The Aztexan

This is it . . . almost. It's not quite the real season, and it won't be at the real Aztex home stadium, but it will definitely be the best pro soccer to be found in Austin — no, in all of Texas — this weekend.

Come on out to Nelson Field this Sunday, March 14, at 5:00 PM for one final farewell match at last year's ground. The Houston Dynamo are coming to town for the second leg of the Roadkill Cup (as I'm hoping it comes to be called).

Last weekend was the first game, in Houston. It ended up a 1-1 draw, even though the orange team scored both goals (oops, better practice those back-passes, Tally). Although I attended the game, I shirked my post-game reporting duties. You can get some post-match info from Chantico's Army, the Aztex site or MyDynamo.net.

Why the shirking? I've been in crunch mode on an another soccer/web project. It's not quite ready for prime time, but you'll hear more than enough about it soon (I hope). In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep up with Aztex happenings here.

Much to my dismay, I'll be out of town and miss Sunday's game. But you shouldn't! The weather should be great (60s or 70s) and the game should be good (the Red & White have had twice as much practice time as they'd had before last week's game). I haven't heard whether many Dynamo fans are coming over, but one would think lots of them would jump at the chance to come to Austin (or, more to the point, escape Houston).

So get some tickets ($20 adults, $15 kids), meet up with Chantico's Army at The Nomad about an hour before the game (this game's at Nelson, remember!) and have a blast. Kickoff is at 5:00 PM.

And one last reminder: this weekend is the world premier at SXSW of the soccer documentary Pelada. The first showing is Sunday night at 7:15, with another on Monday at noon and a third next Friday at 3:30 PM (schedule).

Let the year of soccer begin!

Labels: exhibition, gameday, MLS, USL-1

If you look closely — if you really study this week's picture, and compare it to last week's — you'll see absolutely no difference whatsoever. They must just be working on the inside now, that's all!

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

Another week closer to opening day, another picture of the future Aztex locker rooms. Definitely a roof on that thing now!

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

I'm a day late, but here's another sunny picture of the House Park construction site. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I see a roof!

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

We also had news about House Park this week, via Phil Rawlins' interview on KOOP's Futbol en Vivo (get the MP3 from ChanticosArmy.com or subscribe to the weekly show's podcast in iTunes): all regular season Aztex games will be played at House Park, from the very first! (The March 14 exhibition against the Dynamo will still be at Nelson Field.)

Phil didn't elaborate on whether construction is guaranteed to be done by the start of the season, or if there is some backup plan that will let them play there regardless. Either way, this is great news. It's widely agreed that House Park will be a better home to the Aztex, and the less mid-season moving around there is, the easier and more effective marketing can be.

Labels: stadium

When I first wrote about this documentary project almost a year ago, it had the working title, "Footplay". At the time, it was still a work in progress, waiting for post-production and finishing.

Now it's finished, titled "Pelada", and scheduled to be premiered in March at Austin's own SXSW Film festival.

Here's the description from the film's website:

Two players. 25 countries. One game.

Away from professional stadiums, bright lights, and manicured fields, there’s another side of soccer. Tucked away on alleys, side streets, and concrete courts, people play in improvised games. Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it's "taking a sweat." In England, it's "having a kick-about." In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means "naked"—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere—and it’s a window into lives all around the world.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

They're not kidding about the globe-spanning scope of this movie. Some of the locales you'll see in the film (and in the trailer below): Ghana, Uruguay, Iran, France, South Africa, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, Bolivia, Togo, Argentina, Egypt, China and Peru.

Sports Illustrated columnist and "The Beckham Experiment" author Grant Wahl has this to say about the film:

But what elevates Pelada from a cute highlight travelogue to something more resonant is the filmmakers' ability to find compelling stories and earn the trust of their interview subjects. "Once you play a game with someone, interview doesn't seem like the appropriate word," says [Gwendolyn] Oxenham. "There's this level of intimacy that you don't get if you don't play soccer. Every place we went, you're then invited into their homes. Everyone's mother wants to cook for you."

"[Playing soccer] would change the situation from being an outsider having an interview with them to having a conversation with a friend," adds [Luke] Boughen.

The result is a film that combines eye-popping cinematography (by co-directors Rebekah Fergusson and Ryan White) with human stories: the dreams of a teenage Brazilian girl nicknamed Ronaldinha; a lunchtime kickabout among workers building the Cape Town World Cup stadium; and an Italian writer who pens love poems to the sport. A tense game between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem reveals the benefits (and very real challenges) that come with the sport.

I hope it won't be long before this movie gets wider distribution and returns to town in "regular" theaters. For now, don't miss your chance to catch it during SXSW. As the schedule shows, it's playing on March 14, 15 and 19. (I'm personally thrilled about the third showing; I'll be out of town earlier that week and will miss the first two.) Having a SXSW pass isn't required to see the film, though it is first-come, first-served. If you're lucky, you might even make an evening of it on the 14th, after the Aztex-Dynamo pre-season match.

One last nice note about the production, from Wahl's article:

Yet being accepted into a major film festival isn't the only news for Oxenham and Boughen. After crisscrossing the globe together, they're getting married in June. Part of their honeymoon may involve a screening of Pelada in Cape Town during the World Cup.

Labels: internacional, media

A bright, sunny day at the House Park construction site, but not a lot of visible change to the new locker rooms:

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

Ticket sales were announced this week for the first game of Aztex's 2010 campaign: a home exhibition against MLS' Houston Dynamo on March 14.

“We are delighted to be playing Houston again this season,” said Aztex head coach Adrian Heath. “Last year’s game against the Dynamo was one of the highlights of the year. We know we will be playing one of the favorites for the MLS title so it will be a great game for soccer. Fans in Austin can come and watch top level players, some of whom will be playing for the United States in the upcoming World Cup.”

This date is a slight reschedule from an earlier date that was announced. Unfortunately the new House Park locker rooms won't be finished in time for this game, so it will be held at last year's stadium: Nelson Field. Tickets are $20 ($15 for children, under 5 free).

The Houston games last year (a preseason draw and a U.S. Open Cup loss) were great, and this one should be just as good. The number of orange-clad fans that make the drive over is really impressive. Sadly, due to a mixup in which I wasn't personally consulted about all game dates, I'll be out of town, and will miss it.

On a related note, the full 2010 USSF Division 2 schedule was finally released. The first league game will see Austin host the Montreal Impact on April 11. The first few home games are also scheduled at Nelson Field, while we await completion of the House Park locker rooms. Additional details will continue to come out, but here is my copy of the 2010 schedule/scorecard. I can't wait to start filling it out with "W"s!

Labels: exhibition, MLS, USL-1

More wet and cold weather is coming, which is never good news for construction projects. I grabbed this picture before the sleet started today. A little progress is visible since last week (note the rafter-looking poles sticking out):

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

We learned last week that construction of the new fieldhouse/locker rooms at House Park would not be finished before the beginning of the season. The Aztex are restricted from playing at a stadium without adequate facilities for the teams and referees, so the first few games will be back at Nelson.

In the meantime, I'll keep snapping weekly pictures of progress at House Park. I'm a day late this week, and the weather didn't cooperate too well, either. But here's what it looks like today:

(Click to see the Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

Ever wonder if you're getting all the Aztex info? I try to cover it all here, but I don't always get to everything, and I'm not always the fastest to get to breaking news, either. So, at the risk of putting myself out of business, I thought I'd share a quick list of the sources I use to keep on top of all things Aztex.

First: websites and blogs that cover the team. I'll include links to the site, as well as each site's RSS news feed¹ and Twitter account², where applicable.

• AustinAztex.com — The team's own site, obviously! (RSS; @austinaztex)


• The Aztex Blog — You knew about the team site, but did you know that the owners and coach also write a blog? Good behind-the-scenes stuff. (RSS)


• Chantico's Army — You don't have to be a member of this supporters' group to read the site's news, match reports and more. (RSS; @Chanticos_Army)


• The Native Aztexan Blog — a fellow Aztex & Texas soccer fan's blog. (RSS; @NativeAztexan)


• Austin Chronicle Sports — the Chronicle's Nick Barbaro is a true fan of the game. You'll find him among the noisiest supporters at home games, and you'll find his Aztex news among the roller derby and softball reports in the Chronicle. (RSS; @auschronsports)


• The Austin American-Statesman — Psych! Ha ha ha! Ha! Hoo... that was funny. Maybe someday, but so far: not so much. There is an Aztex page, god bless 'em, but it's literally completely blank.


• Google Alerts — This isn't Aztex-specific, of course, but it is the neatest, easiest thing. You can easily set it up so that Google sends you daily notices whenever it finds new mentions of whatever phrase you're interested in.


• The Aztexan — last but not least: me! (RSS; @Aztexan)

¹ An RSS reader (aka newsreader) makes following sites you're interested in much easier. Wikipedia has more info. I personally use NetNewsWire; a lot of people like Google Reader, too.

²All the Twitter accounts in this post, plus a few more, are included in my Aztex Twitter List.

Another good source of information is forums. The primary one for Aztex fans, since the inception of the club 2 years ago, has been the BigSoccer Aztex forum. While that is still the largest and most active, there are a couple of new kids on the block, too: Chantico's Army has their own forum, and the just-announced Aztex Alliance site will also have one. Those are both for members-only (though membership in Chantico's Army is free).

The last thing I'll mention is radio, where there are a couple of interesting sources for Aztex news and commentary. One is AM1300 "The Zone", which has interviewed Aztex personnel many times. In addition to announcements and interviews, head coach Adrian Heath and AM1300 host Ahmad Brooks co-hosted a regular weekly show last season. I haven't heard whether that show will return this year, but AM1300 will clearly continue to invite Aztex representatives on air, as Phil Rawlins and Djorn Buchholz were interviewed last week when season tickets went on sale.

The other spot to tune your radio to for Aztex info is KOOP, 91.7 FM (pronounced "co-op"). This community-access station has a new weekly show, Tuesdays from 1:00 - 2:00 PM, called Futbol En Vivo (@futbolaustin). The first half of the show is in Spanish, while the second half is in English. They discuss all levels of world soccer, from our own local Aztex to leagues around the world.

I personally have a heck of a time remembering to turn on the radio at the right time (or even finding one of those quaint devices, unless I'm in my car). Both stations stream their shows over the Internet, though neither makes it particularly easy to download particular shows and listen to later, podcast-style.

That's where Chantico's Army gaffer Matt has stepped in to save the day. He got permission to record and redistribute MP3s of KOOP's Futbol En Vivo show. Each episode is conveniently available in 3 versions: the full show, the Spanish half and the English half. You can get them free from either ChanticosArmy.com or the iTunes Store.

Well, once again a "quick" post grew a lot longer than I thought it would. I hope this gives you some new sources to get the scoop on the Aztex. And if you know of others not mentioned here, let me know!

Labels: media

Though we're still eagerly awaiting the 2010 schedule (due out next Tuesday, per the team blog), the Aztex put season tickets on sale this week:

Season tickets are priced at just $190 for adults and $150 for youth. The new open-ended season ticket allows fans the flexibility of using one ticket at each of the 15 regular season games or using multiple tickets for several games. Game day tickets are priced at $15 for adults 16 years of age and older and $12 for youth 15 years of age and younger, children 5 and under are free. Purchasing a season ticket saves fans 15% off the price of game-day tickets. 2010 Season Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.austinaztex.com or by calling 512-335-8881. Fans who purchase season tickets by February 12 will receive a complimentary Aztex scarf. [Ed. note: the website's splash page says to use promotional code "GoAztex2010" at checkout to get the scarf; not sure if that's required.]

I like the "open-ended" (aka "flex") ticket; that really adds to the value. People who might hesitate to get a regular, one-per-game ticket — suppose they know they're going to be out of town for 2 weeks in June — will be more likely to get this flex ticket. Because now those June tickets won't be wasted; they can bring some friends with them to other games.

And I like the prices, which are a good bit lower than last season. I do wish, however, that season tickets would include a couple of the "extra", non-regular-season games the Aztex will play, such as exhibitions and Open Cup matches.

In addition to the season tickets, the team announced the Aztex Alliance. This membership-based fan group replaces the Founders Club we've seen the last two years. In addition to t-shirts and other swag, the new group is a step toward giving fans more of an official voice in how the club is run.

There are two levels of Alliance membership: basic and premium. A $25 basic membership will get you a t-shirt and window cling, plus access to the Aztex Alliance website. This site will include forums, input on club decisions via polls (merchandise designs, exhibition opponents, etc.) and early access to team news.

The $105 premium membership gets you the basic benefits, plus: a lapel pin, a membership card and lanyard, invitations to pre- and post-season team events, a chance to win a trip to an away game, and discounts on camps and merchandise. Premium members will also have a voice with the team, via an elected commissioner who will be able to address the Aztex board. And when the ranks of premium members exceed 1,500, an Alliance representative will be given a full seat on the board.

The Alliance memberships are separate from season ticket purchases, but you can buy both a season ticket and a premium Alliance membership for $285, a savings of $10.

And there's one last way you can save a few bucks: members of the Chantico's Army supporters group get 10% off the season ticket price (saving $19). Membership in that group — which is free, by the way — is a lot of fun and has its own benefits (discounts, online forum, etc.).

Labels: supporters