The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (14,7,9) defeated in-state rival San Antonio FC (10,12,8) 3-0 to finish the South Texas Derby with a 3-0-1 record for the year. Eric Bird, Ruben Luna, and Yair Arboleda got on the score sheet for the Toros.
Rio Grande Valley applied pressure from early on in the game. In the 25th minute, RGV’s Kyle Murphy placed a beautiful pass to Dzenan Catic who blasted it over the crossbar. Toros’ Emilio Garcia had a dangerous free kick in the 38th minute but it was cleared by the San Antonio FC defense.
Catic had another opportunity to put the Toros ahead in the second half. After the ball found his feet in the 60thminute, Dzenan put too much on his touch and missed the goal. Eric Bird got the first goal for the Toros in the 79th minute. Bird’s shot hit the right post and then found its way into the net. Ruben Luna doubled the lead for the home team in the 84th minute with a powerful header. Yair Arboleda sealed the 3-0 for the Toros in stoppage time. Jose “Memo” Rodriguez found his way into the end line and passed it back to Arboleda, who was completely left alone.
The Toros prepare for the first round of players. Rio Grande Valley will be hosting a playoff game next Saturday, October 1st .
