The Aztexan

While most of us get three days off this Independence Day weekend, the Aztex only have the 4th itself off, with road games on Friday & Sunday.

On Friday, July 3 (that's tonight), they visit the Cleveland City Stars, in a rematch of last weekend's game there. Hopefully Austin will finish the City Stars off this time, and not let them steal a draw at the last minute. Both teams will be fighting for the points, trying to get into the playoff picture:

Despite occupying the ninth and 10th positions in the league table, Austin and Cleveland are within striking distance of the seventh place playoff position due the league’s parity. The expansion Aztex currently sit four points back with a record of 2-6-6 on the year and Cleveland is six back at 2-9-4.

This game, at Cleveland's Middlefield Cheese Stadium, will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel. Everyone's invited to join fans and supporters at Cuatros on 24th, where the match will be shown on the giant Cuatron screen. Kickoff is 7:00 PM CT.

The second game of the weekend is on the afternoon of Sunday, July 5, facing the Rochester Rhinos at Marina Auto Stadium in New York.

The Rhinos are currently on a 4-game winning streak that includes the 2-0 defeat of the Aztex here in Austin two weeks ago. In their most recent league play, they got a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Thunder, at Minnesota (match report / box score). They also eliminated MLS' Columbus Crew from the U.S. Open Cup this week, squeaking by on penalty kicks.

Kickoff for the match in Rochester is 2:00 PM CT. Like all USL-1 matches (except those broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel), you can watch it live, for free, on USLLive.com.

As we approach the middle of the season, and with the majority of Austin's remaining games on the road, the Red & White are going to need to figure out how to win some games. Aside from PDL opponents in the Open Cup, the Aztex are on a winless run that goes back to the end of May (a 3-1 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders).

Though they're on the road more, their July schedule is much less grueling than June's was. With no more Open Cup matches, they have "only" 6 games in July, counting the Houston game on the 1st. Hopefully we'll see some players able to return to the pitch, some others get rested and raring to go, and some points racked up in the standings. Go Aztex!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

Well, it wasn't a blowout. It wasn't a romp. It wasn't a massacre. Though for a few minutes at the start, it looked like it might be a couple of those, the Aztex hung in there and fought the good fight. Scoreless at the end of the first half, it was easy to imagine overtime after another 45 minutes like that.

Unfortunately, the second half wasn't quite like that. Houston came out stronger and dominated more thoroughly. Most importantly, of course, they were able to do what Austin has not been able to do reliably for some time now: put the ball in the back of the net.

Some are still wondering about the way Jeff Harwell was brought down in the Houston box early in the game. An Aztex penalty kick at that point would have certainly affected the game. In related news: if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass a-hoppin'.

So ends the Aztex's 2009 U.S. Open Cup run. But getting to this round wasn't without its benefits. The game last night was very well attended, just a couple hundred shy of the 5,000 mark. A meaningful meeting with a major league team, even if it was just for the poor under-appreciated Open Cup, also brought more press attention than most games get.

The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment of the Match: just seeing all the Houston fans in attendance. I don't know if we have a bunch of closet Dynamo supporters in town, or if that many folks really drove 3 hours for a midweek game. Either way, it's impressive and heartening to see that level of fan support. Even if they are all attired in that ridiculous neon orange that Houston is saddled with.

Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USOpenCup.com
  


• Ashe douses Aztex's chances in Open Cup — Austin American-Statesman
  

  The ever-active Harwell then sprinted the length of the field to turn the ensuing Houston corner kick into a scoring chance at the other end, but his appeal for a penalty went unheeded after he went down in the Houston box following contact with the last defender.
  
  The remaining minutes of the first half followed a similar pattern, as Houston camped in the Austin half but couldn't score while the Aztex sat back and used Harwell's speed to counterattack.

• Ashe’s performance leads Dynamo to 2-0 win over Aztex — AustinAztex.com
  

  Houston’s best chance of the first half came late, when Mullan, who had made himself comfortable along the right side all half, fired in a cross that Danny Cruz headed just wide of the post. The half ended scoreless before Ashe came out and put away the game with his impressive second-half performance.
  
  “They’ve got Ashe, they had Kei Kamara [off the bench]; that shows their strength in depth,” Heath said. “They’re probably one of the best run clubs in the MLS. I’m disappointed with the result, but pleased with the performance.”

The Dynamo advance to the Open Cup quarterfinals, where they'll face the Charleston Battery, in Charleston on Tuesday, July 7. That's the same Cup matchup they've had for the last 2 years, and Houston has gone down to the USL-1 side both times. Here's hoping for a third!

No rest for the Red & White - they're back on the road for a rematch of last weekend's matchup with Cleveland City Stars. That game is Friday, July 3, at 7:00 PM CT. Watch it live on Fox Soccer Channel, at home or in the company of other fans at Cuatros on 24th.

Labels: MLS, postgame, U.S. Open Cup

The Aztex take the field for the first of just three home games this month Wednesday evening, July 1, at 7:30. They host MLS' Houston Dynamo in the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The cup, the oldest team tournament in U.S. sports history, is just seeing the entrance of the top-level MLS teams in this round. The winner of this game will go to Charleston to play the Charleston Battery, who beat MLS' Chivas USA tonight, 3-1.

The Dynamo are a formidable opponent, coming into the game at the top of the MLS table, with a record of 8-3-4. They are returning to the Lone Star State from a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy, however. That defeat ended an 11-game unbeaten streak for Houston.

This won't be the first time the Red & White have hosted the Orange. Houston was here back in March for a preseason game, a contest that ended in a 2-2 draw.

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear gave his view of the Open Cup in a short interview with AustinAztex.com:

AA: How important is the Open Cup to you guys? With the longer season, where is it in your priorities?

DK: It’s important to us. Obviously the bigger priority for us is the MLS and the MLS Cup. But this is a game for us to win. It’s the easiest trophy to win. You play four games in a row over a period of a time and you get the trophy.

Both teams will be missing some of their key players:

Houston’s Brian Ching and Stuart Holden are on the U.S. national team’s roster for the Gold Cup and are on their way to Seattle for the opening match against Grenada on Saturday. Defender Andrew Hainault will be on national team duty for Canada while Wade Barrett and Craig Waibel are out with injuries.

Match Forecast

Temp:	upper 80s
Rain:	10%
Wind:	3mph
Sunset:	8:37

as of 9:00 PM, 6/30/09

Add in Ricardo Clark who has been out with the national team after its spectacular run in the Confederations Cup and the Dynamo have had to do some shuffling.

...The Aztex are without starting goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo (leg) and midfielder and second-leading scorer Yordany Alvarez (foot). Also missing for nine games has been forward Gifton Noel-Williams, who has been out with a bad hamstring. Noel-Williams is slowly working his way back to form and said he should be fit enough for Wednesday.

Speaking of Noel-Williams, the game may see a reunion of sorts between him and former teammate Ade Akinbiyi:

Noel-Williams knows firsthand about Akinbiyi. The two became close friends during their time playing together for Stoke City and Burnley back in England where the duo’s physical presence proved to be effective both on and off the field.

The game should be a great one. Advancement to face Charleston in the 4th round is on the line, temperatures will stay down in the comfortable, 2-digit range all day, and lots of Dynamo fans are expected to make the trip. It may just be, as the Aztex email promotion claims, "THE BIGGEST COMPETITIVE SOCCER GAME IN AUSTIN HISTORY!"

Kickoff will be at 7:30, so that means the pre-match supporters' gathering at Nomad Bar (map) will start to come together about 5:00. Tickets for the match are $20 for adults, $15 for kids 12 and under.

After this game, the Aztex turn around and head back to Ohio on Friday for a rematch of last weekend's game against the Cleveland City Stars. That match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel.

Labels: gameday, MLS, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

The Aztex were once again the victims of another team's miracle Saturday night in Ohio, as the Cleveland City Stars stole a goal against the run of play at the last minute to secure a 2-2 draw. Both teams played well throughout the game, trading periods of possession and offense. Austin had the upper hand and a 2-1 lead for the last 30 minutes, but weren't able to put the last nail in Cleveland's coffin.

Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com


• Aztex settles for draw as Cleveland scores late — Austin American-Statesman
  

  The Aztex fell just short of an inaugural road victory in USL First Division play. Cleveland trailed 2-1 with stoppage time ticking away before Ricardo Pierre-Louis, who came on in the 83rd minute, scored on a diving header to clinch the draw.

• Aztex give up stoppage time goal, still earn 2-2 tie — AustinAztex.com
  

  Pierre-Louis’ goal spoiled a grinding comeback performance from an Austin squad that once again found itself down a goal early in the match. Despite falling behind early, the Aztex (2-6-6, 12 points) eventually found a rhythm and capitalized in the 30th minute when defender Josh Alcala found room on the wing and promptly sent in a shot that found its way over the fingertips of Cleveland keeper Hunter Gilstrap to level the score.
  
  Jeff Harwell put Austin on top in the 38th minute when he found enough space in the midfield, made a nice move past his defender, then scored a goal in the lower corner at the near post past a diving Gilstrap.

The Aztex will have a re-match this Friday, July 3, as they return to Cleveland's Middlefield Cheese Stadium to face the City Stars again in regular season play.

But first, we have them back in town for a huge U.S. Open Cup match against MLS' Houston Dynamo, 7:30 PM on Wednesday, July 1. I'll have more info about that game soon, but make sure it's in your plans. It promises to be a great game, and Houston is sure to bring lots of fans with them, so we need all the red & white we can get to counter their orange.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

Believe it or not, this is only the fourth game for the Aztex to play on the road. They're heading to northern Ohio looking for some points from one of the only teams lower in the standings than they are, the Cleveland City Stars.

Cleveland was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup in the 2nd round, losing 2-1 to the Rochester Rhinos after extra time. Since then, they've had a rough home stand, losing 2 games to Miami FC and most recently getting a 2-2 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday (match report / box score).

The Aztex continue to bolster their squad with loaners from MLS:

Austin will bring back the Houston Dynamo’s Erik Ustruck on a free loan, this time on a more permanent basis. Ustruck’s loan will last until the end of August, but the Dynamo will reserve the right to call the defender back if he is needed with the MLS side. Ustruck will also be unavailable for Austin’s Open Cup match against the Dynamo Wednesday. Ustruck played for Austin in last weekend’s games against Carolina and Rochester, starting on the back line in both.

Los Angeles Galaxy defender Yohance Marshall will also the Aztex on a free loan that will last a week, meaning the Trinidad & Tobago national will be available for Saturday’s game against Cleveland and Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup third round match against the Dynamo.

If nothing else, the Red & White will enjoy a break from the record-setting 100+ temperatures we've had in Austin this week. Temperatures in Cleveland will be in the mid 70s.

The game will be broadcast for free on USLLive.com (free registration required), kickoff is 6:00 PM CT. Folks from Chantico's Army are tentatively planning to meet at Cuatros to watch the game there (watch this BigSoccer thread for the latest).

After this weekend, the Aztex will return home to face the Houston Dynamo in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30PM.

Labels: gameday, USL-1

In case you didn't notice its recent appearance, I'd like to introduce the Aztexan Store. Very simply, it sells shirts and stickers with my soccerized version of the "Come And Take It" flag.

Additionally, it sometimes carries a few soccer-related items I'm auctioning on Ebay. These are usually jerseys I got from an MLS-affiliated credit card (a program that was just cancelled, in fact). Currently there are 3 jerseys available: Chivas USA (home), Chicago Fire (away) and Columbus Crew (home, pre-Glidden-sponsorship).

A significant portion of proceeds of these sales (50% of Ebay sales, 100% of t-shirt profits) is donated to fight malaria with Nothing But Nets.

Labels: meself

It's official: winning is more fun than losing. More fun than getting a draw, too, though that's better than losing, too. But no matter how you slice it, losing is definitely the least preferable outcome.

What makes this loss extra frustrating is that the Aztex played pretty well again. Well, except for the part where they gave up 2 goals and didn't score any, of course. But they didn't stink, and they didn't get completely outplayed. They just... lost.

The attendance was pretty good, at least: breaking the 3K mark with a reported total of 3,114 fans.

The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment of the Match: My daughter and I were sitting in the center stands (the noise in the supporters' section is too much for her). Nearby, oddly enough, was a group of 8 to 10 Rochester fans. I don't know if they were vacationing in sunny Texas anyway, or if New York is closer than I thought, or what.

Anyway, the best moments of the match were their expressions whenever a couple of the Chantico's Army guys sitting in the Founders' pavilion jeered at their team. Nothing too nasty: yelling "WHO?!" when the names of their subs were announced, loudly counting to ten — boxing referee style — when a Rhino player flopped, things like that. These folks would just turn and stare in disbelief; it was hilarious. They had the last laugh, of course. But we'll take them where we can get them.

Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com

  Weather: Partly cloudy, hot

• Aztex fall 2-0, stay winless in league play in June — Austin American-Statesman
  

  The Austin Aztex are attacking well and getting scoring chances but can't put the ball away.
  
  That was the story again Sunday in a 2-0 loss to Rochester. The Aztex (2-6-5, 10 points) haven't won a league game since May 29, going 0-4-2.
  
  "You have to score to win, and we're just not doing that," coach Adrian Heath said. "We have opportunities, but we're not being ruthless in front of the goal."

• Aztex squander multiple chances, fall 2-0 to Rochester — AustinAztex.com
  

  “I thought we played quite well today,” Aztex head coach Adrian Heath said. “We’ve had all the play, we’ve had all the chances and we got beat.”
  
  ... “I understand the second [goal]. We’re pushing forward trying to get an equalizer,” Heath said. “When you’re a goal down and you’re taking a few more risks than you would like to, you’re always susceptible to the counterattack.”

If it's a break the Red & White need to get back on their feet, they finally have a short one this week. 6 days! Their next game is this weekend, though it's on the road: they'll travel to Ohio for the first time, playing the Cleveland City Stars at 6:00 PM on Saturday. Hopefully DFW Airport won't be shut down the day before the game for this trip.

The next home game will be the following Wednesday, July 1, facing the Houston Dynamo in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

The second game of this weekend's home stand will be against the Rochester Rhinos, Sunday night at 6:00. We saw a strong showing from our boys last night against Carolina; they should come out strong for this game, confident in their ability to mount a real challenge.

The Rhinos are currently in the middle of the table, 3 points above the Aztex but with a game in hand. Rochester is coming off a 3-0 regular season loss on the road to the Cleveland City Stars (match report / box score). That was followed 3 days later by a 2-1 win, after extra time, over the City Stars at home in U.S. Open Cup play (match report / box score).

The Aztex organization has a special deal for this Father's Day game: any dad accompanied by his kid(s) gets in free.

The question we'll be looking to answer from this game is, was Friday's solid performance against a league-leading Carolina Railhawks side the sign of a new leaf being turned over for Austin? Are they getting a leg up (pun intended, sorry) on some of the injury issues?

After Sunday's match, the Aztex have two weekends in a row on the road at Cleveland (Sat. June 27 & Fri. July 3). The next game here in town will be right between those, when they return to face MLS powerhouse Houston Dynamo in the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, July 1.

We're approaching the part of the Aztex's 2009 schedule where the team will be on the road most of the time. Of 18 remaining games in the regular season, just 6 (including this one) will be played in Austin.

Remember the early, 6:00 kickoff time for Sunday, and bring the kids to get in free. It should be a great night, see you there!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

Wow, what a game. The Aztex played better against the Railhawks last night than we've seen them play in some time. They had possession, their passes were connecting well despite the gusty wind, and at times they were crashing over the Carolina defense like waves on a beach. The 2,629 fans in attendance were given an exciting 90 minutes.

All of which, though very heartening to Austin fans still hoping our team will be contenders this season, makes the end result that much more disappointing. The Red & White should have won that game last night. They should have put it away by at least one goal, and the Railhawks must have been relieved when that final whistle finally blew.

If you ever wanted an example for the phrase, "stole a point on the road", you could hardly find a better one than what Carolina did last night at Nelson Field.

The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment of the Match: Seeing these 2 little kids try to spin a giant, heavy wooden ratchet noisemaker (something much like this one) that some guy let them borrow. The thing was as long as their forearms, and looked like it weighed 5 lbs. Frankly I'm not sure I could have done much better. Regardless, they worked on that thing through most of the second half. The other good thing was that they didn't brain each other with it (or take out my knee; I was standing up on the bench right next to them).

Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com
  

  Weather: Mostly cloudy, hot

• Aztex draw against Carolina, 1-1 — Austin American-Statesman
  

  The Aztex answered by pushing deep into Carolina's end of the field and generating multiple scoring chances. The Aztex had 10 corner kicks — Carolina had none. Johnson's goal came on a crossing pass from Mike Callahan. Johnson got just enough on the shot to get it past Carolina goalkeeper Eric Reed's fingertips.
  
  Austin had one last prime scoring chance in the 83rd minute, when Johnson fed Kyle Brown for a direct header, but Reed was in perfect position for the save.

• Aztex dominate RailHawks, settle for 1-1 draw — AustinAztex.com
  

  “We’ve won this season and I haven’t been as pleased as I am tonight,” Heath said.
  
  Maybe why Heath is so pleased with leaving two points on the field was the play of his new recruits. Heath brought in three MLS players this week on short-term loans: [Mike] Chabala and Erik Ustruck of Houston and Real Salt Lake’s David Horst.
  
  The three came in late in the week, giving them only one full practice with the team, yet they still managed to fit right in.
  
  “They came in and it was seamless,” Heath said of the new faces. “It was like they’ve been playing with us all season. That’s the biggest compliment I can give them.”

Next up for our home team is game against the Rochester Rhinos at 6:00 PM this Sunday, June 21, Fathers' Day. (I'll have another post later today or tomorrow, previewing that match in more detail.)

Labels: postgame, USL-1

The Aztex host the Carolina Railhawks' 2nd trip to Austin on Friday, June 19 at Nelson Field. Their last visit was on the rainy night of May 24th, a game which the Railhawks won 1-0, on a "ludicrous" handball penalty.

The Railhawks are currently 2nd in the league, with a 7-3-2 record. Their last league game was a 2-0 loss on the road to last-place Minnesota Thunder (match report / box score).

More recently, they were knocked out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday at home by the USL-2's Wilmington Hammerheads (match report / box score). I for one am hoping we can get a "Sharkbait hoo-ha-ha" chant (a la Finding Nemo) going Friday night in honor of the loss.

Still struggling with injury issues, the Aztex roster will be bolstered by 3 players on loan from the Houston Dynamo: goalkeeper Tyler Deric, defender Mike Chabala and midfielder Erik Ustruck. They sure need something to help them start collecting some points:

Austin (2-5-4) enters the weekend with 10 points from 11 games and in eighth place in the USL-1. After defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 on May 29, the Aztex have gone 0-3-1 since and have been outscored 9-2...

Match Forecast

Temp:	upper 80s
Rain:	10%
Wind:	12mph
Sunset:	8:35

as of 9:00 AM, 6/18/09

The Aztex have allowed the second most goals in the league (18) and have only one shutout, tied for the fewest in the USL-1, and their defense took a hit last week. Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo suffered a leg injury during the Aztex 2-0 loss to Miami on Sunday and is out indefinitely.

The Aztex also lost A.J. Godbolt and Yordany Alvarez during pre-game warm-ups on Tuesday. Alvarez leads the Aztex in points (three goals, two assists).

Kickoff time for Friday's match will be 7:30 PM, which puts the time for pregame supporter gathering & fortification at Nomad Bar starting at about 5:00.

This will be the first game of yet another 2-game weekend: Austin face the mid-table Rochester Rhinos on Sunday night at 6:00. This will be the first time this season the two teams face each other.

Labels: gameday, USL-1

It wasn't always pretty and it wasn't without its cost, but the Aztex got the win last night over the El Paso Patriots. They've advanced to the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and will face the Houston Dynamo, here in Austin at Nelson Field, on July 1.

(Regarding that date: the date original announced for the 3rd round was June 30. But in an apparent concession to Houston, who plays the Galaxy in Los Angeles on the 28th, this match was moved to July 1.)

Here's a rundown of post-match coverage:

• match report — USOpenCup.com


• Aztex beat El Paso 2-0 — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Austin lost starting goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo-Aparicio in Friday's loss to Puerto Rico. He suffered a broken leg that will keep him out for at least six weeks. Also out of the lineup Tuesday were forwards Jarius Holmes (knee) and Gifton Noel-Williams (hamstring), midfielders Yordany Alvarez (ankle) and A.J. Godbolt (hamstring) and defenseman Kieron Bernard (hamstring). Alvarez might have a fracture, Heath said, suffered during warm-ups.

  "Defenseman"?


• Aztex overcome injuries, altercation; defeat El Paso 2-0 — AustinAztex.com
  

  The game played out plainly after that until an incident in the El Paso box resulted in multiple cards. Sullivan Silva attempted a bicycle kick in the 73rd minute with players around him that led to a shoving match with El Paso defenders.
  
  Eventually, players from both sides got involved in the scrap. When the dust settled, Silva, El Paso’s Muniz and defender Mario Garcia all earned red cards. Austin’s Wes Allen earned a yellow.
  
  The tension continued when a late tackle from El Paso’s Jonathan Camarena on Jeff Harwell earned him a red card in the 77th minute.

After this game, the boys have a luxurious 2 days off before they face the Carolina Railhawks here at home, Friday night at 7:30.

Labels: U.S. Open Cup, USL-1