The Aztexan

At long last, it's finally here: the 2010 Austin Aztex pro soccer season begins Sunday night at 6:00!

The Aztex start things off against a formidable opponent: defending USL-1 champions the Montreal Impact. Here's an excerpt from Inside Minnesota Soccer's 2010 season preview about the Impact:

All key players will be returning in 2010, with the exception of midfielder Joey Gjertsen who signed with San Jose of MLS. They have however made 2 very interesting additions in the form of Portuguese midfielder Filipe Soares and French midfielder/right back Philippe Billy. Both have played consistently in European 2nd divisions, with Soares having spent the last 10 years in the Portuguese D2 and Billy having played the last 2 seasons with Stade Brestois in France’s Ligue 2. They also added Canadian International and former Toronto FC midfielder Tyler Hemming, who at 24 years old is exactly the type of depth player the Impact will need to fill their domestic player quota once they begin play in MLS in 2012, as is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Here in Austin, the level of interest and excitement leading up to the opener is at the highest level we've seen to date. The team's promotional efforts, combined with this season's move to the House Park, are really raising awareness and building buzz.

It's clear that they're serious about making game days "more than just a game": stadium concessions will include hometown favorites Austin's Pizza and Amy's Ice Cream; pregame parties will be hosted at The Tavern by alternative rock station 101X, and last year's postgame parties at Cuatro's are now being fully publicized.

There's even the start of a viral video campaign, with the first installment starring fellow die-hard fan and prominent Austin Chronicler Nick Barbaro (plus Aztex players Eddie Johnson, Kieron Bernard & Miguel Gallardo):


Speaking of our friend Nick, he has an excellent Aztex primer in this week's Chronicle, Aztex Make House Park Home. It's a full treatment of everything Aztex, from players to coach, from league intrigue to how to get to home games. It's a great writeup, and worth checking out whether you're a new fan or an old hand.

To summarize: Austin Aztex season opener, hosting the Montreal Impact at House Park, 6:00 PM on Sunday the 11th.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us at The Tavern before the game. Fans of all kinds, from first-timers to members of Chantico's Army, will be there. Join us for a beer or three and/or a snack before going to watch some quality pro soccer - we'd love to see you!

GOOOOARN* AZTEX!

* "GOOOOARN" is Stoke-speak, presumably originating as "go on", but yelled, and with quantities of alcohol and no little accent behind it. Or to quote Ron Burgundy, "I'm sorry, I was trying to impress you. I don't know what it means. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone knows what it means anymore. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago."

Labels: gameday, supporters, USL-1

// posted by Chris @ 6:24 AM