FC Edmonton lose a close one to NASL leaders

The Eddies were hoping to create a few fireworks of their own on Independence Day in San Antonio as they took on the Scorpions in the Alamo City. Unfortunately they fell just short, falling to the favoured Scorpions 1-0 in front of 9,115 patriotic fans.

PHOTO CREDIT - FCEdmonton.com

Edmonton - July 5, 2012 - The Eddies were hoping to create a few fireworks of their own on Independence Day in San Antonio as they took on the Scorpions in the Alamo City. Unfortunately they fell just short, falling to the favoured Scorpions 1-0 in front of 9,115 patriotic fans.

It was hot in the stadium to start the game - steamy 93F but the action was slow in the first 45 with most of the battles going on in the midfield. Shots on net were few and far between (2 for the Eddies, 3 for the Scorpions), which sat well with the visiting Eddies who were beaten 2-0 on their last visit to the Lone Star State in May but managed a 2-2 draw against the league leaders at home later that month.

“We know that San Antonio has a good attack and they like spaces to run so we focussed on shutting that down,” said FCE head coach Harry Sinkgraven, after his team held the Scorpions off the board in the first half. “We have to go a little more forward in the counter attack and we’ll be alright.”

The Scorpions came out aggressively in the second half with three solid chances on Lance Parker’s goal within the first five minutes, one of which hit the woodwork, another that Parker had to make a big save on.

As the Scorpions kept the pressure on, Sinkgraven made a change up front, bringing Yashir Pinto on for Sérisay Barthélémy in the 58th minute.

But it was the Scorpions’ Esteban Bayona who finally opened the scoring in the 64th minute with a header off a ball from Jonathan Greenfield that beat Parker at the far post to put the home team ahead.

Sinkgraven made his second and third changes of the game right after the goal, bringing Kyle Porter on for Michael Cox up front and Matt Lam on for Dominic Oppong in the midfield in search of the tying goal. That goal never came and the visitors fell to the home side 1-0.

“What we tried to do was defend well and if you look back, we played the first place team and they only got three or four chances,” Sinkgraven said in his postgame interview. “Overall, I’m pleased with the team’s performance.”

With Ilja van Leerdam and Kévin Hatchi both out of the line up on suspensions, the Eddies were still able to keep it close against the league leaders but will move on to San Juan with a loss in the first game of this two-game road trip.

Kick off against Puerto Rico on Saturday is 5:30 p.m. MDT