Week #10 NASL Players of the Week: Pablo Campos & Lance Parker

The San Antonio Scorpions Pablo Campos has once again been named NASL Offensive Player of the Week for week #10. FC Edmonton’s goalkeeper Lance Parker was named the Defensive Player of the Week.

MIAMI, Fla. (June 11, 2012) – San Antonio Scorpions forward Pablo Campos, who scored two goals for the Scorpions in a 3-0 shutout win over the Atlanta Silverbacks on Saturday, June 9, has been named North American Soccer League Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Campos opened the scoring for the Scorpions on Saturday by firing a shot out of the reach of Silverbacks keeper Daniel Illyes after some clever footwork inside the box to avoid a defender in the 27th minute.

In the 83rd minute, Campos connected on his second goal of the night to put the Scorpions ahead 3-0 with another skillful move in the box. The pair of goals increases Campos’ tally to a team-high five goals this season, moving him to second in the league for goals scored.

“It was one the best matches of the year for him,” Scorpions head coach Tim Hankinson said. “The performance by Pablo was super and he made some brilliant moves to help us get an important early goal in the match.”
Campos, who leads the team in goals (5) has been a key component in the Scorpions’ on-field success in the early part of the season. San Antonio now has an eight-game unbeaten streak in NASL competition and is one point behind the first-place Puerto Rico Islanders in the NASL table.

Campos joined the Scorpions prior to this season after posting 12 goals for the Carolina Railhawks in 2011, the second highest total in the NASL. The Rio de Janeiro native also spent two seasons with Real Salt Lake and the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS.

~~~

FC Edmonton goalkeeper Lance Parker, who  saved four shots including a penalty kick for the “Eddies” in a 1-0 shutout win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Sunday, June 10, has been named North American Soccer League Defensive Player of the Week.

FC Edmonton has started four different ‘keepers this season and each of them have recorded a shutout, the most recent going to Parker on Sunday afternoon.

“We are lucky to have so much talent in one position,” said FCE general manager Tom Leip. “I’m really happy for Lance. He’s fully recovered from his arm injury and he’s playing great for us right now.”

Almost a year ago to the day, in a game against the Carolina RailHawks, Parker went up for a cross and was undercut by then-Carolina striker Etienne Barbara. The 6’4”, 200-lbs ‘keeper landed awkwardly on his right arm and suffered a snapped humerus and a torn tricep tendon. He needed 10 months of recovery, two steel plates and 15 screws to repair the damage.

This season, Parker has played 270 minutes and has a 1.33 GAA. He’s only allowed four goals and has made six saves in games against the San Antonio Scorpions, Atlanta Silverbacks and Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

In the first half of Sunday’s game against the Strikers, Abe Thompson was brought down in the box and was awarded a penalty. Parker, having played with Thompson in Miami, had a good idea of where the shot was going and made the crucial save. The Eddies, down to 10-men, managed to score in the second half and held on to win the game 1-0.

This is Parker’s second Player of the Week award with the Eddies. He won Player of the Week last year in Week 6 of the season.