The Aztexan

As you've probably seen, the Aztex U23s suffered a tough loss last night in Orlando, going down 3-1 to the Laredo Heat in the Southern Conference Final. You can read the gory details, if you don't already know them.

And so ends the inaugural season of the Austin Aztex. As I've commented elsewhere, I find it oddly difficult to feel too sad about the loss last night. Sure it would have been great to go the national finals. I mean, of course.

But the whole season has just so completely and consistently exceeded expectations, that it seems almost greedy to want the national title, too. I don't want to sound defeatist or anything. I'm just saying, they could have had a season like the Palm Beach Pumas — who ended with -1 points (that's right, negative one points) on the season — and I'd still be an Aztex fan.

The bummer is that we have a long, long offseason before we see the Aztex on the field again. Is there anything to keep an Austin soccer fan busy until next April? Here's what I came up with; hope it helps.

• Catch up on Stoke City's preparations for their first year in the Premiership


• Speaking of Stoke, don't forget their U18 Academy team will be here next month


• Pick a USL-1 team, any USL-1 team! Their season doesn't end until September (I'm thinking Railhawks)


• Go to the Mexic-Arte Museum downtown, to see the Aztec and Maya Revival exhibit


• There's some kind of soccer going on China next month, isn't there?


• Knitting? Nah, scratch that.


• Go back to following MLS soccer (in Texas, that means FC Dallas if you have any class or taste, Houston Dynamo otherwise)


• Follow the stadium speculation and rumors for next year's Aztex seasons


• Follow FC Dallas fan-favorite Juan Toja through his impending (or not) trade to Steaua Bucureşti, becoming an expert in Romanian football along the way. Apparently their top-level league is called "Liga I Frutti Fresh"; what more could you ask for?

Labels: MLS, Stoke City, U-23