The Aztexan

This is what we saw last night at House Park during the Aztex-Haiti match. A little more trim is visible, and they're finally replacing the plywood in the window- and door-spaces. The next home game won't be until May 16, maybe it will finally be done by then!

(Click to see the whole Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

Here's the thing about the Aztex home game against the Rochester Rhinos on Sunday night. Even though my team lost, I had such a good time that, somehow, oddly, I really wasn't that crushed by the defeat. The time at The Tavern before the match was great, marching to the match was good, the weather was perfect, the game was close and the teams well-matched. With the exception of the final score, I could get used to doing that all summer long.

The crowd at House Park was reported as 2,819. Though certainly lower than we'd like to see, I remain hopeful that continued marketing, directly from the team and by word-of-mouth, will get us closer to twice that by the end of the season.

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

• box score — Scorecrow.net


• Aztex suffer first loss — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Gallardo charged out of goal to meet him and the two collided , sending Hamilton head over heels and earning the Rhinos a penalty kick.
  
  Hoxie easily sent in the penalty, putting Rochester up a goal.
  
  "It was just poor judgment," Aztex coach Adrian Heath said of the turnover before the penalty. "Invariably, if you make poor decisions at the professional level, it's going to cost you."



• Rhinos Derail Aztex, 2-1 — AustinAztex.com
  

  Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow shined in the second half, facing nine Aztex shots, making three saves in the process. Austin came close to equalizing multiple times in the second 45, but were snuffed out by Vallow on each attempt.
  
  The game got exciting in stoppage time when Rochester’s Tyler Bellamy was given his second yellow card of the night, allowing a one-man advantage for the last two minutes of the match. Max Griffin came the closest to sending one home on a diving attempt at the near post on a cross, but could not sneak it past the keeper.



• Rhinos beat Austin, 2-1, to earn first victory of season and Bob Lilley Era — Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
  

  We also agreed that the officiating was spotty. [Rochester head coach] Lilley thought Gallardo should have been shown a red card when he wiped out Hamilton after the forward anticipated a back pass and stole the ball, earning Hoxie’s PK. When I asked if he thought Bellamy deserved red, he said he thought the first yellow the kid from Bonaventure was hit with wasn’t deserved. Before commenting on the red, he declined to discuss the officials more. In my opinion, I didn’t think that foul by Bellamy, out wide like that and not even in the penalty area, was worthy of red.



• Austin Aztex 1, Rochester Rhinos 2 :: Match Report — Chantico's Army
  

  They continued to attack an Aztex backline that was already down 2 of the 4 normal starters, with Kieron Bernard out as a result of a hamstring injury suffered in the previous week's AC St. Louis match, and Kevin Sakuda being out due to an ankle knock suffered in training. Gaffer Adrian Heath put in their places newly-acquired Yohance Marshall and moved Midfielder Lance Watson onto the backline. When speaking to folks later in the evening, it was the move of Watson out of the Midfield that hurt us the most.

The next Austin home game will be tonight, Wednesday, April 28: a fundraiser match between our Aztex and the Haitian National Team. Admission is free, though a donation to Haitian earthquake victims is requested. You can read more about why the Haitians are in central Texas in this post. Please do whatever you can to spread the word about this special game. As for regular matches, we'll start gathering about 2 hours before the game (that's 5:30 PM) at The Tavern.

After this international friendly, the Red & White are on the road for the next two weeks: at Minnesota next weekend, and Tampa Bay the following. We won't have them back at House Park until Sunday, May 16, when we host Division Two expansion team Crystal Palace Baltimore.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

I wrote about this last week, but this is your reminder. The free (donation requested) match between the Austin Aztex and the Haitian National Team is this Wednesday, Apr. 28. The game will be held, as all Aztex home games, at House Park; kickoff is 7:30 PM.

The Haitians played FC Dallas last week, drawing 400 spectators and raising $3,000. With your help, and the help of everyone you tell and bring with you, we should be able to top that.

This game will be a great time, featuring great football, for a great cause. We get national teams coming through Austin to play our local boys approximately every NEVER. Don't miss it!

Labels: community, exhibition, gameday, internacional

Time for home game number 2! The Aztex will host the Rochester Rhinos tonight, Sun. Apr. 25, at 6:00 at House Park. The Aztex will be looking for their third win in three games, while the Rhinos will be looking for their first.

Rochester comes to Texas after a 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers last Saturday (match report / box score). Despite that loss, and a 1-1 draw at Miami FC the week before, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle's Jeff DiVeronica reports that they are "playing with confidence":

The young Rhinos lost on an 85th-minute penalty kick, but they feel they outplayed a team expected to challenge for the USSF D2 Pro League title. If they turn in the same effort and add better finishing to complement the fluid and efficient ball movement they've shown, they hope wins tonight at Austin and Wednesday in Minnesota will give them momentum for Saturday's home opener.

"At this stage you focus more on your own development," said coach Bob Lilley, who is adamant about his players dictating tempo instead of reacting to their opponent.

Match Forecast

Temp:	upper 70s
Rain:	0%
Wind:	9mph
Sunset:	8:05

as of 8:00 AM, 4/25/09

"If we had tried to figure out all the ways to stop Portland last week, we'd have been under a barrage. We forced them to adjust to us and it almost cost them a game on their field. That's our mentality. We're not going to wait for teams to hit us, we're going to win."

Meanwhile, our Aztex are eager to continue their strong start to the season, but Coach Heath isn't taking this game for granted:

We have changed the squad quite considerably from last season and after two games I am more convinced than ever we have made some shrewd signings that over the next few seasons will be a great asset to this football club. I’m sure those of you who attended the first game in our new home “House Park”, were as excited as the players, I honestly believe this move will help the club move forward both on and off the field. We entertain Rochester this Sunday, and having watched their first two games, I know if we fall below the standards we have set ourselves we will be in for a very difficult afternoon. Their performances have deserved more than one point, from two very difficult away games.

If you couldn't make it to the home opener two weeks ago, now's your chance to see what the 2010 Aztex experience is like. It has the same high-level pro soccer on the field as last year, but in a cooler, more intimate and better-located stadium.

Join us starting at about 4:00 PM at The Tavern. Hoist a pint or three of your favorite, march with us the block or so to House Park in time for the 6:00 kickoff, and cheer on our boys in red & white. (I, for one, can't wait to try the new Amy's Ice Cream flavor, "Red Hot Aztex", currently available only at Aztex home games.) After the match, Cuatro's on 24th is the place to go to discuss the game with not only fellow fans, but Aztex staff, coaches and players. See you there!

Update: Check out this nice pre-game piece in today's Austin American-Statesman: Leonard Griffin grateful for chance with Aztex.

Labels: gameday, USL-1

I was hoping we'd be done, or a lot closer to it, for the home game against Rochester this Sunday. Unless they get really busy in the next few days, I guess we'll just have to keep waiting.

(Click to see the whole Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

The Haiti men's national soccer team, taking refuge from a homeland still devastated from the January earthquake, is spending a few weeks in Texas. Based in San Antonio, they're looking to get some practice under their belt ahead of CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers coming up soon.

They played Trinity University in San Antonio last night, drawing a crowd of more than 2,000 despite the short notice of the match. The Crocketteers have the story (and pictures, too):

This game had a different feel to it than the other fundraising events for Haiti, this wasn’t about mourning. This was a celebration of the Haitian’s recovery and the power of soccer for good. The Haitian’s arrival on the pitch was welcomed by a round of applause and donations were given before the kick off.

The Haitians won the match 2-0, although that wasn’t the most important thing last night. The support the San Antonio Soccer public gave this organization in deep need was immense. We don’t know the figures but large buckets were being filled with money for donations, people were wearing the “I love Haiti” t-shirts that were on sale at the grounds, not to mention the number of equipment donations.

The Haitians have two more matches lined up. First, they'll play FC Dallas this Friday, Apr. 23, at 7:00PM.

And last but certainly not least, they'll play our own Aztex, here in Austin at House Park, next Wednesday, Apr. 28 at 7:30PM. The announcement (also available in Spanish) includes some of Coach Heath's personal connection to Haiti:

“From a personal point of view, having visited Haiti just before the tragic earthquake, I am delighted to help in any way we can,” Aztex Head Coach Adrian Heath said. “The visit had a profound effect on me. I can’t even imagine how difficult life must be for them right now.”

To promote the friendly with the Aztex, the Haitian national team will also be at Austin’s next match on April 25 against the Rochester Rhinos where they will be honored at halftime.

The friendly on April 28 is free to all fans, though the Aztex are asking each fan who attends to make a donation to the Haiti Earthquake fund. Collections will be available at House Park on the night of the game. All proceeds from the match will go directly to the relief effort.

Mark your calendar & tell your friends: a bonus Aztex game, against a national team no less, and a chance to help people out; what's not to like?

Update: Good story from the Associated Press about the team and their trials: Quake-affected Haiti team trains in Texas.

But players said facing Argentina will be as important to Haiti as a World Cup match.

“In Haiti, people say ask when we’re going to play Argentina. People think you’re going to do something good for the country,” said defender Peter Germain. “If we win against Argentina, the people are finally going to be happy. We can do something positive for this country.”

Labels: community, exhibition

The Aztex survived their first road test on Saturday in St. Louis, beating AC St. Louis 2-1. Though of course it's still very early in the season — 2 games down, 28 to go — Austin fans certainly couldn't ask for a better start.

The Aztex lineup wasn't much changed from the previous weekend's contest against Montreal, except for an early substitution of defender Keiron Bernard in the first half, due to injury. It looked like a hamstring issue, which Bernard has had to deal with before; there's been no word since the game as to how serious it is this time.

Aside from the loss, and despite my pre-game ribbing, congratulations to St. Louis on a solid franchise-opening game. Attendance was just under 5,700, and even via online video it was clear that there was a strong contingent of hardcore fans, complete with smoke bombs.

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

• box score — Scorecrow.net


• Aztex Take Down AC St. Louis, Remain Unbeaten — AustinAztex.com
  

  The Aztex opened up the game on the offensive, coming up with two corner kicks right off the kickoff. They were unable to capitalize on them, but they put the St. Louis defense on alert for what was later to come.
  
  Forward Eddie Johnson opened the scoring early in the first half to put his team up 1-0. However, the lead would be short lived as AC St. Louis was quick to equalize on a long-range strike that left the St. Louis half of the pitch smothered in smoke from the fireworks erupting in the stands.



• AC St. Louis suffers disappointing loss in inaugural home match — St. Louis Globe-Democrat
  

  Claude Anelka stood alone at midfield and tried to explain what had just happened to his AC St. Louis team after their home-opening 2-1 loss to the Austin Aztex at the Soccer Park Saturday night.
  
  “After halftime, it went down very fast,” Anelka said. “I don’ know what to say. I’m very down. It is something I have to talk about with the players.”
  
  Talk, they did. For at least 30 minutes, the team stayed behind closed doors as they tried to figure out how the wheels came off the wagon after battling Austin to a 1-1 draw in the first half of their USSF Division 2 Professional League match.



• AC lose to Aztex 2-1, Ralston and Anelka post-game reactions. — AC St. Louis Fanatic
  

  There seemed to be two problems that AC was having last night. First, the Aztex learned to bypass the midfield play and go straight for the strikers. In their first half, when the play was quite even, there was a lot of midfield play. But in the second half, Austin seemed to change their tactics and attack with the long ball down the right hand side, totally bypassing the midfield. This would explain for the lack of play in both midfields as the ball was more of the AC and Austin zones than the middle third of the field.

  
  Note: post also includes audio interviews with AC St. Louis' Steve Ralston and Claude Anelka.


• Photos: Austin Aztex at AC St Louis 17 April 2010 — Scott Kane Photography
  
  Some really nice pictures which I am completely unable to share with you here because the photographer has them locked up tight.


• Video: Austin Aztex get game-winner at AC St Louis — YouTube
  
  The best 32 seconds of choppy, amateur video I've seen all week.
  

Next up: the Aztex return to Austin for another Sunday evening game, hosting the Rochester Rhinos at 6:00 at House Park. Can we make it three?

Labels: postgame, USL-1

After a strong home opener last weekend, the Aztex are headed to St. Louis, MO for their first road game of the season. They'll be taking on the brand new AC St. Louis in that team's home opener at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park (I bet they serve beer).

St. Louis will be hoping for a less embarrassing showing than last Saturday's 0-2 loss to the Carolina Railhawks. Not embarrassing because they lost — lots of teams lose; the Aztex may even do it once or twice this season — but because they started the game with only 10 men on the field. North Carolina's IndyWeek has the story:

As it was explained afterward, St. Louis midfielder Manuel Kante left his player ID card at the team’s hotel. When Kante could not produce the card for the referee, he was not allowed to start the match. As Kante (or a team gofer) scurried back to the hotel to retrieve the card, St. Louis manager Claude Anelka was left with a choice: Substitute immediately for the experienced Kante, which would have kept St. Louis at full strength but disallowed Kante—who had already been listed as part of the official starting lineup—from entering the match once he produced his ID card, or gamble and play a man down until Kante returned.

He gambled — and lost. The Railhawks didn't waste the opportunity, scoring the game's only two goals during that period when St. Louis was short-handed (short-footed?).

This was not an auspicious start for head coach Anelka. Though he has the name recognition you'd expect from the big brother of a starting striker for Chelsea and the French national team (Nicolas Anelka), he doesn't exactly have a strong management pedigree. Quite the opposite, in fact: he was actually listed as one of The Observer's 10 worst football managers in 2008:

In 2004, tired of engineering transfers for his restless brother Nicolas and fed up with 'the crazy things' he saw managers do, agent and DJ Claude Anelka decided he wanted to be a boss himself. With a 'mystery' backer, he offered £300,000 to any lower-league club who would let him be manager, and got a bite at Raith Rovers, in Scottish Division One. Citing Cruyff, Wenger and the boss of Chinawhite nightclub as influences, his philosophy and signings - some from the Paris seven-a-side leagues - brought Rovers just one point from 24 before he stepped aside.

So, will the first pro men's team to play in that "hotbed" of U.S. soccer since 1977 be able to keep from embarrassing themselves again on Saturday? Not unless their on-field performance is more competent than their marketing. ("X", people; it's really not that hard.)
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:10 CT Saturday night. You can watch free online video of the game on either AustinAztex.com or AC-StLouis.com. You're also invited to join the Chantico's Army supporters group watch party at Cuatro's on 24th.

Get 'em, Aztex!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

The season's started, the team has played their opener at House Park but the new locker rooms still aren't quite ready. But this week, at least, there's visible progress: paint!


(Click to see the whole Flickr set.)

Labels: stadium

The sudden appearance of tax season has kept me from posting this in a more timely manner, but better late than never, I hope.

Before I get to others' coverage, I will say that it was great. Big surprise, I know. But the expected, even hyped, improvements brought by having the game at House Park were clearly apparent. The pre-match crowd at The Tavern, several times bigger than anything we ever had at The Nomad last year, was truly abuzz. And though the crowd of 2,642 didn't break any attendance records, I'm optimistic that a higher percentage of this crowd will be back week after week.

Plus, hello, we won!

• Scorecrow box score — Scorecrow.net


• Aztex shut down Impact — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Despite Kevin Sakuda only playing for half of last season and two offseason additions — Leonard Griffin and Jay Needham — having to learn quickly, the Austin back line contained the Montreal offense for most of the night. The Impact's attack found its way in third but couldn't find many quality chances.
  
  Sturdy defense is a welcome addition for an Aztex team that gave up plenty of goals in the final moments last season.
  
  "I was more pleased with the clean sheet than I was with the win," Aztex head coach Adrian Heath said. "We worked very hard on learning our lessons from last year."



• Aztex Shutout Defending Champs — AustinAztex.com
  

  In the second half, the Aztex dominated possession and nearly scored on two chances by Eddie Johnson before Jamie Watson’s goal sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Defender Leonard Griffin set up Watson’s strike on a pass to the left side of the box, which allowed Watson to spin around and shoot one past the helpless keeper.

  Also: Photos on the Aztex Facebook page


• Impact lose USSF Second Division season opener 2-0 to Aztex — Canadian Press
  

  "This match brings us back to reality," Impact coach Marc Dos Santos said. "We won the championship last year and we have to start winning again this year.
  
  "When you are eager to win, you have to fight stronger than the opponent. Tonight, Austin fought harder than us so they deserve the win."



• Austin Aztex 2, Montreal Impact 0 :: Match Report — Chantico's Army
  

  Seemingly, as the Aztex increased in confidence, the Impact continued to try and find their way. Passes never reached their intended targets, players were frustrated again and again by the attacking force of not only Jamie Watson and Eddie Johnson, but also Lance Watson (who seemed to be everywhere) and Sullivan Silva. This started to show with such plays as an Impact takedown of Sullivan Silva in the 28' inside the Montreal penalty box, with no call from the official.

  Also: this week's Futbol En Vivo radio show/podcast has guests Jay Needham (Aztex player) and Matthew Gray (Chantico's Army Overlord)

The next Aztex game will be against AC St. Louis in St. Louis on Saturday, Apr. 17. Kickoff is at 7:10 CT; I believe live video should be available on ac-stlouis.com.

The next home match will be the following weekend, when the Aztex host the Rochester Rhinos at House Park on Sunday, Apr. 25 at 6:00 PM.

P.S. Though I don't usually subject you to such things, I've had this picture bookmarked since last season, just waiting to use it. Unfortunately, as the Aztex had never yet beaten a league opponent from Canada, I could never use it. Until now!

Labels: postgame, USL-1

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 0 Comments

Here we are, the season is about to begin! And look at the ... continued utter lack of visible progress.


(Click to see the Flickr set.)

It won't be a surprise to anyone who's been watching these weekly pictures, but this thing ain't gonna be done before the Aztex's season opener against the Montreal Impact on Sunday.

But that's okay — word from the front office is that temporary arrangements have been made (involving the nearby YMCA, I believe) to hold them over. And until it's finished, I'll continue showing the weekly progress here.

Labels: stadium