The Aztexan

photo: AustinAztex.com Photo Gallery

As promised, it was hotter than a stolen tamale at House Park on Sunday evening. But for another exciting game, and three more points for our Austin Aztex, we can stand a little heat.

Don’t let the low number of cards fool you: it was a pretty rough match. The ref must have only brought the two yellows he gave out, because if he’d had more in his pocket, he surely would have been dealing them left and right. (Either that, or the vision problems people were yelling at him about are real. . .) Most of them should have gone to those brutes from North Carolina, of course. I guess you can’t blame them for getting frustrated.

Oh, and a note to Rochester: look out behind you. You’re in our spot.

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

• box score — USSF

  Attendance: 4,188

• Austin Aztex beat Carolina RailHawks 3-2 — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Austin Aztex coach Adrian Heath believed his team would bounce back after falling out of the league’s top position with a poor outing last week in Puerto Rico.

  A long week of harder practices did the trick.

  “I wasn’t (worried) because I’ve raised enough of a stink this week that I knew I’d get a reaction,” Heath joked.

• Aztex Derail Carolina at House Park — AustinAztex.com
  

  Randi Patterson was welcomed to the Austin Aztex Sunday night with his first goal for the team that cemented a 3-2 victory over the Carolina RailHawks at House Park.

  The goal came on a pass lobbed into the center of the six-yard box from Max Griffin that was chested down by Patterson. After one touch on the ground, Patterson blasted it to the keeper’s left side, giving the Aztex a 3-1 lead.

• RailHawks fall short against Austin 3-2 — WRALSportsFan.com
  

  Despite going down by two goals with under 10 minutes to play, the RailHawks refused to quit. After a flurry in front of goal, Allan Russell picked up a loose ball and blasted it past Aztex goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo for his first goal as a RailHawk, to make it 3-2. The RailHawks nearly salvaged a tie in stoppage time when Gallardo misplayed the ball, but the RailHawks were unable to take advantage of the scramble.

• Photos (28): Aztex vs. Carolina, 8-22 — AustinAztex.com Photo Gallery

  There are some really good ones in there – don’t miss this one of Coach Heath, or this one of Miguel. Too bad they’re not bigger, though.

• Video: Aztex vs Carolina Railhawks final 3 2 Aztex (1:18) — AztexSoccer on YouTube

• Video: Aztex 3, Carolina 2 – Postgame Interviews (0:55) — AztexSoccer on YouTube

We don’t have to wait long to find out if this is the beginning of another winning streak. The Aztex head to the Pacific Northwest this week, facing the Portland Timbers on Thursday, and the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday. The forecast for PGE Park on Thursday calls for a high of 67. 67! I just hope that our boys bundle up, and that nobody gets attacked by a polar bear or anything.

The next home game will be on Saturday, Sep. 4, when the NSC Minnesota Stars make their sole trip to the Lone Star State this season.