. Keep supporting your team. You have 13,151 reasons. ;)
     
  18. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thank you very much.

    Many of us figured this would happen, but kudos to the management for delaying the match 20 minutes to get as many of the people in to see the opening kick as they could.

    Since they're building the Scorpions Stadium right next to Morgan's Wonderland, there's a big chunk of land that was no longer available for parking. There were also several sites that were blocked off for various pre-match activities that could have helped ease the congestion rather than taking up several hundred parking spots. The one good point, is that it made for a much easier and safer environment for walking with the kiddos.

    I knew there were a good bit, but I was surprised by the group I saw walking into the stadium. Awesome to see.

    Good to know, thanks for the heads up. That's why we're here and that's the whole point of doing this. Glad our love for the game was spread throughout the stadium. Appreciate the compliment.

    The "soccer educated" in SA know all about PI. Honestly, while it was a tough go for a first ever home match ... in a way I'm glad it happened this way. It is a great tool for us to take in order to grab the casual or fringe fan. We can point to PI and show just how good a club can be at "this level." We can point to PI and say these guys (and a good bunch of them quite literally) made a hell of a run in the CCL and regularly butt heads with MLS clubs ... taking some scalps along the way.

    ... and yeah, the defense looked bad but honestly I see the issue more with our midfield. They're disjointed and simply don't flow with the either the back or front line. I couldn't keep count with the through balls to nobody, the back passes to marked defenders, the lack of decision making that lead to being dispossessed, the inability to cover a gap or fill one ... etc etc. I'm reserving judgement of the back line until the midfield gives them a chance to actually play.

    I did like what I saw from our keeper in all honesty. Didn't look as shaky as people made him out to be from our first match. Not too many can stop multiple point blank shots. That's not his fault.

    My understanding is that he was pretty poor in the opener.

    Again, thanks ... and here's too giving you much more of a headache in the next go round.
     
  19. cwgator

    cwgator Member

    Apr 8, 2010
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From the NASL:
    Attendance for the North American Soccer League (NASL) increased by over 50% for the first two weeks of the 2012 season when compared to the first two weeks of the 2011 season. A total of 42,303 fans (5,287 average) have attended the first eight games of the 2012 NASL Regular Season. In 2011, 27,947 fans (3,493 average) turned out for the first eight matches of the 2011 NASL Regular Season. Sunday’s home debut of the expansion San Antonio Scorpions highlighted the second week of the 2012 season and was watched by a standing-room-only crowd of 13,151 at Heroes Stadium.

    Keep up the good work. Maybe MLS and the New York loving snob Garber will take notice.
     
  20. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Quick math ....

    31% of total attendance of the first 8 matches ? Hell yeah.
     
  21. crazy al

    crazy al Member

    Dec 11, 2005
    Fort Worth, TX
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Made the trip from Fort Worth for the opener. Great atmosphere. Great experience. Hitch and the FO did a fantastic job. They will get the parking problem worked out. I hope you continue to have big crowds. And that they get rewarded with some wins. Nothing succeeds like success.

    The Islanders are a veteran team that has played together for years. The Scorpions are still figuring out how to play together and who does what in certain situations. The Islanders pretty much already have that worked out. I think if SA had made the first pk the game would have been tighter but the outcome the same.

    Good luck with the rest of the season. See you in August when the Islanders return. Again, the Scorpions and their fans were great hosts. Keep it up. You showed yourselfs to be a proper football club in every way.
     

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