The Aztexan

Well, it wasn't a blowout. It wasn't a romp. It wasn't a massacre. Though for a few minutes at the start, it looked like it might be a couple of those, the Aztex hung in there and fought the good fight. Scoreless at the end of the first half, it was easy to imagine overtime after another 45 minutes like that.

Unfortunately, the second half wasn't quite like that. Houston came out stronger and dominated more thoroughly. Most importantly, of course, they were able to do what Austin has not been able to do reliably for some time now: put the ball in the back of the net.

Some are still wondering about the way Jeff Harwell was brought down in the Houston box early in the game. An Aztex penalty kick at that point would have certainly affected the game. In related news: if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass a-hoppin'.

So ends the Aztex's 2009 U.S. Open Cup run. But getting to this round wasn't without its benefits. The game last night was very well attended, just a couple hundred shy of the 5,000 mark. A meaningful meeting with a major league team, even if it was just for the poor under-appreciated Open Cup, also brought more press attention than most games get.

The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment of the Match: just seeing all the Houston fans in attendance. I don't know if we have a bunch of closet Dynamo supporters in town, or if that many folks really drove 3 hours for a midweek game. Either way, it's impressive and heartening to see that level of fan support. Even if they are all attired in that ridiculous neon orange that Houston is saddled with.

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

• box score — USOpenCup.com
  


• Ashe douses Aztex's chances in Open Cup — Austin American-Statesman
  

  The ever-active Harwell then sprinted the length of the field to turn the ensuing Houston corner kick into a scoring chance at the other end, but his appeal for a penalty went unheeded after he went down in the Houston box following contact with the last defender.
  
  The remaining minutes of the first half followed a similar pattern, as Houston camped in the Austin half but couldn't score while the Aztex sat back and used Harwell's speed to counterattack.

• Ashe’s performance leads Dynamo to 2-0 win over Aztex — AustinAztex.com
  

  Houston’s best chance of the first half came late, when Mullan, who had made himself comfortable along the right side all half, fired in a cross that Danny Cruz headed just wide of the post. The half ended scoreless before Ashe came out and put away the game with his impressive second-half performance.
  
  “They’ve got Ashe, they had Kei Kamara [off the bench]; that shows their strength in depth,” Heath said. “They’re probably one of the best run clubs in the MLS. I’m disappointed with the result, but pleased with the performance.”

The Dynamo advance to the Open Cup quarterfinals, where they'll face the Charleston Battery, in Charleston on Tuesday, July 7. That's the same Cup matchup they've had for the last 2 years, and Houston has gone down to the USL-1 side both times. Here's hoping for a third!

No rest for the Red & White - they're back on the road for a rematch of last weekend's matchup with Cleveland City Stars. That game is Friday, July 3, at 7:00 PM CT. Watch it live on Fox Soccer Channel, at home or in the company of other fans at Cuatros on 24th.

Labels: MLS, postgame, U.S. Open Cup

The Aztex take the field for the first of just three home games this month Wednesday evening, July 1, at 7:30. They host MLS' Houston Dynamo in the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The cup, the oldest team tournament in U.S. sports history, is just seeing the entrance of the top-level MLS teams in this round. The winner of this game will go to Charleston to play the Charleston Battery, who beat MLS' Chivas USA tonight, 3-1.

The Dynamo are a formidable opponent, coming into the game at the top of the MLS table, with a record of 8-3-4. They are returning to the Lone Star State from a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy, however. That defeat ended an 11-game unbeaten streak for Houston.

This won't be the first time the Red & White have hosted the Orange. Houston was here back in March for a preseason game, a contest that ended in a 2-2 draw.

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear gave his view of the Open Cup in a short interview with AustinAztex.com:

AA: How important is the Open Cup to you guys? With the longer season, where is it in your priorities?

DK: It’s important to us. Obviously the bigger priority for us is the MLS and the MLS Cup. But this is a game for us to win. It’s the easiest trophy to win. You play four games in a row over a period of a time and you get the trophy.

Both teams will be missing some of their key players:

Houston’s Brian Ching and Stuart Holden are on the U.S. national team’s roster for the Gold Cup and are on their way to Seattle for the opening match against Grenada on Saturday. Defender Andrew Hainault will be on national team duty for Canada while Wade Barrett and Craig Waibel are out with injuries.

Match Forecast

Temp:	upper 80s
Rain:	10%
Wind:	3mph
Sunset:	8:37

as of 9:00 PM, 6/30/09

Add in Ricardo Clark who has been out with the national team after its spectacular run in the Confederations Cup and the Dynamo have had to do some shuffling.

...The Aztex are without starting goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo (leg) and midfielder and second-leading scorer Yordany Alvarez (foot). Also missing for nine games has been forward Gifton Noel-Williams, who has been out with a bad hamstring. Noel-Williams is slowly working his way back to form and said he should be fit enough for Wednesday.

Speaking of Noel-Williams, the game may see a reunion of sorts between him and former teammate Ade Akinbiyi:

Noel-Williams knows firsthand about Akinbiyi. The two became close friends during their time playing together for Stoke City and Burnley back in England where the duo’s physical presence proved to be effective both on and off the field.

The game should be a great one. Advancement to face Charleston in the 4th round is on the line, temperatures will stay down in the comfortable, 2-digit range all day, and lots of Dynamo fans are expected to make the trip. It may just be, as the Aztex email promotion claims, "THE BIGGEST COMPETITIVE SOCCER GAME IN AUSTIN HISTORY!"

Kickoff will be at 7:30, so that means the pre-match supporters' gathering at Nomad Bar (map) will start to come together about 5:00. Tickets for the match are $20 for adults, $15 for kids 12 and under.

After this game, the Aztex turn around and head back to Ohio on Friday for a rematch of last weekend's game against the Cleveland City Stars. That match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel.

Labels: gameday, MLS, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

It wasn't always pretty and it wasn't without its cost, but the Aztex got the win last night over the El Paso Patriots. They've advanced to the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and will face the Houston Dynamo, here in Austin at Nelson Field, on July 1.

(Regarding that date: the date original announced for the 3rd round was June 30. But in an apparent concession to Houston, who plays the Galaxy in Los Angeles on the 28th, this match was moved to July 1.)

Here's a rundown of post-match coverage:

• match report — USOpenCup.com


• Aztex beat El Paso 2-0 — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Austin lost starting goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo-Aparicio in Friday's loss to Puerto Rico. He suffered a broken leg that will keep him out for at least six weeks. Also out of the lineup Tuesday were forwards Jarius Holmes (knee) and Gifton Noel-Williams (hamstring), midfielders Yordany Alvarez (ankle) and A.J. Godbolt (hamstring) and defenseman Kieron Bernard (hamstring). Alvarez might have a fracture, Heath said, suffered during warm-ups.

  "Defenseman"?


• Aztex overcome injuries, altercation; defeat El Paso 2-0 — AustinAztex.com
  

  The game played out plainly after that until an incident in the El Paso box resulted in multiple cards. Sullivan Silva attempted a bicycle kick in the 73rd minute with players around him that led to a shoving match with El Paso defenders.
  
  Eventually, players from both sides got involved in the scrap. When the dust settled, Silva, El Paso’s Muniz and defender Mario Garcia all earned red cards. Austin’s Wes Allen earned a yellow.
  
  The tension continued when a late tackle from El Paso’s Jonathan Camarena on Jeff Harwell earned him a red card in the 77th minute.

After this game, the boys have a luxurious 2 days off before they face the Carolina Railhawks here at home, Friday night at 7:30.

Labels: U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

The busy June is going strong for the Aztex. Tonight (Tuesday, June 16), they host the El Paso Patriots of the PDL in the 2nd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

As it happens, Austin's own PDL squad, the Aztex U23s, were just in El Paso last weekend, where they beat the Patriots 2-0 (box score). That puts the Aztex U23s at the top of their division table, but El Paso is right behind them.

The Aztex USL side need a win not only to advance in the Cup competition, but also to regain some much-needed confidence after a rough weekend:

“We have got a problem with injuries, but they’ve come to people who I think are important,” Heath said. “They’re the backbone of our team. They bring a lot of physical presence and mental strength.”

Even with the problems of the weekend, Heath said he still saw a positive. Reserve keeper Sam Reynolds stepped into the net to replace Gallardo after his injury, and for the most part impressed Heath.

The 3rd round of the Open Cup is where the 8 MLS teams enter the competition, and the possible pairings have already been drawn. The winner of tonight's match will face the very tough, very hot Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo, at the top of the MLS West table, haven't lost a game since April 4, and are currently on a 5-game winning streak.

Even before the rash of injuries and roster issues that has plagued them, it was clear back when the Open Cup dates were first announced that June would be a rough ride for the Aztex. That has been the case, and it's not over yet: they'll play another Friday/Sunday weekend this week (against Carolina and Rochester, respectively), then head back out on the road for 3 games in 9 days.

Kickoff tonight is at 7:30, which puts the prematch supporters gathering at Nomad Bar starting around 5:00. Tickets are just $15 ($10 for kids). Come on out and join us - your Aztex need you!

Labels: gameday, U-23, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

It was a good game last night, probably closer than it should have been. The Mississippi Brilla had some good players who showed some skill, and for some stretches the Aztex didn't seem fully engaged and let the ball slip away.

But they pulled it out with a solid win 2-0, and will advance to the second round. That game will be next Tuesday, June 16, here at home. The opponent will be the El Paso Patriots, PDL rivals of the U23s in the Mid South Division. (In fact, the U23s will play them in El Paso this Saturday.) The Patriots beat the Arizona Sahuaros of the USASA last night, 2-1, to advance out of the first round.

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

• Austin Aztex (USL-1) 2:0 Mississippi Brilla (PDL) — USOpenCup.com
  Includes lineups & stats


• Harwell hits opening goal as Aztex shut out Brilla — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Jeff Harwell scored a first-half goal and assisted on Eddie Johnson's second-half score as the Austin Aztex beat the Mississippi Brilla 2-0 on Tuesday night to win their first U.S. Open Cup game and advance to next week's second round.
  
  With the Aztex fielding a mostly back-up team as they navigate a congested part of their schedule, Harwell — a diminutive and dynamic winger who started the season on Austin's U-23 development side — has benefited more than most from the team's injury-plagued season. He is cementing his place on the professional team with strikes like Tuesday night's game-winner.

• Harwell leads Aztex to 2-0 victory in U.S. Open Cup first round — AustinAztex.com
  

  While Harwell impressed, Heath seemed even more pleased the Aztex were able to sit a bulk of its regular players. Backup goalkeeper Sam Reynolds took the net for Austin for his first action of the season. Reserves Wes Allen, Alex Tapp and Kyle Helton all started the game.
  
  “We needed the rest,” Heath said. “We’ve managed to get [a] game to those who needed it.”

Next up, the Aztex hit the road. They're headed to Puerto Rico to play the Islanders on Friday night (that game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel), then to Florida to play Miami FC. We'll see them again in Austin next Tuesday for U.S. Open Cup round 2, against the El Paso Patriots. Welcome to schedule crunch time!

Labels: postgame, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

Tonight sees the start of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history, dating from 1914. First round games are being played all over the country today (see the full bracket). Though the Aztex U23s failed to qualify from the PDL, the USL-1 Aztex, like all U.S. USL-1 teams, automatically qualify.

Tonight we host the Mississippi Brilla, of the PDL. Last year they were rivals of the Aztex U23s in the Midsouth Division, but with the addition this year of Texas expansion teams West Texas United and Rio Grande Valley, the Brilla and the New Orleans Jesters (formerly the Shell Shockers) were moved to the Southeast Division.

Currently, the Brilla are virtually tied for first place in their division, having the exact same 4-1-2 record as the Bradenton Academics, but slightly worse off on goal differential (+10 vs +14). Mississippi is coming off a 1-1 draw at home against the Panama City Pirates (match report / box score).

Despite the glut of league games this month — the 2 against Charleston Battery last weekend, the 2 on the road this coming weekend, etc. — it seems that Aztex head coach Adrian Heath intends to take the tournament seriously:

“The Cup competitions in England and Europe mean so much to the clubs and to the supporters,” Heath said. “[Here,] maybe they approach the game differently. ... I just think one or two might take it a bit more seriously.”

As with any open cup competition, the possibility of an upset is a major theme. Mississippi will be coming into town, having fought hard to secure their spot, hoping to knock out the higher-level competitor. That's how the Aztex U23s were last June, when they earned their shot at the cup, losing on penalties to the now-defunct Atlanta Silverbacks. (We saw a big, skilled striker from Atlanta that night at Dragon Stadium: New York Red Bull Mac Kandji.)

Tickets for tonight's game are just $15, $10 for kids 12 & under. Kickoff is at 7:30, so the pre-match fan gathering at the Nomad will start at 5:00. If you're in Austin, you should come out and bolster the midweek home crowd; it's bound to be a great game. If you can't make it to the game, it will be shown live (and free, as always) on USLLive.com. You can also follow along on USOpenCup.com's scoreboard page (or, apparently, on my Twitter feed; I just noticed they have that listed there too!).

Labels: gameday, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Pairings announced — USOpenCup.com
  

  All 32 lower division teams will enter the tournament in the first round and have been grouped geographically into eight groups of four teams. The first-round match ups were drawn randomly within the four-team groups, although match ups between teams in the same division were avoided when possible.
  
  The two winners from each group will face off in the second round on June 16, with the winners then advancing to the third round to face the eight qualified Major League Soccer teams. The quarterfinals will be played July 7, the semifinals will be played July 21 or 22, and the final will be played on Sept. 2.

  The Aztex's first game is against PDL side Mississippi Brilla on June 9, here in Austin. According to the full bracket, the winner of that game will go on to player the winner of the El Paso Patriots (PDL) vs. Arizona Sahuaros (USASA).


• GRASS: Grassroots Austin Stadium Supporters — AustinStadium.org
  

  GRASS is a new grassroots organization dedicated to the idea of bringing a multipurpose music and sport stadium to the City of Austin. The group was founded by a group of soccer and music fans who believe that Austin needs a centrally located place to enjoy outdoor concerts and sports.

  Hopefully this is the beginning of something great for Austin!


• Call For Photos — Aztexan.net
  
  I'd really like to have a photo to use with each match report blog post, like on this one. But my camera is kind of crummy, and it's one more thing I'd rather not worry about at the game.
  
  So this is an open call to anyone and everyone: send me game pictures. The details:
  
  • I usually write the postgame post the next day, so the sooner I get a picture after the final whistle, the better.
  • just email your picture(s) to the email address in the sidebar over there
  • I am not going to start or maintain any kind of photo gallery. I just want one — and only one — picture to accompany each match report. (You're welcome to send as many pictures as you like, I'm just saying I'll only ever use one per game.)
  • I'll attribute and/or link your picture however you want
  
  Thanks!


• Minor League Sports Games — DadLabs.com
  
  Some interesting promotion of the Aztex from this video blogging site, DadLabs.com. This guy, "Daddy Clay", is pointing out the fun to be had on the cheap at minor league sports. His main example: the Austin Aztex. Though he tweaks the experience a little bit — calling the Aztex mascot Sgt. Pepper "an anorexic apple", for example — and he includes a caveat for the ESPN crowd ("I get it, being a soccer fan is kind of a tough sell for a lot of American guys"), it's still ultimately a good plug for the games. And it's pretty funny, too. Here's the video.
  
  

Labels: media, stadium, U.S. Open Cup

The Aztex U23s make their 2009 home debut at 7:30 tonight, Friday May 22, against the El Paso Patriots. As last year, the PDL squad are playing their games at Round Rock High School's Dragon Stadium, near I-35 and RR 620 in Round Rock (map).

Officially this is the second home game, but it will be the first played in Austin. The first home game, a 4-2 win over the DFW Tornados last week, was played at Baylor University in Waco. That was the first of 3 home games that will be played in venues outside Austin this season, in an attempt to raise awareness of Austin's soccer club in nearby cities. The others will be in Bastrop on June 4, against Houston Leones, and San Marcos on July 3, against the Laredo Heat.

The U23s are currently 1-1-1, while the visiting Patriots are 2-1-0. In addition to being a regular season league match, tonight also counts for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying. The Patriots are currently the team to beat, sitting atop the standings with 6 points from 2 games (unfortunately their loss to Laredo last Saturday was not an Open Cup qualifier). The Aztex U23s are tied for second, with 4 points from 3 games. Their chances of qualification aren't great, but they're not eliminated yet.

In other U23 news, defender Chris Spendlove was named to the PDL's nationwide team of week, for his game-winning goal and solid defense in the win over DFW.

While the game tonight may be a smaller crowd than we've been seeing at USL-1 games at Nelson Field, these are some of the best college-aged players in Austin (and El Paso). Their experience is less, but their intensity and passion for the game isn't.

The other nice thing about U23 games is that tickets cost less: adults $8, kids $5, little kids (5 & under) free.

With the addition of the Open Cup qualification on the line, tonight promises to be a good one. It's also worth noting that with so many holes in the USL-1 team at the moment, Coach Heath will be looking for players to pull from Coach Suhnholz's squad.

See you there!

Labels: gameday, U-23, U.S. Open Cup

We had a nice, warm evening of soccer at Nelson Field last night, for yet another 1-1 Aztex draw. The Fox Soccer Channel cameras were there, and from the crowd to the performance on the field, I think Austin Aztex FC's national broadcasting debut went over pretty well. Unfortunately that opinion is from hearsay and not firsthand observation, since I don't get FSC (and can't get it from Time-Warner, without subscribing to another 1,700 channels I don't want, but that's a rant for another day).

The Islanders were tough, as expected. Couple that with a pretty shaky opening half from the Aztex — allowing Puerto Rico to get on the board first — and it looked like it might be a long night. But once again the Red & White came out looking like a different team in the 2nd half. I don't know what Coach Heath says to them in that locker room, but they certainly had the mojo after halftime. It was enough to draw them level, but not quite enough to pull out the win.

The You-Had-To-Be-There Moment of the Match: seeing a couple of skinny little white kids — 7 or 8 years old, tops — with their shirts off, waving them like crazy and jumping up and down right in the middle of a bunch of Hispanic guys in the supporters' section. Think you'd see that kind of enthusiasm (& integration) at a Round Rock Express game?

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

• Aztex tie Puerto Rico 1-1 — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Both sides missed a bevy of chances for a game-winner, settling for a 1-1 tie as Austin made its national television debut in front of a team-record 5,216 fans at Nelson Field.
  
  The game followed a familiar pattern, as the Aztex limped out of the gate with a disjointed display.
  
  After surviving several clear-cut chances, Austin fell behind in the 39th minute. Puerto Rico midfielder James Marcelin found time in the center circle and picked out the surging Cristian Arrieta in the Aztex box.
  
  The defender turned his marker inside-out before firing high into the roof of the net.

• Austin Aztex FC earn 1-1 tie against Puerto Rico Islanders — AustinAztex.com
  

  In the 67th minute, Johnson was once again involved in an offensive threat on the Puerto Rico end. This time, however, the forward dropped off a back pass across to former Cuban player Yordany Alvarez. Alvarez settled the ball, then delivered it high to Gaudette's left. The Puerto Rico keeper managed to get a portion of his hand on the ball, but it wasn’t enough as the ball found the back of the net and more importantly, the Aztex had tied up the game at one apiece.

The Aztex's next match will be next Sunday, May 17, against Montreal Impact, in Montreal. This will be the first road game of the season for Austin, and their first time to face the Impact. The match will be broadcast on USLLive.com; watch here or on ChanticosArmy.com for details on a where the supporters will gather to watch it.

In PDL news, the Aztex U23s kicked off their season this week. They lost their season opener in Laredo, losing 1-3 Thursday night to the Laredo Heat. Last night (Saturday, 5/9), they drew 1-1 with Houston Leones, in Houston. These first games of the PDL season count as Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying games. Only the top team in the Southern Conference advances (conference standings), and these first two results will make it hard for the U23s to pull that off.

There is far better news from Austin's partner club in England today, however: Stoke City FC have clinched their spot in the Premiership with today's 2-1 win over Hull City. Congratulations to the Potters, a big fat raspberry to all those who thought Stoke would go right back down, and a hearty early welcome to the team whenever they come to Austin. It's great to have a Premiership team as a partner, rather than a former Premiership team!

Labels: postgame, Stoke City, U-23, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1

Coming off a bye week, the Aztex have a big home game this Friday night against Puerto Rico. This will be Austin's premiere national TV appearance on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC). More on that later this week; for now, here are some quick hits.

• Last Thursday's Timbers Match on USLLive
  
  I've been watching a good number of other teams' matches on USLLive.com (it's free, in case you haven't heard ;-). As mentioned here and elsewhere, the video and audio production quality varies a lot from game to game. And I'm not going to pretend that my own team has it all figured out quite yet, either.
  
  But this game last week, Portland's home opener against the Carolina Railhawks, showed how good it could be. It was produced by FSN, a Fox Sports affiliate, and the professional quality was fantastic. I don't know what kind of money and effort it takes to achieve that level, but if the USL and the teams could get anywhere near it on a consistent basis, it would be a huge win for improving the image of the league. It was the April 30th game, if you want to check it out on USLLive.com (I'd link it directly, but their web UI is a fancy Flash control that makes that impossible).
  
  I also couldn't help but notice the Portland MLS 2011 banners all around the field. Apparently, despite what the Atlanta Silverbacks claimed when they folded last year, the specter of impending MLS doom doesn't instantly kill the USL-1 franchise. Portland's attendance at that game — a Thursday night — was over 8,500.


• Swine Flu non-cancellation
  
  Just a quick note, in case you're wondering: despite cancellations of some events in Texas and Mexico, Friday night's 7:00 PM match with the Puerto Rico Islanders is very much still on.


• 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Structure Finalized — ussoccer.com
  
  Want to see a bad case of schedule congestion? Check out what June looks like for the Aztex (and other USL-1 teams, presumably). This assumes, of course, that they'll advance through qualifying. Which they will.
  
  
  1. 5th (Fri.) vs. Charleston Battery @ home
  2. 7th (Sun.) vs. Charleston Battery @ home
  3. 9th (Tue.) Open Cup First Round
  4. 12th (Fri.) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders @ Puerto Rico
  5. 14th (Sun.) vs. Miami FC @ Miami
  6. 16th (Tue.) Open Cup Second Round
  7. 19th (Fri.) vs. Carolina Railhawks @ home
  8. 21st (Sun.) vs. Rochester Rhinos @ Rochester
  9. 27th (Sat.) vs. Cleveland City Stars @ Cleveland
  10. 30th (Tue.) Open Cup Third Round
  11. July 3rd (Fri.) vs. Cleveland City Stars @ Cleveland
  
  
• Electronic Arts FIFA petition for USL-1
  
  If you've ever played one of Electronic Arts' annual FIFA soccer video games, you'll know that the teams you play with in the game are real teams from leagues across the world, all the way down to the players on the roster. This petition seeks to have Electronic Arts include USL-1 teams in future editions.


• Aztex U23 schedule — AustinAztex.com
  
  The PDL season is getting underway, and starts for the Aztex U23s this Thursday against rivals Laredo Heat, in Laredo.
  
  The first home game, technically, is against the DFW Tornados on Wednesday, May 13. But it will be played at Baylor University in Waco, so the first home game that will actually be here in town will be against the El Paso Patriots on Friday, May 22. Note that the U23 home games will be played at Dragon Stadium in Round Rock, not at Nelson Field, like the USL-1 games.
  
  It's clear that the Aztex club will be focussing their promotion efforts on the USL-1 team, so you may not hear as much about this team. If you're confused about these 2 different Aztex teams and how they relate to each other, this post explains it in detail.


• Women's Pro Soccer
  
  The WPS season is also well underway, and if you haven't been following any of the action, you're missing out. This is shaping up as the place to be for all the best women players in the world. The attendance numbers I've seen have been in the solid 5,000+ neighborhood. Between the economy and this being a brand new league, that seems pretty good to me. Unfortunately my team, St. Louis Athletica, is not doing too well. Already tied for last place, they just lost their Brazilian star Daniela "indefinitely" to a knee injury.
  
  The next televised game is Sunday, May 10 on Fox Soccer Channel: Chicago Red Stars host New Jersey's Sky Blue FC; kickoff is 5:00 PM CT.

Labels: media, U-23, U.S. Open Cup, USL-1, WPS

You guys are very nice. That was a close one, but thanks for letting FCD squeak by. You know, their confidence can really use a win right now.

I really appreciate how cooperative you've been, throughout the Open Cup. I'll put in a good word for you with the Aztex USL-1 team next year, and see if they'll take it easy on you.

Labels: MLS, U.S. Open Cup

Just wanted to say, thanks and good job.

Now, please take it easy on FCD. They're going through a bit of a rough patch.

Thank you.

Labels: U-23, U.S. Open Cup

Please grind those chumps from Atlanta into the GROUND.

Thank you.

Labels: U-23, U.S. Open Cup

Just found out about this: STXSoccer.com is going to have live updates of tonight's game. If you can't make it to Dragon Stadium, here's the next best thing!

STXSoccer will provide 15 minute updates for the Aztex-Silverbacks US Open Cup match, as well as halftime and goal updates. First update will air at approximately 7:27 p.m. Please watch the front page of the site.

Labels: gameday, media, U-23, U.S. Open Cup