The Aztexan

Ticket sales were announced this week for the first game of Aztex's 2010 campaign: a home exhibition against MLS' Houston Dynamo on March 14.

“We are delighted to be playing Houston again this season,” said Aztex head coach Adrian Heath. “Last year’s game against the Dynamo was one of the highlights of the year. We know we will be playing one of the favorites for the MLS title so it will be a great game for soccer. Fans in Austin can come and watch top level players, some of whom will be playing for the United States in the upcoming World Cup.”

This date is a slight reschedule from an earlier date that was announced. Unfortunately the new House Park locker rooms won't be finished in time for this game, so it will be held at last year's stadium: Nelson Field. Tickets are $20 ($15 for children, under 5 free).

The Houston games last year (a preseason draw and a U.S. Open Cup loss) were great, and this one should be just as good. The number of orange-clad fans that make the drive over is really impressive. Sadly, due to a mixup in which I wasn't personally consulted about all game dates, I'll be out of town, and will miss it.

On a related note, the full 2010 USSF Division 2 schedule was finally released. The first league game will see Austin host the Montreal Impact on April 11. The first few home games are also scheduled at Nelson Field, while we await completion of the House Park locker rooms. Additional details will continue to come out, but here is my copy of the 2010 schedule/scorecard. I can't wait to start filling it out with "W"s!

Labels: exhibition, MLS, USL-1

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.

After months of demonstrating their stubbornness and inability to compromise, the USL and the breakaway NASL were finally made to come to terms by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF).

More than two long months since I threw in the towel on trying to keep up with the fracas (I followed it myself, but I didn't try to cover it here on the blog), and after plenty of unpleasant bumps along the road, we can now look forward with certainty to a 2010 season of second division pro soccer that will include our own Austin Aztex.

It is a temporary solution, currently slated to last only through the 2010 season. What form the league(s) take in 2011 and beyond will continue to be an issue for the foreseeable future.

But for now, here's what we know so far, according to the USSF press release.

The league will consist of two six-team conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference will include teams from Austin, Minnesota, Portland, Puerto Rico, Rochester and Tampa Bay. The NASL Conference will consist of teams from Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver.

In the near future, U.S. Soccer will announce details of the new league, including league rules, a match schedule, television rights and other important operational issues.

That gives us the following team/conference alignments:

USL Conference	NASL Conference

A few things are immediately apparent from this array of team logos. There are new teams: Crystal Palace Baltimore, AC St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. There are teams missing from last season: the Cleveland City Stars (now defunct) and the Charleston Battery (moved to USL-2). The Minnesota Thunder are also missing, but replaced by a brand-new, not-yet-named team, owned by Minnesota's National Sports Center (the icon is just a placeholder). And note that although Minnesota, Rochester and Tampa Bay were put in the USL Conference, organizationally they are still members of the NASL itself.

(And I can't help noticing some visual themes: NASL is the conference for birds and fleurs-de-lis; USL is for stripes: red-and-white, yellow-and-green or just plain black-and-white.)

There are lots of details to come — the schedule, for instance — but it already sounds from USSF President Sunil Gulati's comments like things are going to be a bit different in the second division now.

We can’t have this constant issue that bedevils a number of sports, that the offseason is spent primarily to make sure that you can come back the following season. That you’re looking for expansion teams not because it makes long-term sense to build the game and the league, but because you need an expansion fee.

Hopefully with nearly a year to figure it out, the two "leagues" will finally be able to do just that, and we'll all look back at this episode as growing pains that we went through on the way to a stronger and more vibrant 2nd tier of U.S. soccer. For fans, for now, we can relax a bit and celebrate and start planning our season.

As Aztex owner Phil Rawlins put it: "I’m very delighted that we have a resolution for a second division soccer league. With 12 quality teams in our league, we are looking forward to a very competitive and very exciting season."

So are we, Phil! See you at House Park!

Labels: NASL, The League, USL-1

The Cleveland City Stars are no more. I'd heard rumors that they might move back down to USL-2, but for some reason the league decided to pull the plug:

After months of negotiation and meetings, and in the midst of the conclusion of our sale, the USL decided to terminate our franchise just prior to Thanksgiving. This news came as a significant surprise to us given the nature of the process we were involved with up until that point. After much consideration and counsel the leadership of Cleveland City Stars decided to accept the leagues termination of our franchise and all implications thereof.

Well, there's another batch of second division soccer players on the market, including Gordon Kljestan (Sasha's big brother).

When I dug up my City Stars expansion team preview from the beginning of the year, I was struck by the fact that their "promotion" to USL-1 was announced on Dec. 5, 2008. If you take a look at your calendar, you'll see that's almost exactly one year ago.

By all accounts, Cleveland had been building a decent team in USL-2 up to that point. They won that league's title in 2008, in fact. But it was clear that the league rushed Cleveland's move to USL-1, to help make up for the Atlanta Silverbacks' sudden departure last November. Perhaps if head coach Martin Rennie had known they were going to move up, he wouldn't have taken the Carolina Railhawks job.

Whether it was the gap left by Rennie's departure, or just expansion-team growing pains, there's no argument that they struggled this season. As did the other expansion team, our Austin Aztex. 2009 was the first USL-1 season for the Aztex, though with the 2008 PDL season under its belt, the organization wasn't completely new. But even with some experience from their USL-2 and PDL campaigns, the two USL-1 sides wound up slugging it out for last place, as expansion teams are often expected to. Cleveland eventually claimed the bottom spot by just 2 points.

They were our fellow expansion team — our freshman classmates in the class of '09, if you will — so I'm sad to see them go.

Meanwhile, we're watching the USL/TOA/NASL/WTF drama unfold. Who knows what tomorrow, let alone next Spring, will bring. But as of now, here are some of the new teams which may be launched onto the front stage of 2nd-division U.S. soccer next year:

1. Atlanta Silverbacks — yes, there used to be a USL-1 team with that name, but what does their roster look like right now?


2. Crystal Palace Baltimore — moving up from USL-2, like Cleveland did


3. Tampa Bay Rowdies — brand new organization, despite the retro name


4. St. Louis — brand new team, not even a name yet; same owner as WPS's Athletica


5. FC New York — brand new organization (and rumored to already be in trouble)


6. Ottawa Fury — existing PDL team

And not only brand-new teams, but depending on how it all plays out, possibly a brand-new league, too.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and nothing is settled. (And you know no work gets done anywhere the last 2 weeks of the year.) My point is that this is all harder to pull off than it looks. Having meetings, making presentations, trademarking names and issuing press releases is the easy part.

Just ask the Cleveland City Stars.

Labels: deep thoughts, The League, USL-1

If you felt that the 2009 Aztex roster needed a serious shakeup for the team to be a contender next year, you were in good company. At least, management would seem to agree with you. In addition to several international scouting trips, the team just announced that it would not pick up the option on 14 current players.

The announcement made it clear that the team's poor inaugural season performance was the reason for the extensive player cuts.

"Our expectations as a club were to make the playoffs," said head coach Adrian Heath. "We didn’t achieve that and we know that things have to change for next season. Everyone we have let go today has given their all for us and in some cases the decision to release them was very difficult indeed. But we must move on."

Here's the list of guys who won't be returning in red & white next season:

David Sias Gareth Evans Gifton Noel-Williams Jarius Holmes Lyle Adams

Ryan Caugherty Ryan McMahen Sam Reynolds Wes Allen Zack Pope

A.J. Godbolt Josh Alcala Kyle Brown Michael Dello-Russo

A few of those were surprises to me. Gifton Noel-Williams, though out due to injury for much of the season, was originally hailed as the club's marquee player, and was thought to have been a mature, steadying influence on the young Austin squad. On the other hand, he never did quite make the kind of impact on the field that we all hoped for.

The release of Michael Dello-Russo, though the newest Aztex player on the list, was also a surprise. His arrival after being released by FC Dallas had some amount of fanfare, with a reported contract through 2011. So much for that.

It's also sad, as a fan of the club since the first, PDL-only season in 2008, to bid farewell to some players who date from that era: A.J. Godbolt, Zack Pope, Wes Allen & Josh Alcala.

Best of luck to all these fellows.

With these cuts, here's who's left from 2009: Miguel Gallardo, Kieron Bernard, Sullivan Silva, Eddie Johnson, Yordany Alvarez, Michael Callahan, Kevin Sakuda, Nick Noble and Salif Diao-Jimenez.

There's been no word on other players who made guest appearances last season, such as Jeff Harwell, Jean Alexandre and Jamie Watson.

So this squad was already on the small side, and now they've cut more than half the players. There had already been reports that the Aztex would be scouting abroad this off-season, but now we see how much recruiting work there is to do. Here's what coach Heath has to say about their focus:

"We need to add more bite and experience to the squad and more productive in front of goal. Phil and I have talked at length and we know we will need to add a few experienced pros into the mix for next year."

Austin will be scouting soccer talent in Colombia next week, and in Mexico after Thanksgiving. Rawlins, along with director Gary Mellor, has already taken a scouting trip to Senegal:

Accompanied by two national youth coaches from Senegal, in one of the few stadiums in Dakar designed for 15,000 people, they watched five scrimmages between kids ages 15-16 from Dakar, St. Louis and Kedegou.

"The standard of play was very impressive and there were some really talented kids there," Rawlins said after the first day.

And coach Heath made a scouting trip to Haiti:

There is certainly a talent base there. For a country of 10 million and with the athleticism on display, there certainly should be lots of players around the world but I think there are only about 35 at the moment, of which about 20 are in Europe. I can see that changing now because the players who have gone to the U.S. and to Europe have done really well and I’m sure there will be other coaches and scouts going to Haiti just like I did.

Stay tuned for more news from what is sure to be a busy, rebuilding off-season.

Labels: internacional, players, USL-1

Just a quick update on the big USL vs TOA grudge match that none of us bought a ticket for, but are being forced to watch anyway.

Some stuff was said, and then unsaid, bluffs are being made, and called, and everybody's kind of confused, and now they're circling the lawyers, and the league meeting is this week. . .

But there's really only one thing I care about, and that's that there will still be a pro soccer team in Austin next year, and every year after that. When it comes right down to it, I don't really care whether they play teams from Miami, Montreal or Buttscratch, Kentucky.

So you know what? I'm done. To hell with the whole stupid tempest, and the teapot it rode in on, too. If you don't want to miss any drama, more power to you. I recommend the fine coverage at Inside Minnesota Soccer and The Kartik Report. But I'm not going to waste any more of my hard-earned pixels repeating, summarizing, speculating, editorializing or otherwise reporting on it here.

Just tell me how it was, once it's all over. And give me the pre-season schedule when it comes out.

Labels: The League, USL-1

The Aztex have returned from their tour of England, victorious in all 3 of their exhibitions there. They also trained at top-flight facilities, attended a couple of Premier League matches, and even left a player behind for a trial in the big league.

• Game 1, Oct. 14 — Austin Aztex 1-0 Stoke City FC Academy
  
  This game was a bit of disappointment to some fans, as we had assumed that Stoke would field their first team, or at least some level of it, rather than the U18 academy squad. But given that they played the day after their transatlantic flight, a 1-0 win isn't bad, even against teenagers.
  
  Stoke's match report gives lots of love to Eddie Johnson:
  

  The inexperienced Potters side had to defend for long periods of the match as former Manchester United apprentice Eddie Johnson caused them particular problems throughout an encounter watched by City boss Tony Pulis.
  
  And it was indeed livewire Johnson who set up the 85th minute winner for the Aztecs [sic] by flicking the ball across goal for central defender [Gareth] Evans to plant a close range header past City goalkeeper Dave Parton.
  
  After a fairly uneventful first half hour to the friendly match, the arrival of Pulis seemed to spark a lively end to the first half in which Johnson went close to scoring on three occasions for the USL-1 team.
  
  He had a goal disallowed in the 35th minute for a foul in the area, forced Alexander Hedley into a last-ditch clearance at the far post and brought the best out of Parton with a curling shot just before the break.



• Game 2, Oct. 15 — Austin Aztex 2-1 Accrington Stanley
  
  
  • Heath leads Aztex on their longest trip yet — The Independent
    

    Around 5,000 miles, not to mention a chasm in history, separates Accrington Stanley and Austin Aztex. To the relief of the American club's coach, Adrian Heath, tonight's journey up to Lancashire from their Staffordshire base is almost like nipping out to the shopping mall in Texas.

  • FULL-TIME: Accrington Stanley 1 Austin Aztex 2 — Lancashire Telegraph
    

    Stanley fielded a number of trialists, including former loan striker Craig Lindfield, but went behind when Nicky Patterson found the net just after the half-hour mark.
    
    Substitute Viniel Sirin volleyed home a second for the touring Aztex, who are managed by former Burnley boss Adrian Heath, on the hour before Gary King pulled a goal back by finding the empty net after Lindfield had beaten the visiting keeper to a loose ball.

  • Another day, another win — The Aztex Blog
    

    We put on a great show, looking more confident and clearly enjoying the playing surface. The fans showed some great British humour when our first goal went in, chanting "USA, USA" and then 'touchdown'!!!

  • Match Photo Gallery — Accrington Stanley
  
  


• Game 3, Oct. 20 — Austin Aztex 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday FC
  
  Other than text messages from the team back to stateside Aztex fans, and subsequent posts to BigSoccer, I could find no record of this game anywhere on the Intarwebs.
  

  Goals by Michael Callahan (1st half) and Jarius Holmes (2nd half) were enough to put the match away. Last I heard was that the guys are in the locker room, trying to warm up by having some pies.

In addition to playing, our American team also attended 2 Premier League matches. They saw Stoke City beat West Ham 2-1 at Stoke's Britannia Stadium on Saturday, the 17th, and Wigan draw 1-1 with Manchester City at Wigan's DW Stadium the next day.

And of course, this wasn't all just for the fun of the experience. These guys weren't just playing; they were auditioning.

In general Heath said the scouts from throughout England and those based in England representing clubs abroad were impressed with the quality of the Aztex. “They were quite surprised at how competitive we were,” he said about the scouts’ reactions. “We enjoyed the trip, and it gave the players a very good idea of the professional game at that level.”

And according to that article, this trip might even pay off for some of our boys:

• Keiron Bernard — "In addition to having an extended visit with the English Premier League side Stoke City, an affiliate club of the Aztex, the defender has sparked interest from unidentified La Liga, Serie A and top Dutch sides as well as Spanish second division club Real Murcia."


• Miguel Gallardo — "also garnered some attention from Real Murcia"


• Eddie Johnson — "may be seeing a move back home with interest coming from a pair of League One clubs and a third from League Two", and is "staying back in England at home there since our season is done and weighing the different opportunities."


• another, unidentified player — "has garnered significant interest from a team in Mexico, something that could see movement over the next few weeks"

So concludes the 2009 post-season; done & dusted. Stay tuned in the off-season for news of how Austin is ramping up for a stronger 2010 showing (and in what league).

Labels: exhibition, gameday, internacional, Stoke City, USL-1

Just a quick reminder: the Aztex are in England for the next week or so.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the Aztex players and for many of them this is the trip of a lifetime," said Rawlins. "Many of them have never even been to England, let alone been exposed to the English game which they have seen and heard so much about. They will be able to experience football in a different environment, play against some top Premier League players and also have the opportunity to benefit from their training methods."

He added: "We hope in the long run that this will be the first of regular visits to England which will certainly boost the development of the squad and raise the profile of the Aztex. It will also be good from Stoke City's point of view to take a look at how things are developing with Aztex as we look to develop that relationship for the long term future."

This marks the first time a USL-1 team has toured England. They'll be training at sister club Stoke City FC's facilities, attending the Stoke vs. West Ham match at the weekend and have three friendlies lined up:

• Wednesday, 10/14 — Stoke City (at Nantwich Town's Weaver Stadium)


• Thursday, 10/15 — League Two's Accrington Stanley (at Crown Ground; benefits Save Our Stanley)


• Tuesday, 10/20 — The Championship's Sheffield Wednesday (at Hillsborough Stadium)

The 18-player roster for the trip includes mostly familiar faces, plus a few new ones: Miguel Gallardo, Nick Noble, Kevin Sakuda, Kieron Bernard, Salif Diao-Jimenez, Ednerson Raymond and Vaniel Sirin (Haitian internationals), Sullivan Silva, Mike Callahan, Ryan McMahen, Tynan Diaz (Victoria Highlanders), Jarius Holmes, Nicholas Patterson (Harrisburg City Islanders), Michael Dello-Russo, Jamie Watson, Jean Alexandre, Eddie Johnson and Gareth Evans.

Kickoff for Wednesday's Aztex - Stoke City match is 1:00 PM CT; you can listen to live match audio, courtesy of StokeCityFC.com. The best way to follow the rest of the team's trip will be via the official Aztex blog, which Kay Rawlins plans to keep updated.

Labels: exhibition, internacional, players, Stoke City, USL-1

The drama continues. Following on the first installment, here's a quick update. This post doesn't present any new or breaking news, it's just a summary of events to date. Most links are to Brian Quarstad's estimable Inside Minnesota Soccer blog, which in more pleasant times focuses on the Minnesota Thunder, but which has been all over this whole story from the start, like white on rice.

• Friday, 10/2 — USL "released" all players from 3 Team Owner Association (TOA) teams (Minnesota Thunder, Carolina Railhawks & Miami FC) from their contracts (link). Also, the league removed the logos and links of those teams from its website (link).


• Sunday, 10/4 — Carolina RailHawks co-owner and TOA spokesman Brian Wellman assures players and the press that the contract release doesn't count (link).


• Monday, 10/5 — In an illuminating interview with David Fellerath, of North Carolina's indyweek.com (which covers the RailHawks), Wellman calls the league's action "unfortunate and unnecessary". (link) (If you click through and read just one of these links, this is the one.)


• Tuesday, 10/6 — Sunil Gulati, president of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), summoned league officials and team owners to New York to try to settle the whole dispute (link). Also on Tuesday, Quarstad posted the full text of the contract-release email the league sent on Friday (link).


• Wednesday, 10/7 — Gulati jetted off to London for the "Leaders In Football" conference, with no resolution announced in the USL/TOA situation (link). Blogger Kartik Krishnaiyer considered possible advantages that a breakaway league might have with respect to TV rights (link). Lastly, Quarstad also got hold of a copy of "the standard United Soccer League (USL) Players Contract", which doesn't look like something the league has the authority to terminate (link).

So there you have it. More drama; continued limbo. I'll just add a few observations.

I don't buy the assurances that this whole dust-up is a minor distraction. Three whole teams' players — with two more sure to follow immediately after the league finals — were fired last week, and had their teams disassociated from the league. Subsequent analysis, and possibly a future lawsuit for good measure, find that that firing was probably out of order. But in any case, it's the thought that counts, as they say.

Don't forget that these are people's livelihoods at stake here. And not just the Minnesota, Carolina and Miami players, either. If this league falls apart, it will affect every player on every team, not to mention other team staff. Even if their clubs made money hand over fist this year (show of hands? anyone?), you can't pay much of a wage bill if you don't play any games.

Another aspect is the chilling effect this must have on planning, scouting and recruiting for next year. For one example, consider the fate of Jamie Watson. (For the record, I have not spoken with him, and have not the slightest bit of inside info on his career.)

Though he had a good season for the Aztex U23s in 2008, Watson didn't wind up on Austin's USL-1 roster in 2009. Instead, he played for the Wilmington Hammerheads in USL-2. He had a great season there, ultimately being named the 2009 USL-2 MVP. He came back to Austin to finish the season with the Aztex USL-1 squad, was still with them in Wednesday's friendly against Monterrey, and will presumably travel to England with the Aztex.

So I was asked this week, in the wake of the news that the Hammerheads lost their franchise, whether Watson would stay with Austin. I personally hope so, but I don't know, and replied as much. But it got me thinking.

If I were a promising young pro soccer player, would I want to hitch my wagon to a league going through this kind of turmoil? Watson has previously played for Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas. Even if the pay and chances for playing time were both lower in MLS, which league looks like a better bet right now?

Lastly, let me double down on my previous threat. If these shenanigans inhibit me in the slightest from being able to go down to House Park next summer to watch the Red & White play, I'll not only key the car of everyone involved, I'll also track down all their email addresses and sign them up for every free Viagra spam I can find.

And I can find a lot.

Labels: players, The League, USL-1

The Aztex bagged an impressive win last night at the RRISD Athletic Complex, beating Mexico's first-division contenders Monterrey 1-0.

Though just an exhibition match, the win is significant. For one, it ends 2009 play in Austin on a high note. The fact that it was earned from a good, in-form Mexican pro team, adds to the victory. It's also a nice result to have in their pocket as they head to England next week - much better than a 2-0 loss to a PDL club.

However, I find the attendance troubling. At 1,930, it would rank as the second worst regular season crowd this year. It also compares poorly to last year's Aztex-Mexican match-up. When Tigres came out to Dragon Stadium — to play an Aztex U23 squad — they drew 4,743 fans. Lastly, there's this year's Copa Aztex match between Cruz Azul and Tigres. The official attendance, though widely considered to be underreported, was still in excess of 7,000.

So I'm not sure what happened with this game. Ticket prices were cut from $30 to $25 not long after they went on sale, and additional sales outlets (La Moreliana markets) were added.

Was it just timing, that it took place on a weeknight after school is back in session? Was it poor marketing? Presumably it would have been marketed heavily to Mexican fans, but not being in that demographic, I have no idea what level of publicity it got there. I can say that a coworker who plays in AMSA (Austin Men's Soccer Association) told me that, unlike other Aztex events, he hadn't heard anything about this game.

Were fans put off by the Aztex's losing form this season? Are there just not that many Rayados fans in Austin? Or did they all decide to drive to Houston for Monterrey's exhibition against the Dynamo on Sunday? Is there some kind of Bermuda Triangle on Parmer Lane?

Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage (the match did get some coverage in the Mexican press, at least):

• Austin Aztex 1-0 Monterrey... Triunfo texano — mediotiempo.com
  

  La Pandilla utilizó un equipo alterno ante las ausencias de Walter Ayoví, Humberto Suazo y Osvaldo Martínez, pretendiendo poner en forma a jugadores con poca actividad en la liga.
  
  Pero eso no le impidió ser dueño del esférico de principio a fin del cotejo, aunque sin cohesión con su zona delantera para alcanzar al menos el empate 1-1.

• Aztex score early, hold off Club de Futbol Monterrey for 1-0 win — AustinAztex.com
  

  It didn’t take long. Just seven minutes into Wednesday night’s exhibition match against Club de Futbol Monterrey and Austin Aztex midfielder Jean Alexandre found the back of the net. Despite numerous opportunities in both halves, Monterrey never countered with a goal of its own and the Aztex held on for a hard-earned 1-0 victory.

• Exhibition Match :: Austin Aztex 1, Club de Futbol Monterrey 0 — Chantico's Army

  In front of a crowd that was 95% in support of the blue and white, the Aztex really impressed all (well, okay, maybe not all) in attendance. The Aztex' Jean Alexandre (on a loan from Real Salt Lake which has been extended through the trip to the UK) took advantage of an early Monterrey defensive failure to punch the ball into the goal in the 8'.

Next up for Austin is that big trip to England, where they'll have exhibition matches against Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday and Accrington Stanley.

Labels: exhibition, postgame, Rayados, USL-1

I mentioned this last week, but don't forget: there's one last chance to see the Aztex play in Austin this year. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, they will host Monterrey's Rayados, of Mexico's Primera División.

Monterrey is doing well in the current Apertura season. They are 2nd overall, with 23 points from 11 games (7-2-2). Most recently, they beat Puebla 2-1 at home. As MLSNet.com notes, that game saw two former FC Dallas players face off: Rayados' Duilio Davino and Puebla's Carlos Ruiz.

Kickoff for the Aztex game will be 7:30 PM, at the Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex (aka "The Palace") at 10211 Parmer Lane (map). Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for kids, and are available online as well as from the Aztex office, both Soccer USA locations and all 3 La Moreliana markets.

The Chantico's Army folks will meet at the main gate about 6:30, and will probably gather at Mister Tramps for the customary post-match pint.

Labels: exhibition, Rayados, USL-1

Though the 2009 regular season is finished for them, the Aztex are still going strong. A number of players and other individuals were honored at a recent post-season awards banquet, and the team is still looking forward to a few bigger-than-usual exhibition games.

First, the awards:

• Yordany Alvarez — Fans' Player of Year


• Miguel Gallardo — Chantico's Army's Player of Year (more info)


• Eddie Johnson — Players' Player of Year


• Michael Callahan — Clubman of Year


• Ignacio "Nacho" Araujo (Univision Radio) — President's Award

Additionally, Eddie Johnson was just named to the All-League Second Team. (Presumably the First Team won't be selected until after the league final.)

There's a distinct international flavor to the slate of post-season exhibitions the Aztex booked this year. They've already played the first, a 2-0 loss to the Victoria Highlanders in British Columbia the week before last. So much for the Canadians.

Next up, our neighbors across the other border. The Aztex will host CF Monterrey, their partners from Mexico's Primera División, next week. Aztex president Rawlins:

“We’re delighted to bring in Rayados for the exhibition match on October 7. It will be a great challenge for our players to compete against one of the top Mexican teams. It’s also an opportunity for our fans to come out and enjoy top-level professional soccer in Austin one more time this year at a state-of-the-art facility that will provide fans with a great soccer viewing experience.”

Rayados ("the striped ones"), as Monterrey is popularly known, are indeed one of the top Mexican teams this year. They are 2nd overall in the current Apertura, with 23 points from 10 games (7-2-1).

The match will be held at the Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex (aka The Palace) at 10211 Parmer Lane (map). Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for kids, and are available online as well as from the Aztex office, both Soccer USA locations and all 3 La Moreliana markets.

Then, having pretty much played out this continent, the Austin squad will head overseas, to England. There they'll play exhibitions against 2 Premier League teams: sister club Stoke City FC (naturally)and newly-promoted Burnley FC as well.

The first match, against Stoke, will be on Wed., Oct. 14 at Nantwich Town’s Weaver Stadium. I don't know why they're not playing at Stoke's fabled Britannia Stadium. Though while nobody here has ever heard of Nantwich Town, at least it won't be frickin' astroturf covered with frickin' bright white throwball lines.

After almost a week of training at Stoke City's facilities and driving on the wrong side of the road, they'll face Burnley FC on Tues., Oct. 20. That match will take place at Burnley's home ground of Turf Moor, where they've played since 1883. (Eights, people; those are eights. Not nines. 1883. As in, shortly after electric lights started to catch on. As in, 30 - 40 years before Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, etc.) [Schedule change; see update below.]

Coach Heath on the trip:

“For our players it’s a fantastic opportunity to pit themselves against players who play in the Premier League week in, week out,” said Heath. “The thing I’m looking forward to is for them to see the intensity that the game is played over there and to give them an understanding about some of the things I’ve been talking about this year, they’ll see it first hand.”

Rawlins also called the trip something that the players will remember for the rest of their lives. He didn't say, but I expect a lot of people are thinking, that if any of them are able to impress someone in England, that it might be even more than that.

Rumors that the Aztex will continue playing exhibitions indefinitely after they leave England, traveling to Timbuktu, Siberia and Jupiter's moon Ganymede, have not been confirmed at this time.

Update, 10/2: the England schedule has changed. The game against Burnley has been cancelled (no reason given), and 2 more matches against lower-level clubs have been added. The first will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 15, the day after the Stoke match, against League Two side Accrington Stanley at that club's Crown Ground. All proceeds from that match will go to help keep that struggling club afloat, via the Save Our Stanley (S.O.S.) campaign. The following Tuesday, Oct. 20, Austin will take on Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at that club's training grounds. Wednesday are currently in the middle of the table, with 13 points from 10 games (3-4-3).

Labels: exhibition, internacional, Rayados, Stoke City, USL-1

Regular season USL-1 play has now concluded for 2009. The playoffs start tomorrow (Thursday). Sure it would have been nice to see Austin there; but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. We might as well get a head start on looking back.

Both of the league's expansion teams, the Austin Aztex and the Cleveland City Stars, fared poorly in their inaugural seasons, winding up at the bottom of the final standings:

P	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Portland Timbers	30	16	10	4	45	19	+26	58
2	Carolina RailHawks FC	30	16	7	7	43	19	+24	55
3	Puerto Rico Islanders	30	15	8	7	44	31	+13	53
4	Charleston Battery	30	14	11	5	33	21	+12	53
5	Montreal Impact	30	12	7	11	32	31	+1	43
6	Rochester Rhinos	30	11	10	9	34	32	+2	43
7	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	30	11	9	10	42	36	+6	42
8	Minnesota Thunder	30	7	10	13	39	44	-5	31
9	Miami FC	30	8	5	17	26	52	-26	29
10	Austin Aztex FC	30	5	8	17	28	51	-23	21*
11	Cleveland City Stars	30	4	19	7	22	52	-30	19

As you can see, the Aztex escaped the very last spot, if barely. That 2-point deduction they earned from the league in July (for playing Callahan despite his 5 yellows) didn't wind up making any real difference.

I noted a couple of weeks ago that Austin and Cleveland were both in danger of posting one of the worst seasons in modern USL-1 history. Both squads escaped that fate by picking up 3 points since then (amazingly enough, both wins at the expense of the regular-season champion Portland Timbers).

These standings don't tell the whole story of the Aztex's 2009 season, however. Note that their goal differential is better than Miami FC's, despite the Aztex being 8 points lower in the standings. A few of Austin's losses were big ones, with a margin of 3 or 4, but most were much closer: 8 losses by one goal, and 5 losses by two.

And how about all those hits to the roster, due to injuries, travel issues, etc.? It seemed like the group of guys taking the field in red & white was never the same from week to week. Some key player or other was always missing, and some new loaner player was trying to fill the gap.

For example, take a look at the number of games & minutes played for these selected players, some of the team's key difference-makers.

Player	Games   (30 max)	Minutes (2,700 max)
Yordany Alvarez	14	1,229
Eddie Johnson	22	1,873
Sullivan Silva	24	1,654
Gifton Noel-Williams	16	1,024
Miguel Gallardo	14	1,215

Three of them were only able to play in half the games, and though the other 2 had more appearances, their minutes were still less than 70% of the maximum possible. It's a crude measure, and of course the team is more than these five guys, but this clearly shows a squad that was not at full strength.

That's a glimpse at the on-field performance; how about a peak at other measures? One significant feather in the organization's cap is the Community Relations award they were awarded by the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

The Aztex received the award based on its numerous contributions to the community this past year including the AISD Fitness Program where Aztex players worked to improve the cardiovascular fitness of 6th grade students at each of AISD's 18 middle schools. Results from the program alone were impressive as AISD reported an 11 percent increase in fitness across the schools compared with only two percent last year.

In addition to working with organizations like Any Baby Can, Austin CAN! Academy, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Lift Up America, the Aztex raised more than $10,000 in donations throughout the year.

Another landmark this year was the first annual Copa Aztex, which showcased top-level Mexican soccer in Austin and helped promote the team and the local game to Mexican fans. (Don't forget a similar opportunity is coming up on Oct. 7, when the Aztex will host Monterrey's Rayados at the Round Rock ISD stadium in North Austin.) There was some dispute with the Copa Aztex attendance numbers reported by the University of Texas. Officially announced at just over 7,000, many felt that the crowd numbered closer to 10,000.

Speaking of attendance, here's how the numbers looked for the regular season games. We didn't see the 10K-plus that established — and MLS-bound — teams like Portland and Montreal had, but getting an average just shy of 3,000 seems like a pretty solid start to me. (kenn.com has 2009 attendance numbers for the whole league).

04/18/09	Minnesota Thunder	4,891
04/21/09	Vancouver Whitecaps	1,549
04/25/09	Cleveland City Stars	3,248
05/08/09	Puerto Rico Islanders	5,216
05/24/09	Carolina Railhawks	2,388
05/29/09	Puerto Rico Islanders	2,019
06/05/09	Charleston Battery	2,246
06/07/09	Charleston Battery	2,891
06/19/09	Carolina Railhawks	2,629
06/21/09	Rochester Rhinos	3,114
07/11/09	Portland Timbers	3,114
07/25/09	Montreal Impact	2,786
08/16/09	Minnesota Thunder	3,470
08/29/09	Miami FC Blues	2,611
09/07/09	Portland Timbers	2,439
average:		2,974

Labels: community, players, USL-1

The Aztex finish their trip to the northwest still winless against all Canadian opponents. The Victoria Highlanders PDL side is either tougher than one would expect, or the Aztex were showing the effects of 4 games in 8 days and a less-than-stellar conclusion to the 2009 season. Both Highlander goals were off penalties.

Here's a rundown of post-match coverage:

• match timeline — Chantico's Army


• Highlanders ground Aztex — Victoria Times Colonist
  

  “We just got off playing six games in 12 days, from Miami to Vancouver, and we were tired tonight,” said Aztex owner Phil Rawlins, also an owner and director of Stoke City of the English Premiership.
  
  “But Victoria thoroughly deserved the victory. The set-up and crowd here is excellent. I don’t see any reason why Victoria shouldn’t step up to the USL pro division, if it wanted to.”

  ["Nudge nudge, wink wink," he kept himself from adding. - ed.]


• Aztex give up two penalties, lose 2-0 to Victoria — AustinAztex.com
  

  Both offenses started slowly and didn’t manage any real scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes. In the 21st minute, Austin’s Lyle Adams tripped up Victoria’s Matt Pele. On the ensuing penalty, Pele sent his shot past Aztex goalkeeper Nick Noble for the 1-0 lead. The Aztex countered minutes later with an opportunity on the Highlanders half of the field, but after a scramble in the goal box, the Aztex couldn’t find the back of the net and the ball was cleared away.

The Aztex have a 3 week break before their next post-season exhibition game. They'll host the Rayados of Monterrey here in Austin on Oct. 7. Tickets are on sale now: $25 for adults, $15 for children.

Labels: exhibition, internacional, postgame, USL-1

And so it ends.

Still feeling the energy from their 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers, our Aztex made a valiant effort in their final match of the 2009 campaign. But it was not to be. Their last game was reminiscent of many this year, as they surrendered their lead late in the game.

The loss means the club has yet to net a single point north of the border.

But despite the loss, the Red & White ended the season on a strong, positive note. The result may have been disappointingly familiar, but the game they took to the Whitecaps was a solid one. I'm sure Vancouver didn't mind having a man advantage for those last 15 minutes.

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

• box score — USLSoccer.com
  

  Weather: Sunny; Attendance: 5288

• Aztex finish first season with loss to Vancouver — Austin American-Statesman
  

  Austin's goal, a strike by Jarius Holmes in the 51st minute, broke a scoreless tie, but was one of only five Aztex shots on goal in the match.
  
  Vancouver had 23 shots, but Aztex goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo-Aparicio kept the Whitecaps at bay until Haber's equalizer.

• Aztex fall in Vancouver 2-1 to conclude USL-1 season — AustinAztex.com
  

  The game dynamics changed when Noel-Williams received a straight red card for a challenge that took down Whitecaps midfielder Kenold Versailles.
  
  With the man advantage, Vancouver capitalized in the 80th minute following a poor clearance by the Aztex on a Whitecaps corner. Vancouver’s Gordon Chin volleyed the ball toward the far post, where Marcus Haber redirected his header over Gallardo to even up the match.
  
  Six minutes later Vancouver took its first lead of the game when Chin received a pass from Lyle Martin heading into the Aztex box. Clear of Aztex defenders Chin sent a blast that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net for a 2-1 Whitecaps lead.

• Video Highlights (5:29) — VancouverWhitecapsFC on YouTube
  
  

Before returning home, the Aztex are spending a couple of days in the area. As part of a partnership with the club, they'll play an exhibition match against the PDL's Victoria Highlanders on Tuesday night in the nearby capital on Vancouver Island.

Earlier this summer Highlander’s General Manager Drew Finerty and Aztex owner Phil Rawlins agreed to an affiliation partnership to foster development of young soccer players through their respective PDL and USL1 clubs. The focus of the agreement is to create opportunities for developing players through the Highlander’s system and provide the Aztex “first rights” to young footballers with a chance to play at the higher USL level.

And there's more partner exhibition action coming up soon here in Austin, as well. Tickets are on sale now for the Oct. 7 match against Mexico's CF Monterrey at the RRISD Athletics Complex.

Labels: internacional, postgame, U-23, USL-1

Hot on the heels of their 2-1 upset of the Portland Timbers, the Aztex head north of the border for their final game of the 2009 season. They'll face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday evening, Sept. 13, at 6:00 CT. Watch the game free on USLLive.com.

The Whitecaps are currently in the 7th and last playoff slot, though they haven't punched their ticket yet. They have 2 games remaining: the Aztex on Sunday and the Cleveland City Stars next Friday.

Vancouver is 1-1-1 in their last three, which includes their 3-2 win over Austin just a week and a half ago. Most recently, they're coming off a 1-0 loss to the Montreal Impact, in Montreal (match report / box score).

The Aztex have not yet won (or even tied) on Canadian soil. But Miguel Gallardo looked as good as ever in goal against Portland, and the Austin offense is starting to spark. Coming into this game fresh from their giant-killing win and with nothing to lose, they may well check that "first" off their list this weekend.

Get 'em Aztex!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

Holy cow! We won!

I mean, er, of course we won, I never had the slightest doubt, it was in the bag, like falling off a log, a walk in the park. (A walk in the park that you're used to getting mugged in, that is.)

Wow, what a difference a win makes. Fifteen minutes in to the second half, I was on the verge of posting on the Aztex BigSoccer "what players should we keep for next year?" thread with something like, "none of them!" But they withstood the Timbers' onslaught, and they kept pecking away, and the next thing I knew, Ryan McMahen put a long-range rocket into the net, and we were level. More withstanding, more pecking, and then suddenly Lyle Adams sneaks in a diving header, and the Aztex take the lead! The lead! What a concept!

That was exciting, but then it was time to endure the final minutes, waiting for the opposition to break our hearts with a late goal, as we've seen so many times this season. But no! They did it; they held on -- they won.

So between barely beating Austin last Monday, and getting shut out at home last night, what's the story with Portland? That's not how it's supposed to go between the teams in first and last place. Are they falling apart at the end of the season? That's possible, of course, though there's no obvious reason (e.g., player injury) why they should be. Perhaps they simply discovered that despite the lack of points the Red & White have earned, they can actually be a pretty tough opponent.

See you next year, Timbers.

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

• box score — USLSoccer.com
  

  Weather: Sunny, 86; Attendance: 10,141

• Timbers fall 2-1 to the Aztex — KATU.com
  

  The Timbers attempted 17 of their 23 shots on the night in the second half, including four from Keita. Early in the second half, midfielder Brian Farber slashed his way through the box which drew Gallardo off his line. Farber hit a shot around the goalkeeper, but Keita got a touch on it to send it towards the far post. As the ball crept towards the goal line, an Austin defender was in position to clear if off the line.

• Aztex stun league-leading Portland with 2-1 victory — AustinAztex.com
  

  Timbers defender Stephen Keel headed the ball at the far post in front of the goal where Austin’s David Horst then attempted to clear the ball but instead headed it into upper corner beyond the reach of Aztex keeper Miguel Gallardo to give the home team a 1-0 advantage.
  
  “After the own goal, it was almost like here we go again,” said Heath. “But this time we didn’t.” Instead, in the second half, Austin responded.

Next up for the Aztex is a match-up against Vancouver Whitecaps, Sunday at 6:00 PM.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

In their first trip to Portland of the year, the Aztex take on the Timbers again on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff will be at 9:00 PM CT; as always you can watch online for free on USLLive.com.

Austin fans will already know the result of both teams' last game: the Timbers squeaked out a 1-0 win with a late goal here at Nelson Field on Monday.

What you may not know is that the Red & White are in danger of posting one of the worst records in modern USL-1 history. Looking over the league standings back to 2003, when USL-1 was called the A-League, only a few of the teams in last place posted so few wins. Worse, seasons were shorter back then, with fewer total games. The following teams are listed worst-to-"best".

Team	Record (W-L-T)	Games Played	Points Per Game Played
2003 Indiana Blast	3-18-2	23	0.4783
2009 Cleveland City Stars	3-17-7	27 (of 30)	0.5926
2005 Toronto Lynx	3-17-8	28	0.6071
2004 Calgary Mustangs/ Edmonton FC (tie)	4-18-6	28	0.6429
2009 Austin Aztex	4-16-8	28 (of 30)	0.6429
2007 California Victory	4-17-7	28	0.6786

As you can see, Cleveland is currently worse off than Austin. And though they have a game in hand, their last 3 games are against Vancouver and Portland (twice). But if the Aztex don't pick up any more points, and Cleveland manages to get a win, Austin could wind up in 2nd place on this List of Infamy. Also note that Austin's point total reflects the 2-point deduction taken by the league.

We've heard from Coach Heath for several games now that there's plenty to play for, even after the playoffs became an impossibility: players showing why they should be asked back next season, etc. Let this be added to the list.

And come on you Red & White!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

Well, what can you say. (No, seriously. I've about run out of things to say about these results.)

The Aztex ended the 2009 home season more or less the same way they played all year. They dug in, they fought, they worked hard, they had a few flashes of danger — and then they gave up a late goal, and lost.

I'm once again too late and too short of time to wax poetic about this milestone in the history of Austin pro soccer, so for now, here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com
  

  Weather: Hot, partly cloudy

• Aztex shut out by Portland in final home game — Austin American-Statesman
  

  If an entire season can be summed up in 90 minutes, the Austin Aztex did their best to show a full year of fight and flaws Monday night in a 1-0 loss to Portland.
  
  Early injuries and late goals — so often the scourge of Austin's inaugural-season slide to the foot of the USL-1 table — struck again in the final home game as Austin battled a superior opponent and came up empty. Played out in front of 2,439 fans, the game was the last act of a troubled stay at Nelson Field, before next year's switch to House Park.
  
  ..."We played a team that's gone on a 24-game unbeaten streak, and if you would have come tonight you wouldn't have known there was an awful lot of difference between the two teams," Austin coach Adrian Heath said.

• Portland gets late goal to defeat Aztex 1-0 — AustinAztex.com
  

  “When you consider the games we’ve had in a short period, I can’t be too critical,” Heath said. “On the whole, not bad.”
  
  The travel seemed to have its effects on the team early. Ryan Caugherty went down in the first 10 minutes with a knee injury and Gareth Evans pulled a hamstring less than 15 minutes later. Near the end of the match, Eddie Johnson went down, reinjuring his back.
  
  “It really takes a toll on you,” Gallardo said of the travel. “Our legs gave out toward the end.”

The Aztex season wraps up next weekend in the Pacific Northwest. Friday will see them take the field against the Timbers again, in Portland (their first time there, remarkably). The final game will be on Sunday, against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The team will stay in the area after that game, and play an exhibition with the PDL's Victoria Highlanders next Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

I can't believe it's come so quickly, but this is it: the 14th and final home game of the 2009 Austin Aztex season. It will also be the last game they'll ever play at Nelson Field, since they're moving to House Park next year.

The Portland Timbers make their second trip to town Monday evening, Sept. 7. They were last here nearly two months ago, when they got a 2-1 win on July 11. That was one of the games in the Timbers' record-breaking 24-game unbeaten streak. A streak, I'm not sorry to say, that was broken in their last game, last weekend. They were beaten 2-1 at home by the Rochester Rhinos (match report / box score).

While we can hope the Aztex will extend that 1-game losing streak on Monday, it won't matter a hill of beans to the Timbers' playoff picture: they clinched their berth weeks ago. With 52 points (14-2-10), they're right at the top of the table. And with their last 4 games all being against the two last place teams (Austin and Cleveland), I'm sure they're confident that they'll finish the season in the same position.

The Aztex are rolling back into town after a rough, cross-continental road trip: a 2-1 loss in Vancouver on Wednesday and a 3-1 loss in Miami on Saturday. That's 5,800 miles in 6 days, plus the weight of 2 losses to carry home.

On the other hand, Saturday saw Miguel Gallardo make his return from a 3-month stint on the injured list. Though it didn't turn out to be the most triumphant return, he did make some great saves. Surely the Austin defense will only keep getting stronger now that he's back at its heart.

On the offensive side of the field, RSL loaner Jean Alexandre has continued to be a bright spot, getting both Aztex goals in Vancouver. And recent signing Jamie Watson has added instant spark to the Austin offense, getting the lone goal in Miami and constantly threatening opposition defenses.

This being the last home game, the club has designated it Fan Appreciation Night:

• discount tickets - $15 adults, $12 children
• free kid admission - for kids wearing a youth soccer an Aztex jersey
• halftime prize drawing - prizes include a signed jersey, official ball & $100 Soccer USA gift certificate
• Aztex apparel sale - $40 jerseys, $10 t-shirts & $15 scarves (prices also available at both Soccer USA locations)

Kickoff will be at 6:00; the pre-match supporter gathering at Nomad Bar will begin around 4:00. As this is the last game at Nelson, this will probably be our last time at Nomad. Yes, it's the end of an era, but it's not too late to be able to say you were there!

Come on you Aztex!

Labels: gameday, USL-1

Miguel's back!

...Okay, that pretty much does it for the good news portion of the post.

Despite now having everybody but Eddie Johnson healthy and on the field, the Aztex were handed another solid defeat in Miami last night. It seems as though playing matches on either corner of North America 3 days apart isn't conducive to solid play.

Also, perhaps it will take a little time for Gallardo's return to be fully integrated with the current back line. Wes Allen was the only guy on the back line who's played in front of Miguel, it was a new thing for Horst, Dello-Russo and Sakuda.

Any way you cut it, it's a shame to have let this win slip away. The final 3 matches of the season are going to be a hard row to hoe: 2 more against Portland (one here, one there), and the final game back in Vancouver against the Whitecaps.

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

• box score — USLSoccer.com


• Miami FC ends six-game losing streak — Miami Herald
  

  Miami FC snapped its six-game losing streak Saturday night, beating the Austin Aztex 3-1. Miami's newest signings made an immediate impact. Midfielder Brain Shriver [sic] and Nelson Pizzaro assisted on two goals, while Aaron King scored his first goal with the Blues in his first start with the team.

• Despite return of Gallardo, Aztex fall 3-1 — AustinAztex.com
  

  The last time the Austin Aztex visited the Miami FC Blues in early June, Austin goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo made the trip but didn’t see any action. That’s because Gallardo had broken his leg just two days before in Puerto Rico. On Saturday night Gallardo returned to the lineup for the first time since his serious injury and showed flashes of his skill in goal, but it wasn’t enough as the Aztex fell 3-1.

Next up, again in very short order, is back here at home Monday night against Portland. More on that game soon, in a separate post.

Labels: postgame, USL-1

I really enjoyed Chicago Red Stars' CEO Peter Wilt's post on Pitch Invasion the other day, Grading WPS in Year One. In it, he takes a hard look at 8 aspects of the just-finished inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer. These include attendance, fan experience, marketing and operations, and quality of play. He also has an overall summary grade for "sustainability":

WPS will not “make it” in 2009, 2010 or 2011. “Making it” in this case is about sustainability and that merely requires keeping enough teams in existence for the League to be around for future generations. The League has not yet proven its business model operationally, but it has set a base line that allows adjustments to be made in order to work toward profitability much like MLS did in its early years.

I find this kind of analysis fascinating, because I'm interested in the business side of the American game as well as the play on the field. I was impressed by the thoroughness of Wilt (and presumably others at WPS) in analyzing their season.

Then I realized: that's the kind of stuff I want USL to pay attention to, but it doesn't seem to me like they've done nearly as well.

There are some significant differences between WPS and USL-1, to be sure. WPS is a brand-new league, with international superstars on every team, etc. But the attendance figures are similar, and from the standpoint that both leagues are laboring somewhat in the shadow of MLS (and EPL, FMF, et al.), there are surely some parallels.

Maybe the current USL-1 league and teams are all over these same issues, and I just don't know it. If nothing else, from my viewpoint as a fan, I don't feel like the marketing, the league-level branding, if you will, gets much attention at all.

All of which is simply to say, I hope that when the dust settles from the current USL/NuRock/TOA drama, somebody makes sure to address these kinds of issues at a league level.

Labels: deep thoughts, The League, USL-1, WPS

They put up a pretty valiant effort, but the Aztex dropped another one Wednesday night, going down 3-2 to the Whitecaps in Vancouver. At least Jean Alexandre's brace and several good, threatening attacks kept Vancouver from being able to coast.

Here's a rundown of post-match coverage:

• box score — USLSoccer.com


• Whitecaps claim 3-2 win over Aztex — Vancouver Sun
  

  While the Whitecaps were full value in terms of entertainment, the result didn't come easy. Twice Austin fought back from a two goal deficit to keep the nearly sold-out crowd of 5,081 on edge all night. Trailing 2-1 at the half, the Aztex pressed Vancouver after the break and were carrying the play until Charles Gbeke headed Takashi Hirano's cross past Aztex goalkeeper Nick Noble in the 65th minute.

• Alexandre scores twice, but Vancouver edges Aztex 3-2 — AustinAztex.com
  

  In the second half Austin built off the momentum generated at the close of the first half and had a pair of solid scoring chances early including one in the 59th minute when midfielder Ryan McMahen delivered a line drive from the edge of the 18-yard box. Nolly dove hard to his right and knocked the ball just a few feet wide of the post. There Gifton Noel-Williams slid to the ground and put a tough shot on goal but Nolly once again turned it away for an Austin corner. Two minutes later Aztex defender Michael Dello-Russo sent in a sharp free kick at the far post where Austin’s David Horst avoided a pair of Vancouver defenders and headed the ball just wide of the goal.

Two days and a 2,800 mile plane trip later, Austin's Red & White will be challenging Miami's Blues for the final time this season. Kickoff for the Saturday night game in Miami is at 7:00, shown free as always on USLLive.com.

The USMNT will be playing El Salvador in a World Cup qualifier at the exact same time, but if you prop your computer up next to your TV, you can watch them both. Or make it easy on yourself and join your fellow Aztex supporters at Mister Tramps, where we've secured one of the 8 TVs in Austin that won't be showing the Longhorns game, plus a laptop or 2 for the Aztex game.

Labels: postgame, USL-1