The Aztexan

Well, what can you say. (No, seriously. I've about run out of things to say about these results.)

The Aztex ended the 2009 home season more or less the same way they played all year. They dug in, they fought, they worked hard, they had a few flashes of danger — and then they gave up a late goal, and lost.

I'm once again too late and too short of time to wax poetic about this milestone in the history of Austin pro soccer, so for now, here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com
  

  Weather: Hot, partly cloudy

• Aztex shut out by Portland in final home game — Austin American-Statesman
  

  If an entire season can be summed up in 90 minutes, the Austin Aztex did their best to show a full year of fight and flaws Monday night in a 1-0 loss to Portland.
  
  Early injuries and late goals — so often the scourge of Austin's inaugural-season slide to the foot of the USL-1 table — struck again in the final home game as Austin battled a superior opponent and came up empty. Played out in front of 2,439 fans, the game was the last act of a troubled stay at Nelson Field, before next year's switch to House Park.
  
  ..."We played a team that's gone on a 24-game unbeaten streak, and if you would have come tonight you wouldn't have known there was an awful lot of difference between the two teams," Austin coach Adrian Heath said.

• Portland gets late goal to defeat Aztex 1-0 — AustinAztex.com
  

  “When you consider the games we’ve had in a short period, I can’t be too critical,” Heath said. “On the whole, not bad.”
  
  The travel seemed to have its effects on the team early. Ryan Caugherty went down in the first 10 minutes with a knee injury and Gareth Evans pulled a hamstring less than 15 minutes later. Near the end of the match, Eddie Johnson went down, reinjuring his back.
  
  “It really takes a toll on you,” Gallardo said of the travel. “Our legs gave out toward the end.”

The Aztex season wraps up next weekend in the Pacific Northwest. Friday will see them take the field against the Timbers again, in Portland (their first time there, remarkably). The final game will be on Sunday, against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The team will stay in the area after that game, and play an exhibition with the PDL's Victoria Highlanders next Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Labels: postgame, USL-1