NEW YORK -- Billy Forbes came off the bench to score the game's only goal as the San Antonio Scorpions beat visiting Jacksonville Armada FC, 1-0, to climb out of last place in the Fall Season Standings.
The New York Cosmos scored three goals in the first 11 minutes of the second half on Saturday night and stretched their Fall Season unbeaten streak to six games with a 3-1 victory over the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
New York midfielder Leo Fernandes continued his torrid offensive display, scoring his team-leading seventh goal, then providing an assist to Lucky Mkosana for the eventual game-winning goal. Fernandes, 23, who grew up on Long Island not far from the Cosmos' home stadium at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., has now scored a goal in three consecutive games.
In other games on Saturday night, Minnesota United FC went to Florida and left with a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Christian Ramirez's seven-game goalscoring streak was halted, while head coach Manny Lagos notched his 50th NASL regular season victory.
The Atlanta Silverbacks found a second-half equalizer to secure a point against Indy Eleven.
The results, before FC Edmonton hosts Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, mean that four teams (the Eddies, Cosmos, Loons, and Silverbacks) are all tied on 15 points - just four off the pace set by league-leading Ottawa Fury FC.
San Antonio Scorpions 1, Jacksonville Armada FC 0
After a scoreless first half, second-half substitute Billy Forbes scored his fourth goal of the season to put San Antonio (2-2-4, 8 points) into the lead before 7,569 at Toyota Field. The Scorpions entered the game without a victory in their previous five matches, but the win enabled them to climb out of last place in the Fall Season Standings. Jacksonville (3-1-5, 10 points) had its two-game winning streak snapped, in which the Armada FC held the opposition scoreless.
Atlanta Silverbacks 1, Indy Eleven 1
Six minutes into the game, Indy Eleven (2W-3D-4L, 9 points), which had snapped a five-game winless streak with a midweek win, jumped into the lead as Dane Richards converted a penalty kick following a handball committed by the Silverbacks. Richards, who is on loan from the New York Red Bulls, scored a goal for the second straight game.
Indy Eleven was reduced to 10 men for the final 40 minutes after Erick Norales was shown a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Atlanta (4-3-3, 15 points) finally broke through in the 76th minute when Jaime Chavez chased down a ball on the end line and flicked it toward goal with the outside of his right foot. The ball appeared to have been put over the line by Indy's Greg Janicki. Atlanta was then reduced to 10 men when Simon Mensing received his second yellow card of the match in the 77th minute.
New York Cosmos 3, Carolina RailHawks 1
Carolina (2-2-5, 8 points), which was coming off consecutive 3-0 losses on the road, took the lead in the 17th minute when Tiyi Shipalane's corner from the right side found the head of Daniel Scott, who beat a diving Jimmy Maurer. The Cosmos (4-3-1, 15 points) equalized seconds into the second half. Hunter Freeman crossed from the right, and in a scramble in front of the net, Leo Fernandes poked a loose ball past Carolina 'keeper Akira Fitzgerald for his team-leading seventh goal.
Fernandes was involved in the go-ahead goal eight minutes later when his cross from the far left flank was volleyed home in spectacular fashion by Lucky Mkosana, New York continued to pour it on when Adam Moffat finished off a multi-pass combination with a left-footed blast in the 57th minutes. The RailHawks are now winless in their last five games (four losses) and the Cosmos are unbeaten in six.
Minnesota United FC 3, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Midway through the first half, Rowdies midfielder Georgi Hristov picked up his eighth assist of the year when he slid a pass to Juan Guerra, whose shot from just inside the area beat Minnesota (4-3-2, 15 points) goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt high to the near post. The Loons drew even in the 36th minute when Kalif Alhassan carried the ball through the midfield and found Ibson, whose shot beat Matt Pickens.
Minnesota raced into the lead in the 65th minute when Justin Davis scored off a pass from Ibson to complete an end-to-end counterattack. Daniel Mendes capped off the scoring with a goal in second half injury time. It was the first game for Tampa Bay (2-1-6, 7 points) since the club made a coaching change, and it was Stuart Campbell in charge for the Rowdies on Saturday night. Minnesota's Christian Ramirez was held without a goal, failing to tie the league's Modern Era record for goals in consecutive games.