Rio Grande Valley Bravos News Release - www.rgvbravos.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
HIDALGO, TX -- Salvador “Chava” Luna scored his 15th goal of the season to slip RGV Bravos FC past the Dallas/Fort Worth Tornados 1-0 Friday night at Valley View High School Stadium and keep the Blue-and-Gold’s playoff hopes alive.
The victory over the Tornados improved Bravos FC’s record to 6-4-5 with 23 points. RGV took over the fourth-place spot in the USL Premier Development League Mid South Division postseason race with the win and the El Paso Patriots’ 1-1 draw with the Austin Aztex U-23’s.
With the win, Bravos FC swept the season series against DFW (4-7-4 16 pts.) and gave the Tornados their first loss since June 20 when they fell 2-1 to RGV. The Blue-and-Gold won all three matches against DFW this year.
El Paso (7-6-2) slipped to fifth place with the same amount of points as Bravos FC, while Austin (7-4-5) concluded the season with 26 points. The Laredo Heat (7-1-8, 29 pts.), who also ended the season Friday night, clinched the Mid South Division title after defeating the West Texas United Sockers 1-0.
Bravos FC will face WTU on Sunday at home at 7:30 p.m. in what promises to be an all-out fight to the finish for the final spot in the postseason.
After a scoreless first half and a man advantage, the Blue-and-Gold finally found the back of the DFW net in the 72nd minute when midfielder Noé De los Santos sent Luna a pass that the scrappy striker took into the box after breaking through the Tornados defense and slipped a shot past visiting goalkeeper Josh Jones to score what was eventually the game-winning score.
Luna’s goal was his 15th in 13 games.
DFW went down a man in the 31st minute when midfielder Tony Guillén knocked the legs out from under Bravos FC midfielder Kendor Vásquez. Guillén was given a direct red card.
Forward Tomás Banda came close to opening up the score for Bravos FC in the 49th minute, but his header sailed just wide of the left post guarded by DFW keeper Jones.
The Tornados lost a second player to a red card in the 90th minute when defender Ashley Walker was sent off.
Despite playing with 10 men for 59 minutes and later nine players in the last four minutes of the game, DFW played as though they had a full squad on the pitch.
GAME NOTES: Bravos FC dedicated Friday’s win over DFW to Salvador Luna’s mother, who is battling cancer and was in the stands for the game…Noé De los Santos, who received the assist on Luna’s game-winning goal came on as a second-half substitute for fellow midfielder Kendor Vásquez in the 62nd minute…There were four Brownsville players in Friday’s Bravos FC starting lineup: forward Alex Ríos, midfielder Vásquez, defenders Wilfrido Fernández and Mike Vázquez…Striker Tomás Banda was substituted for the first time this season in the 60th minute by forward Damián “Niño” López… Blue-and-Gold Technical Director Ismael “Moreira” Braga returned to the bench against the Tornados after serving a three-game suspension….Friday’s match was only the third time in 15 games that Bravos FC did not score in the first half…RGV outshot DFW 17-7…Several Bravos FC players will make an appearance Saturday at Academy Sports + Outdoors at 3901 Expressway 83 at Ware Rd. from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a free autograph-signing session.
