It was bound to happen sooner or later: the Aztex gave up all 3 points at last night’s game. The 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps is just Austin’s second of the season. Both defeats have been suffered at home.

Despite failing to gain any points, the Aztex remain 5 points clear at the top of of the league standings.

The crowd was on the small side (2,841), and it seemed that many in the Chantico’s Army supporters’ section were running on fumes after the big U.S.-England match earlier in the day. It didn’t help that the Brazilian samba group, usually the source of nice, loud rhythm throughout the match, were unable to attend.

On the field, Austin pressed hard from the opening whistle, and had enough dangerous looks to make it feel as though a victory were inevitable. They went into halftime leading 1-0 after Lawrence Olum finally stole a goal in stoppage time.

But it was a tale of two halves, and the second half saw Vancouver pressing harder and faster, and the Aztex on their back heel. Perhaps the absence of coach Adrian Heath, serving the second of the two-game ban he earned from the Puerto Rico match, was being keenly felt.

Here’s a rundown of other post-match coverage:

  • box score — USSF

  • Aztex fall to Vancouver — Austin American-Statesman

    After going up a goal in the first half, Austin fell asleep on a Vancouver corner kick in the 68th minute, leaving Marcus Haber enough space in the box to head home the equalizing goal. In the game’s closing moments, Austin gave up the tie when Haber and Nizar Khalfan teamed up on a counter attack that the Aztex struggled to close down on. Khalfan, near the top of the box, had enough space around him to send in the game-winner.

    “The first goal he was just unmarked on the header,” Aztex defender Kevin Sakuda said. “The second one was just the transition game. We lost our shape.”

  • Whitecaps Halt Aztex Unbeaten Streak — AustinAztex.com

    However, the Aztex would be the ones to strike first. In stoppage time, Max Griffin was able to wrestle the ball away at the top of Whitecaps goal box. As he begun heading toward the goal, he was tripped up and lost possession of the ball. Teammate Lawrence Olum took over from there.

  • Whitecaps Come Back To Defeat Aztex — Nuke Soccer

    In many ways, the turning point of the contest came on 67 minutes, as Khalfan came on for Philippe Davies in what was the winger’s first appearance for the club since his 90-minute performance for his native Tanzania in last Monday’s international friendly versus Brazil.

    On 68 minutes, the Whitecaps pulled themselves level with a fine headed goal by Haber. The Vancouver native – who just had his loan extended to cover next week’s away match versus Puerto Rico Islanders – connected with Nash’s corner at the near post to make it 1-1 for his first goal in USSF D-2 and the second of his loan spell. Nash’s assist on the equalizer, meanwhile, took him to 99 points on the Whitecaps career leader list.

  • Video: Austin Aztex vs Vancouver Whitecaps Highlights (0:53) — AztexSoccer on YouTube

Now, take a breath and rest up; we have two more Aztex home games this next week. On Tuesday at 7:30 the Red & White will start their 2010 U.S. Open Cup campaign against the PDL’s DFW Tornados, and next Saturday we’ll see Miami FC at House Park. And, oh yeah, 18 World Cup matches to follow in that same period!