— In June, Clint Dempsey made news when he tore up the notebook of referee Daniel Radford during a U.S. Open Cup match between Dempsey’s Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers. Fans of the Carolina RailHawks remember Radford, in part, for his seven yellow cards over the final 22 minutes of a late-night win over the Minnesota Stars in July 2012.

Radford sought to outdo his ignominy Wednesday night when the RailHawks visited the San Antonio Scorpions. With both teams in desperate need of three points to remain in the running for the NASL playoff chase, Wednesday’s match featured a glut of goals and a bonanza of bookings. The result: a 3-3 draw that saw 12 yellows cards and one straight red, and served as Exhibit A that even ugly soccer games can be quite entertaining.

Eighteen minutes into the contest, the bookmobile revved its engine as Scorpions defender Adrian Cann committed a penalty against Nacho Novo when he denied the Spaniard striker a goal-scoring opportunity. Radford sent off Cann with a straight red card, then booked midfielder Rafa Castillo for dissent just for good measure. Novo eventually stepped to the spot, and although Scorpions goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes guessed correctly and saved Novo’s PK, Novo followed his miss and stuck back the rebound for a 1-0 lead. It’s Novo’s 8th goal this season, tied for third-most in the NASL.

In the 25th minute, a RailHawks free kick was cleared out to Tiyi Shipalane stationed 25 yards from goal. Shipalane settled the ball and delivered a pinpoint strike into the far net to extend Carolina’s lead to 2-0. The goal was Shipalane's fifth this season.

Despite being a man down, the Scorpions halved The Most Dangerous Score in Soccer™ just two minutes later. Cesar Elizondo maneuvered around the RailHawks’ fortifications and launched a shot that glanced off a Carolina defender. The deflection fell to midfielder Marvin Chávez, who slotted his half-volley past Carolina keeper Akira Fitzgerald to cut the RailHawks’ lead to 2-1.

The remainder of the first half featured the card stylings of Daniel Radford. The center referee issued five additional bookings from the 37th minute until intermission. Radford’s halftime tally: six yellow cards and one straight red.

Two minutes into the second stanza, RailHawks defender Connor Tobin took down Elizondo inside the right half of the area. But Fitzgerald saved Castillo’s kick from the penalty spot to maintain the RailHawks’ one-goal lead.

However, Radford evened up the lineups and score in the 54th minute when he whistled Tobin for a handball in the box. The penalty also earned Tobin a second yellow card and a sending off. Castillo successfully converted his PK this time for the equalizer.

In the 65th minute, Chávez intercepted an errant Danso turnover, then sauntered unabated to the top of the penalty arc before uncorking a looper over Fitzgerald that rippled nylon for an improbable 3-2 Scorpions lead.

In the 71st minute, Fernandes saved a seemingly sure score by Novo inside the goal area. A minute later, Shipalane was through on goal, but Fernandes snuffed out his shot, as well.

It was finally Carolina’s turn to equalize in the 77th minute. Shipalane delivered a cross into the goalmouth that bounced off Scorpions defender Nana Attakora before trickling across the goal line to knot the score at 3-3.

The waning moments of the match were punctuated by a final Radford flourish, as the official tossed in four more bookings over the final six minutes, including a yellow card shown to Novo after he exited the match and was sitting on the Carolina bench.

The RailHawks (6-8-8, 26 pts.) nudge into sixth position in the combined NASL standings, four points behind the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the fourth and final playoff spot. Carolina travels to Minnesota United this Saturday and then Atlanta on Sept. 19. The RailHawks finally return to WakeMed Soccer Park Sept. 26 to host the table-topping Ottawa Fury.

BOX SCORE

CAR: Fitzgerald, Low, Tobin, King, Wagner, Nurse (Engel, 73’), Hlavaty (Danso, 57’), Shipalane, Albadawi, da Luz, Novo (Da Silva, 88’)

SAS: Fernandes, Rusin, Cann, Attakora, DeRoux, Palacios, Gibson, Castillo, Chavez (Soto, 77’), Elizondo, Cummings (Gentile, 74’)

GOALS

CAR: Novo (20’); Shipalane (25’); Attakora [OG] (77’)

SAS: Chávez (28’, 65’); Castillo (56’)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Tobin (40’); Albadawi (43’); Wagner (54’); Novo (90’); Da Silva (90’)

SAS: Castillo (19’); Rusin (37’); Elizondo (41’); Attakora (43’); Palacios (84’); DeRoux (90’)

EJECTIONS

CAR: Tobin (54’)

SAS: Cann (19’)

ATTENDANCE: 5,000