The Bull & Its Horns: South Texas Season Finale

Rising FC Races Past RGVFC

On a lovely night in Arizona, RGVFC could not withstand Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC, dropped a 2-0 result on the road. The Toros dictated the action early, but could not make their aggressiveness count with a goal. Rising FC would break through in the first half, with former Houston Dynamo man Jason Johnson beating Calle Brown after a quality solo effort in the area.

Brown would keep the scoreline close, but RGV couldn’t level the score. Then, Drogba’s 75th minute free kick met Brown’s gloves, but the goalkeeper lost the handle and let the ball slip into his net. He was officially credited with an owl goal. The Toros would hit the post and nearly match Phoenix on shots, but they never got on the board.

Ballin’ Bulls

Dynamo Theory’s Man of the Match Emilio Garcia: He was the sparkplug in the midfield. The Pachuca loanee was very willing to get down on the ground to stop attacks or cut off passing lanes. He also rang the post with a well struck free kick.

Christian Lucatero: As usual, the Dynamo youngster brought some excitement to the RGVFC attack. His creativity on the ball helped draw a couple fouls. Also, he delivered quality service on corner kicks and continues to showcase elite vision on the pitch.

Todd Wharton: The midfielder completed 90% of his 42 passes and made five tackles.

Talkin’ Toros

Kyle Murphy describes the importance of beating San Antonio to end the season:

“We want to end the season on a positive note by getting the 3 points and taking the South Texas Derby for two seasons in a row. It means a lot to us as a club and our supporters who have been great all season.”

The Good Guys: Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (9-14-8)

Saturday’s match against Phoenix Rising showcased a vital flaw for this season’s Toros. They seemed to be the aggressor at spurts throughout the match, but too often hesitated to fire a shot on goal. There is no clear cut scorer on the squad, which leads to over passing in the attacking third at times.

This weekend’s South Texas Derby should ignite a fire under the club. They can possibly affect San Antonio’s playoff position and they can win the rivalry again this season. The boys should play fast, free, and aggressive. I anticipate another physical, emotionally charged match.

In other RGV news, sources tell me there will be a friendly played between two Liga MX clubs at H-E-B Park later this year.

The Bad Guys: San Antonio FC (15-4-11)

While this match means nothing positioning wise for the Toros, it means a ton to SAFC. They play tonight vs. Portland Timbers 2 and currently sit at 56 points, good enough for the 3rd seed out West. They only trail Reno 1868 FC by two points with one more match remaining to pass them, but they also only lead both Swope Park Rangers and Phoenix Rising FC by one point. San Antonio is coming off a 1-1 draw with Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Dirty Details:

10/14 at 7:30PM Central Time

RGVFC at San Antonio FC

Watch it live HERE.