The San Antonio Scorpions are your 2014 NASL Soccer Bowl champions after defeating the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1, in front of a modern-era NASL Championship game record crowd of 7,847 at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas.
After 70 minutes of tense, scoreless soccer, the champions opened the scoring through Colombian midfielder Rafael Castillo‘s perfectly executed overhead kick. It wouldn’t, however, prove to be the winning goal, which meant Billy Forbes’ 74th minute tally was the ultimate championship-winner after Walter Ramirez finished a tidy Strikers move with just 11 minutes of regulation to play.
“Hats off to my guys,” said Scorpions coach Alen Marcina. “All year they came together as one, as a true family. We dug it out and I’m very, very proud of them, of our organization and our great fans.”
The Scorpions, who for a while now have been rumored to be interested with a future Major League Soccer expansion side, are first-time winners of the modern-day Soccer Bowl. Founded in 2010, the South Texas have had preliminary and exploratory discussions with MLS commissioner Don Garber about a potential move to the U.S. Soccer pyramid’s first division.
But for now, the Scorpions will be pleased with their 2014 trophy haul, which also includes the 2014 NASL Fall division title.
Modern-day Soccer Bowl winners
2011 — NSC Minnesota Stars
2012 — Tampa Bay Rowdies
2013 — New York Cosmos
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