The RGVFC Toros rescued a point late in the match against San Antonio FC at Toyota Field last Saturday to ultimately tie, 1-1.
With this result, the all-time South Texas Derby record stands at a devilish 6-6-6 and RGVFC's command of the Mountain division was cemented for at least one more week.
Here are the three takeaways from the thrilling derby match:
Tyler Deric proved why reliable keepers are an important asset
When Tyler Deric's signing was announced by the Toros this offseason, the question that loomed on many fans' minds was how much his inactivity would affect his performance in the net.
After five games in the 2021 season, it's safe to say that Deric has been one of this team's best performers so far.
With a total of nine saves on Saturday against San Antonio FC, Deric kept the possibility of an equalizer within grasp for the Toros — which eventually occurred.
At 17 saves, he is currently tied for third in the league alongside John Berner of Memphis 901 FC, Connor Sparrow of the Miami FC, and Matt Van Oekel of Birmingham Legion.
Even with these outstanding statistics, Deric's most important characteristic isn't his reflexes or positioning, but rather his mental toughness.
While the confidence of many keepers can plummet after making a game-losing mistake, Deric motivated himself to learn from his mistake and step up for the team when they need him the most.
Azocar brings a much needed spark to the Toros offense
One of the few signings to return to the Toros from the 2020 roster, Juan Carlos Azocar looked to build up from his performances in the last two games of the 2020 season.
However, an offseason injury kept the Venezuelan attacker away from the pitch for the first three games of the season.
Azocar returned to action last week against El Paso Locomotive, leaving a good impression on head coach Wilmer Cabrera.
Against San Antonio, Cabrera would grant Azocar 30 minutes to kick start a static Toros offense to find an equalizer.
His impact was felt right away on the field as he provided a lifeline to help maintain possession of the ball even with San Antonio's high pressure.
In total, the Venezuelan won six duels and caused two fouls in a dangerous position in favor of the Toros.
Most importantly, his bicycle kick in the 89th minute saved the day to allow the Toros to come away with the point at Toyota Field.
"After reading all of your comments and the good vibes that you all have sent me, I just have to say thank you to those who have written to me," Azocar posted on Twitter after the game. "Today was an incredible day. God is great and I have no doubt that He is there all the time. We will keep working!"
Después de ver todos sus comentarios y las buenas energías que me han enviado sólo tengo que decir muchas gracias a cada persona que me ha escrito, el día de hoy ha sido increible, dios es increíble y no tengo duda que el está en todo momento. Seguiremos trabajando 🙏🏻⚽️🐃
— Juan Carlos Azocar (@JuanC_Azocar26) May 30, 2021
RGVFC almost paid dearly for their lack of finishing
In the first few minutes of the derby, RGVFC was able to choke the San Antonio defensive line to give away the ball in transition, creating a couple of clear opportunities to score.
However, the Toros were unable to capitalize on these opportunities, which included a 1v1 in front of goal that Christian Sorto shot directly at Matt Cardone in the eighth minute.
As the game progressed, the Toros lost the momentum of the match and conceded a goal by Marcus Epps just before half time.
It was not until San Antonio suffered a red card on Emil Cuello in the 80th minute when RGVFC was able to find some momentum in their favor.
In total, RGVFC managed to execute 10 shots at Cardone's goal, but only four of those were on target.
These opportunities came, for the most part, during two important moments for RGV in the match: the first 15 minutes of dominance (4) and the moments after Cuello's red card (4).
While the defensive line has taken up the challenge to limit the damage on goal, the offensive line needs to do their part to finish scoring opportunities, especially on the road.