Apr 19, 2009
Aztex Draw With Minnesota Thunder, 1-1
Another beautiful evening at Nelson Field last night, even if the final scoreline wasn't quite what we were hoping for. Fears and forecasts of bad weather proved groundless, as the temperature was perfect and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.
It was an evenly matched game. Both teams had their share of the run of play, though as the score shows, neither were able to take much advantage of it. The Aztex had more of the upper hand, but time and time again, were unable to hook it up. The potential is clearly there, from both individual players and the team as a whole, but they didn't quite have the chemistry last night. The sole Aztex goal benefitted from some good luck, as the Thunder defense, including keeper Nic Platter, all sort of pulled up short, apparently believing the Aztex were in an offside position.
The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment(s) of the Match: every time the Reagan High School "Soul Raiders" drum corps got going. This energetic and entertaining group — which included a drum line, an assortment of horns & woodwinds and a handful of dancers — performed on the field before the game and at halftime. But they also came up into the stands, right below the supporters' section, and got the beat going in a major way several times. This 2-minute video will give you a taste, though it only shows the drummers. I, for one, hope these kids become a regular fixture at Aztex home matches.
The evening also saw the introduction of the new Aztex mascot. Inspired by a fan design and selected by online voting, the winner was unveiled: meet Sgt. Pepper (picture coming soon). A red chili pepper in red-and-white kit, he represents Austin Aztex FC's unique combination of Texan and English influences. (The club should see if they can draft one of the Soul Raiders to bop around in that mascot outfit...)
Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:
It was an evenly matched game. Both teams had their share of the run of play, though as the score shows, neither were able to take much advantage of it. The Aztex had more of the upper hand, but time and time again, were unable to hook it up. The potential is clearly there, from both individual players and the team as a whole, but they didn't quite have the chemistry last night. The sole Aztex goal benefitted from some good luck, as the Thunder defense, including keeper Nic Platter, all sort of pulled up short, apparently believing the Aztex were in an offside position.
The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment(s) of the Match: every time the Reagan High School "Soul Raiders" drum corps got going. This energetic and entertaining group — which included a drum line, an assortment of horns & woodwinds and a handful of dancers — performed on the field before the game and at halftime. But they also came up into the stands, right below the supporters' section, and got the beat going in a major way several times. This 2-minute video will give you a taste, though it only shows the drummers. I, for one, hope these kids become a regular fixture at Aztex home matches.
The evening also saw the introduction of the new Aztex mascot. Inspired by a fan design and selected by online voting, the winner was unveiled: meet Sgt. Pepper (picture coming soon). A red chili pepper in red-and-white kit, he represents Austin Aztex FC's unique combination of Texan and English influences. (The club should see if they can draft one of the Soul Raiders to bop around in that mascot outfit...)
Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:
- Aztex play to a draw in first game (& photo gallery) — Austin American-Statesman
After a low-key first half in which Austin dominated possession without creating many chances, the Thunder took the lead in the 52nd minute. A quick counter-attack on the left flank saw Minnesota forward Leonel Saint-Preux break into the Austin box, and after initially seeing his shot blocked, he picked up the rebound, calmly rounded goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo and fired high into the empty net.
"The fact that we were pressing, we left ourselves vulnerable on the counter-attack," Aztex coach Adrian Heath said. "But we got better as the game's gone on." - Aztex Tie Thunder, 1-1 (video) — News 8 Austin
Not sure I should even link to a video clip that's literally twice as much commercial as it is news... - Aztex FC tie Thunder 1-1 in USL-First Division debut — AustinAztex.com
Two minutes later the offensive persistence of Austin paid dividends. That’s when Silva’s cross into the middle missed its target including all Thunder defenders, and managed to find the left foot of defender Lyle Adams, who was playing forward. Adams settled the ball then fired a rocket from 30 yards out.
...While the action remained at a fever pitch the remaining few minutes of the contest, neither team was unable to break the deadlock.
Heath said he was reasonably satisfied with his team’s USL-First Division debut performance.
"I thought we were better in the second half. We were nervous when we started. The game was food for thought. If we had started better, we could have relaxed sooner. I thought we would nick it in the end."
// posted by Chris @ 3:43 PM 
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