The Aztexan

When I first wrote about this documentary project almost a year ago, it had the working title, "Footplay". At the time, it was still a work in progress, waiting for post-production and finishing.

Now it's finished, titled "Pelada", and scheduled to be premiered in March at Austin's own SXSW Film festival.

Here's the description from the film's website:

Two players. 25 countries. One game.

Away from professional stadiums, bright lights, and manicured fields, there’s another side of soccer. Tucked away on alleys, side streets, and concrete courts, people play in improvised games. Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it's "taking a sweat." In England, it's "having a kick-about." In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means "naked"—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere—and it’s a window into lives all around the world.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

They're not kidding about the globe-spanning scope of this movie. Some of the locales you'll see in the film (and in the trailer below): Ghana, Uruguay, Iran, France, South Africa, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, Bolivia, Togo, Argentina, Egypt, China and Peru.

Sports Illustrated columnist and "The Beckham Experiment" author Grant Wahl has this to say about the film:

But what elevates Pelada from a cute highlight travelogue to something more resonant is the filmmakers' ability to find compelling stories and earn the trust of their interview subjects. "Once you play a game with someone, interview doesn't seem like the appropriate word," says [Gwendolyn] Oxenham. "There's this level of intimacy that you don't get if you don't play soccer. Every place we went, you're then invited into their homes. Everyone's mother wants to cook for you."

"[Playing soccer] would change the situation from being an outsider having an interview with them to having a conversation with a friend," adds [Luke] Boughen.

The result is a film that combines eye-popping cinematography (by co-directors Rebekah Fergusson and Ryan White) with human stories: the dreams of a teenage Brazilian girl nicknamed Ronaldinha; a lunchtime kickabout among workers building the Cape Town World Cup stadium; and an Italian writer who pens love poems to the sport. A tense game between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem reveals the benefits (and very real challenges) that come with the sport.

I hope it won't be long before this movie gets wider distribution and returns to town in "regular" theaters. For now, don't miss your chance to catch it during SXSW. As the schedule shows, it's playing on March 14, 15 and 19. (I'm personally thrilled about the third showing; I'll be out of town earlier that week and will miss the first two.) Having a SXSW pass isn't required to see the film, though it is first-come, first-served. If you're lucky, you might even make an evening of it on the 14th, after the Aztex-Dynamo pre-season match.

One last nice note about the production, from Wahl's article:

Yet being accepted into a major film festival isn't the only news for Oxenham and Boughen. After crisscrossing the globe together, they're getting married in June. Part of their honeymoon may involve a screening of Pelada in Cape Town during the World Cup.

Labels: internacional, media

Ever wonder if you're getting all the Aztex info? I try to cover it all here, but I don't always get to everything, and I'm not always the fastest to get to breaking news, either. So, at the risk of putting myself out of business, I thought I'd share a quick list of the sources I use to keep on top of all things Aztex.

First: websites and blogs that cover the team. I'll include links to the site, as well as each site's RSS news feed¹ and Twitter account², where applicable.

• AustinAztex.com — The team's own site, obviously! (RSS; @austinaztex)


• The Aztex Blog — You knew about the team site, but did you know that the owners and coach also write a blog? Good behind-the-scenes stuff. (RSS)


• Chantico's Army — You don't have to be a member of this supporters' group to read the site's news, match reports and more. (RSS; @Chanticos_Army)


• The Native Aztexan Blog — a fellow Aztex & Texas soccer fan's blog. (RSS; @NativeAztexan)


• Austin Chronicle Sports — the Chronicle's Nick Barbaro is a true fan of the game. You'll find him among the noisiest supporters at home games, and you'll find his Aztex news among the roller derby and softball reports in the Chronicle. (RSS; @auschronsports)


• The Austin American-Statesman — Psych! Ha ha ha! Ha! Hoo... that was funny. Maybe someday, but so far: not so much. There is an Aztex page, god bless 'em, but it's literally completely blank.


• Google Alerts — This isn't Aztex-specific, of course, but it is the neatest, easiest thing. You can easily set it up so that Google sends you daily notices whenever it finds new mentions of whatever phrase you're interested in.


• The Aztexan — last but not least: me! (RSS; @Aztexan)

¹ An RSS reader (aka newsreader) makes following sites you're interested in much easier. Wikipedia has more info. I personally use NetNewsWire; a lot of people like Google Reader, too.

²All the Twitter accounts in this post, plus a few more, are included in my Aztex Twitter List.

Another good source of information is forums. The primary one for Aztex fans, since the inception of the club 2 years ago, has been the BigSoccer Aztex forum. While that is still the largest and most active, there are a couple of new kids on the block, too: Chantico's Army has their own forum, and the just-announced Aztex Alliance site will also have one. Those are both for members-only (though membership in Chantico's Army is free).

The last thing I'll mention is radio, where there are a couple of interesting sources for Aztex news and commentary. One is AM1300 "The Zone", which has interviewed Aztex personnel many times. In addition to announcements and interviews, head coach Adrian Heath and AM1300 host Ahmad Brooks co-hosted a regular weekly show last season. I haven't heard whether that show will return this year, but AM1300 will clearly continue to invite Aztex representatives on air, as Phil Rawlins and Djorn Buchholz were interviewed last week when season tickets went on sale.

The other spot to tune your radio to for Aztex info is KOOP, 91.7 FM (pronounced "co-op"). This community-access station has a new weekly show, Tuesdays from 1:00 - 2:00 PM, called Futbol En Vivo (@futbolaustin). The first half of the show is in Spanish, while the second half is in English. They discuss all levels of world soccer, from our own local Aztex to leagues around the world.

I personally have a heck of a time remembering to turn on the radio at the right time (or even finding one of those quaint devices, unless I'm in my car). Both stations stream their shows over the Internet, though neither makes it particularly easy to download particular shows and listen to later, podcast-style.

That's where Chantico's Army gaffer Matt has stepped in to save the day. He got permission to record and redistribute MP3s of KOOP's Futbol En Vivo show. Each episode is conveniently available in 3 versions: the full show, the Spanish half and the English half. You can get them free from either ChanticosArmy.com or the iTunes Store.

Well, once again a "quick" post grew a lot longer than I thought it would. I hope this gives you some new sources to get the scoop on the Aztex. And if you know of others not mentioned here, let me know!

Labels: media

There's a new podcast on the American soccer scene that I'd like to recommend: Waiting for Gaetjens. You can get it from their website, WaitingForGaetjens.com, or subscribe to it in the iTunes Store here.

The hosts are Greg Lalas and Adam Spangler. Lalas is a columnist for SI.com, commentator for New England Revolution TV broadcasts, and Site Director for Goal.com, while Spangler is a freelance writer who runs ThisIsAmericanSoccer.com.

It's a weekly show, clocking in between 40 and 50 minutes per episode so far. Their format, dubbed "the starting 11", keeps things moving along well by cramming 11 topics into each show. I like the balance between news coverage, opinion, and Lalas and Spangler just basically chewing the fat about the American game. They cover it all: MLS, the U.S. national team, the World Cup, even the ongoing drama in our 2nd division.

They've brought some good guests on already, too: Real Salt Lake's GM, LA Galaxy's Dema Kovalenko, the Tampa Bay Rowdies' CEO, Grant Wahl and former NY Cosmos star Shep Messing (who dropped some serious hints about the future of that brand). They've even interviewed Austin's own star of the international soccer scene: Dan Wiersema of the Free Beer Movement (covered here previously).

So, what's a Gaetjens? Until they fix the broken "Who is Joe Gaetjens?" link on their website (you should fix that link, you guys), I'll just point you to his Wikipedia entry. With an upcoming World Cup group that pits the U.S. against England, here's hoping they picked an auspicious namesake.

Check it out, an entertaining and informative new soccer show: Waiting for Gaetjens.

Labels: media

The Wikimedia Foundation has kicked off their annual fundraising campaign:

Lots of people love Wikipedia, but surprisingly few know it’s run by a non-profit, the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation has just one purpose: to support the free and open sharing of knowledge. We don’t sell information and we don’t accept advertising. Your donation is what makes Wikipedia possible.

I have a simple guideline for subscribing, donating to, or otherwise financially supporting websites: if I'd really miss it if it went away, then I support it. Wikipedia is not just in that category, it defines it (no pun intended).

Think about it: Wikipedia is frickin' magic. The very idea of it is just crazy, really. Yet against all odds and every shred of common sense, it works. And not just works, but works fantastically. Wikipedia is a modern-day miracle, high-tech, yet human-powered.

I just donated to help keep Wikipedia running now and forever. I encourage you to do the same. And if you're hesitant to chip in, then I give you this challenge: for the next couple of weeks, the rest of November, keep count of how many times you reference Wikipedia. At the end of the month, look at that number, and consider again whether keeping Wikipedia running isn't worth a few bucks.

Labels: deep thoughts, media

• 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

• Aztex adjusting roster because of injuries, travel issues — AustinAztex.com
  

  In the last week, the Aztex have been without the services of forward Gifton Noel-Williams who pulled a hamstring and backup goalkeeper Sam Reynolds who suffered a hip injury.
  
  Now the team is without England natives Eddie Johnson and Gareth Evans, who are both home while they wait for work permits to be approved, which could take as long as four weeks as their paperwork makes it through the English system.
  
  With so many regulars absent, Aztex Head Coach Adrian Heath has turned to the Aztex U23 squad.

• Weekly radio show starring Coach Heath
  

  I can't find a good story to link to on this, but AM 1300 "The Zone" has started a new weekly show starring Aztex head coach Adrian Heath. The call-in format show is hosted by Ahmad Brooks, who's been doing commentary for the Aztex home games. The half-hour show is on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM CT. If you have as hard a time finding an AM radio as I did, you can stream it live from their website.

• Follow Up on "The Soccer Project" — Inside Minnesota Soccer
  

  Late in March I ran a story on "The Soccer Project", a documentary in progress called "Footplay". If you’ve not seen the trailer, please go to that story and watch the video I have embedded there. You won’t be disappointed as Footjoy is not about professional, youth, or college soccer. It’s about the pure joy of futbol through pick-up games played around the world.
  
  ...Yesterday I received a notice from The Soccer Project. The message brought great news. Footplay won the Melrose Mac competition! The notice went on to say,
  
  "Thanks to all of your votes, we now have two brand new editing systems and accompanying software to get the editing off the ground. We can’t thank you guys enough for continuing to be so supportive as we try to get this documentary to the finish line."
  
  "We returned last week from our final shoot in Iran with more great footage and stories, so we will be in the trenches all summer long to edit and finish the movie by September."

Labels: media, players, U-23, USL-1

After a week off, the Aztex return to the field Friday night, hosting the Puerto Rico Islanders here at Nelson Field, at 7:00 PM CT.

Neither team has dropped a game yet this season. The Aztex have won 1 and tied 2, their 3-0 win over Cleveland City Stars being the most recent. Meanwhile, the Islanders are 2-0-1 so far this season, coming off a 3-2 win over the Montreal Impact in Puerto Rico last Saturday (match report / box score).

This home game is of extra significance for the Aztex, as it will be the team's debut on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC). This will be one of 5 Aztex games (2 at home, 3 away) to be aired nationally by FSC. Hopes are high for a good showing from the crowd as well as the team. Be sure to note: because the game will be televised, kickoff will be at 7:00 PM CT rather than the usual evening game time. That's despite what you may have heard previously (or seen printed on your tickets!).

As the USL pregame story notes, this isn't the Islanders' first visit to our fair city:

While it is the first official competitive meeting of the year between the two clubs, the pair are somewhat familiar with one another with Puerto Rico having made a training friendly stop in Austin en route to their CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal match in Mexico. Just days before their second leg meeting with Cruz Azul, the Islanders played to a scoreless draw as they prepped for the decisive game of the series. As witnessed last week on Fox Soccer Channel with Rochester's 3-0 win over Cleveland, whom they played to a goalless tie in the prior to the season, preseason contests may not be a reliable indicator for future showdowns.

The weather forecast looks great, it's starting to warm up here. This should be another great game , with both sides out to prove something following their preseason draw. Following this match, the Aztex will have a long week until their next game, on the road against the Montreal Impact next Sunday, May 17.

Though the kickoff is early — that time again: 7:00 PM — the pre-game supporters gathering hosted by Chantico's Army at Nomad Bar will officially begin at the usual time: 5:00. (Though if you want to arrive earlier to get a head start, who could stop you?) The group will head over to the stadium at about 6:15 to congregate and be ready to enter the stadium at 6:30. I'll be the one in red; hope to see you there!

A quick note to mention the other big game this weekend: Aztex partner club Stoke City FC have another chance to secure their spot in the Premiership in a match against Hull City on Saturday.

If we win, we are guaranteed another season of top flight football. Even if we lose, this could still be the case if eighteenth and nineteenth placed Newcastle and Middlesbrough draw their more than crucial fixture on Monday night.

Come on you Potters!

Labels: gameday, media, Stoke City, 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

Via Inside Minnesota Soccer (home of the USL Week In Review I recommended in the last post) comes word of this really excellent-looking documentary: Footplay by The Soccer Project.

Footplay is the story of Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who couldn’t quite make it to the pros. Now in their mid-twenties and working 9-5 jobs, the two soccer has-beens decide they aren’t ready to quit the game. They take off around the globe, exploring the other, less glorified side of soccer: pick-up games, impromptu contests that happen anywhere and between anyone. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from the futevolie tricksters of Brazil to Chinese monks who play in their traditional robes, Footplay follows Luke and Gwendolyn’s adventures around the world and the people they meet through the game.

This is great stuff. This gets right to the core of why soccer is truly the world's game: because any group of men, women or children can kick around a ball and try to score between two posts. This film shows that in exotic locations the world over: from the highest plateaus of Bolivia to the lowest desert of Africa, from prisons to ghettos, from kids in Argentina to construction workers at South Africa's 2010 World Cup venues.

The problem is, it's not actually a documentary quite yet. It's still a work in progress, waiting for post-production and finishing. See The Soccer Project website for more info on how you can help bring this story to the big screen. The project is a finalist for MelroseMAC's $10,000 contest, so you can help for free by voting early & often (it's the last one, on the bottom right). At the very least, spam all your friends with a link to the trailer.

Labels: internacional, media

• 

  Women's Professional Soccer

  Women's Professional Soccer kicks off with their first game on Sunday, with the Los Angeles Sol hosting the Washington Freedom. Maybe we'll see former Longhorn Jill Gilbeau take the field with the Freedom against the Sol's Brazilian superstar, Marta.
  
  I had more or less randomly picked the Chicago Red Stars as "my team", but I've switched to support St. Louis Athletica instead. St. Louis is such a hotbed of soccer, and they're still getting the cold shoulder from MLS (though some are making the case for a USL-1 team there). Plus, they have one of the coolest crests around, hands down. And they have a Brazilian national team star, too: Daniela.
  
  If you haven't seen the WPS commercials, they're pretty good. Here's the one featuring the Freedom's Abby Wambach.
  
  


• Aztex announce four additions — USLSoccer.com
  

  The Austin Aztex have announced the signing of four players for their inaugural USL First Division season, inking local Aztex PDL product Josh Alcala as well as Mike Callahan, Ryan Caugherty and David Sias.

  Nothing against any of the other guys, but I'm especially glad to see fan favorite from last year's U23 squad (and fellow blogger) Josh Alcala be officially added to the roster.


• USL partners with NeuLion for exclusive online video service — USLSoccer.com
  

  Powered by NeuLion, USL Live will carry all USL-1 matches in 2009, both live and on demand, that are not part of the USL Fox Soccer Channel television broadcast schedule. The upcoming season will be the first year the service will be available for free. The NeuLion platform will also increase video availability for other USL clubs in addition to providing match highlights and other special video content such as press conferences, interviews and features.
  

  The company that provided online video of USL-1 games last year went out of business, and there was doubt whether a similar service would be available this year. With just one USL-1 game per week on Fox Soccer Channel (2009 FSC schedule), that leaves very little chance to see your team on the road.
  
  This is a real masterstroke by USL (how often do we get to say that?). I've subscribed to MLS' similar service, now called Match Center, for a couple of seasons now. I originally signed up so I could see more FC Dallas matches, but with access to so many other games, I found myself having those on frequently, too. Watching other teams, seeing other action, hearing more names - it all deepened my fandom for MLS. I expect that will happen even more in this case, where the barrier to entry is even lower.
  
  Now Chantico's Army just needs to find a local pub to watch away matches, one that can hook up the computer video to a big screen...

• USL Week In Review — Inside Minnesota Soccer

  Brian Quarstad of the blog Inside Minnesota Soccer, which covers our USL-1 rivals Minnesota Thunder, among other things, has started writing a periodic roundup of news around the league. Excellent & highly recommended.

Labels: media, players, USL-1, WPS

No big news or announcements or anything, but here's last night's video interview with Aztex owner Phil Rawlins and striker Gifton Noel-Williams on Austin's local NBC affiliate, KXAN.

Labels: media, USL-1

The Aztex USL-1 schedule for 2009 was released by KVUE and the Austin Chronicle yesterday. (There were some raised eyebrows about the news, as the league hasn't released the full schedule yet. In fact, the team has yet to announce the schedule itself. How serious this "leak" is, and whether anybody gets in trouble for it, remain to be seen.)

Meanwhile, for the fans, all the matters is that it's finally out!

Half of the 30 games are here, at Nelson Field. All of those 15 home matches are on weekend evenings (Friday, Saturday or Sunday), except two: the 2nd game of the season is on a Tuesday, and the last home game is on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7.

A fan from the BigSoccer forum has set up a Google Calendar with all the games on it. Here's an embedded copy, starting with April:



And here's the full list view, from the Chronicle (home games in bold; games televised on Fox Soccer Channel marked with a *):
APRIL
Sat., April 18, 7:30pm – Minnesota Thunder
Tue., April 21, 7:30pm – Vancouver Whitecaps
Sat., April 25, 7:30pm – Cleveland City Stars

MAY
Fri., May 8, 7pm – Puerto Rico Islanders *
Sun., May 17 at Montreal Impact
Sun., May 24, 6pm – Carolina Railhawks
Fri., May 29, 7:30pm – Puerto Rico Islanders

JUNE
Fri., June 5, 7pm – Charleston Battery *
Sun., June 7, 6pm – Charleston Battery
Fri., June 12 at Puerto Rico Islanders *
Sun., June 14 at Miami FC
Fri., June 19, 7:30pm – Carolina Railhawks
Sun., June 21, 6pm – Rochester Rhinos
Sat., June 27 at Cleveland City Stars

JULY
Fri., July 3 at Cleveland City Stars *
Sun., July 5 at Rochester Rhinos
Sat., July 11, 7:30pm – Portland Timbers
Sat., July 18 at Minnesota Thunder
Sat., July 25, 7:30pm – Montreal Impact
Thu., July 30 at Charleston Battery

AUGUST
Sat., Aug. 1 at Carolina Railhawks
Sat., Aug. 8 at Rochester Rhinos
Sun., Aug. 16, 6pm – Minnesota Thunder
Sun., Aug. 23 at Montreal Impact *
Sat., Aug. 29, 7:30pm – Miami FC

SEPTEMBER
Wed., Sept. 2 at Vancouver Whitecaps
Sat., Sept. 5 at Miami FC – AUSTIN
Mon., Sept. 7, 6pm – Portland Timbers
Fri., Sept. 11 at Portland Timbers
Sun., Sept. 13 at Vancouver Whitecaps

Lots of home games early on, not so many later in the season. Perhaps that's because of the high school football games that will be played at Nelson in the fall. Some other kinks are unfortunate, such as the back-to-back home games against the Charleston Battery on June 5 & 7. But while it may not be a perfect, well-balanced schedule, the biggest problem I have with it right now is that it doesn't start for 3 months. Thank goodness for the upcoming exhibition games!

Update, 1/23: The full schedule was released by the USL today; also, here's the official Aztex story with the schedule.

Labels: media, USL-1

I caught the following short (less than a minute) Aztex story on News8Austin last night: Head Coach Adrian Heath talking about the new stadium.


Speaking of Coach Heath, here's a nice story in The Echo, the Liverpool evening paper, on his immigration to Texas: Everton legend Adrian 'Inchy' Heath's big Texan dream.

"The difference [in US soccer] between now and when the likes of Pele, Bobby Moore and George Best came over, is night and day. It was almost like a circus then, with players at the end of their careers, but everything is geared to the future now.

"The potential is world class."

There is clearly potential in Austin, too. Heath is not one for making bold declarations but the team he put together this summer to see what he had to work with captured the imagination of locals... "We’ve got some decent kids here and word is starting to spread."

"We just want to try and build something that we have had at home, and in a few years we’ll have a thriving academy and the players who have passed through will be making a name for themselves.”

Last (and probably least), I was flipping through the latest issue of the free, by-mail Community Impact paper (Northwest Austin edition), and saw this. It was in their section on new area businesses. They seem to think it's a store, but bad press is better than no press, right?

Labels: media, stadium, USL-1

I've been seeing a good deal of "USL vs. MLS" talk lately. Stuff like:

• "How does MLS get away with stealing USL's markets?"


• "If MLS is the top level league, why are they getting their butts kicked in the CONCACAF Champions League while USL teams are cruising through?"


• "How did a lowly USL-1 side like Charleston Battery almost knock off powerhouse DC United in the US Open Cup?"


• "What role did MLS expansion plans play in the demise of the Atlanta Silverbacks?"

If you're looking for answers, you've come to the right place. I'm here to give the definitive solution to the real question that underlies all these:

How should these two American leagues relate to each other?

But first, let's step back and get some perspective. A good place to start is the fine 3-part series PotomacSoccerWire.com ran recently: Thriving in the shadows: The survival, and success, of the United Soccer Leagues. That short introduction includes links to all 3 parts, which are worth reading in full.

Part I: DC United exes find greener pastures in Vancouver

"I think players-wise, there should be more loaning back and forth," [Vancouver Whitecap Jay Nolly] said. "At the end of the season MLS should be looking [at USL] — the USL players have a lot more experience than going and getting a guy out of college. I almost think the USL should be more of a feeder system than a lot of the college system."

... Another common view is that USL players are typically just biding their time before an opportunity to move up to MLS presents itself. But Nolly and Moose offer a striking contrast to that idea as well: both men are happy with the Whitecaps and eager to help the club defend its championship in 2009.

So here are two seemingly contradictory statements: "MLS should be more interested in recruiting experienced USL players" on the one hand, and "some USL players are perfectly content to play at that level indefinitely" on the other. But that's not contradictory, that's perfect. There is (or could be) a path for advancement to higher league play, but there's also an acceptable and satisfying level for those who don't follow that path.

Part II: Season of success cues bullish outlook

"MLS clearly approaches [the Open Cup & Champions League play] differently — 'we'll get by one way or the other,'" adds [USL President Francisco] Marcos. "But guess what? The difference isn't enough for them to be able to take that attitude. We go to those games like our life depends on it — our reputation, our credibility depends on it. The results speak for themselves."

Those results have added lots of fuel to the "USL vs. MLS" fires. But some of the conclusions jumped to don't stand up to scrutiny.

For one, it's the nature of these kinds of competitions, especially the Open Cup, to result in upsets. Look at England's Carling Cup: as of the 5th round, 3 of the 8 teams left are from the 2nd division, and European superpower Chelsea was eliminated by Burnley in the most recent round. But does anyone argue that the Championship rivals the Premiership? Of course not.

Secondly, as in every league in the world, there are disparities between the teams that dominate year after year and those that always seem to languish further down the table. That is, just because the a league's best teams do well, that doesn't necessarily mean the whole league would be competitive at a higher level.

Part III: MLS expansion leaves United Soccer Leagues wary

"They have named five out of seven markets for possible expansion that are our markets, three of which are our clubs themselves," said USL President Francisco Marcos in an interview last week. "Are we flattered by that? Yes. But we can't eat flattery. Are we happy about it? Absolutely not. Can we do a whole lot about it? Not a lot."

..."There's other things that we're going to be demanding because we don't just want to become just simply the feeder, the testers of MLS grounds such as Rochester, which didn't happen. Montreal, which may happen. Vancouver, which may happen. Portland, which may very well happen," he noted. "Places that MLS would have never thought about if we weren't there."

I have a lot of respect for Marcos and all he's done for soccer in the U.S., but I'm afraid he comes off as a bit of a whiner in this piece. He hints that the USL may already be hip to my Grand Theory (coming up here in another thousand words or so), but I wish he wouldn't play the poor victim. Though what do I know? Maybe the USL is indeed the poor victim, and they've been majorly screwed by Major League Soccer. Either way, I couldn't agree more that it isn't fair for MLS to take advantage of USL's work.

Okay, that does it for PotomacSoccer.com's series. Our last exhibit is this piece by Mitch Howard on Major League Soccer Talk, USL Needs to Compete Directly against MLS.

The United Soccer Leagues has been a doormat to the MLS for too long. They have allowed MLS to walk all over them. MLS has taken multiple cities from the USL to put into their league and have not suffered any kind of legal troubles or image issues.

... History shows that the USL should compete directly against MLS. In both the history of football and basketball in the U.S., leagues have merged and absorbed each other.

Howard is taking the dramatic viewpoint here, casting MLS as the villain and USL tied to the tracks, feebly crying for help. Yet despite this difference in power, his proposed solution is a merger similar to those of the American Football League and the American Basketball Association.

The first argument (and the only one needed, really) against the head-to-head league idea is that FIFA prohibits it. FIFA countries are simply not allowed to have competing first division leagues. It's as true today as it was in 1967, when the NPSL and USA merged to become the NASL.

But even apart from that, the arguments against such a competition are legion. Soccer is an international sport, while American football and basketball aren't (and were even less in the 1960s). Once upon a time, those sports could get away with competing leagues, for a while at least. They could tweak the rules, snipe players from each other, etc., and it was all in a kind of U.S.-only vacuum. With our modern soccer leagues already dying to woo fans of "real" soccer abroad, such tactics are unthinkable.

The other side of this international coin is that the U.S., in both national team competitions and the club-level transfer market, would be held back by such domestic squabbling and rivalry.

Which brings us, at long last, to the big answer to the big question: 42. No, wait, that's a different story. This big answer is: admit to and formalize USL's role as the minor league.

First, the admitting. For all the giant-killing USL teams have done this year, and for all the markets that MLS has stolen or wants to steal after being built up by the USL, it's clear that the USL is the minor league. Exhibit A in this claim is the recent crumpling of the Atlanta Silverbacks USL-1 team, as previously discussed. This is simply not the kind of thing that happens in major leagues. Teams may have financial trouble sometimes, but when do they ever simply pack up their ball and go home? And this isn't an isolated incident. There's been steady turmoil in the USL for years: the Richmond Kickers dropping from USL-1 to USL-2 in 2005; the Virginia Beach Mariners folding after the 2006 season; the California Victory's one and only season in 2007.

Exhibit B: compare and contrast the league final games in USL-1 and MLS. As I wrote at the time, the meeting of the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Puerto Rico Islanders in the USL-1 final was quite an understated affair. I couldn't even find a way to follow the game live, and I was actively looking for it.

Meanwhile we have the MLS Cup game tomorrow. It may not be the Super Bowl or the World Series, but it will be on network TV (ABC), it's covered in mainstream media outlets like USA Today, and their national sponsor, Volkswagen, has produced VW Road to MLS Cup, a series of event-specific commercials (which are pretty funny, imho). At the very least, the league has a dedicated section of their website for the match.

So, USL is the minor league. But despite what the word "minor" might do to one's ego, there is not a single thing wrong with that. In fact, it's an essential role in the American soccer ecosystem. Without USL, there are a lot of players who wouldn't be able to play league ball (i.e., with crowds and fans and everything). Without USL, MLS would have only colleges to draw from for young soccer talent in this country. And most importantly to me personally: without USL, Austin would never have a pro soccer team.

The next step is to formalize this situation, and eliminate the unfairness and friction that exist today. Both leagues benefit from the existence of the other far more than they threaten each other. That needs to be acknowledged and agreed to more explicitly. There are lots of ways that this could work; here are just a few ideas off the top of my head.

• MLS should augment its reserve and youth systems with USL teams


• Even if MLS teams don't directly partner with USL teams, their reserves or youth should compete with them
  


• MLS and USL should promote each other's games. Most Aztex fans I know also support either Houston Dynamo or FC Dallas. Why on earth don't all three teams' marketing departments leverage that?


• There should be, as Marcos mentioned, fair compensation to USL when MLS expands into one of their cities. If MLS cherry-picks the USL's best markets and drives USL out of business, it's going to hurt them, too.


• Movement of players between the leagues, such as the DC players in the PotomacSoccer.com article or the Red Bulls acquiring Mac Kandji from the Silverbacks, should be as easy. (In fact, this could be a lucrative deal for USL by itself)

Whew, okay, this post got a lot longer than I thought it would (congratulations on making it this far). I better wrap it up; here comes my inspirational conclusion.

Despite the perennial naysayers and their circa-1985 anti-soccer jibes, soccer is here to stay. It's not yet on the same level as baseball or basketball, and there are missteps and mistakes sometimes, but it's not going to disappear in a puff of smoke, either. There's still a lot of unrealized potential in the American sport, both within our borders, and on the world stage. The sooner Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues acknowledge the realities and start working in concert, the better for everyone.

Labels: deep thoughts, media, MLS, USL-1

I realize that cooking up a headline about just about anything and how it relates to, or is affected by, Barack Obama's candidacy (and now presidency) is a cheap and easy way to grab attention. But I'll be honest with you. I think the Obama/soccer logo I made at Logobama.com is pretty slick, and I just couldn't resist the chance to use it again.

We start with ESPN Magazine's Austin Kelly: Is soccer the Barack Obama of sports?

The president-elect is supposedly a West Ham United fan, and he has a team in Kenya named after him, Obama F.C. (It's based in the town of Obama's Kenyan father.) . . . Obama is also a soccer dad, who took some time out of his campaign schedule to watch his daughter play and give her a few ball-handling pointers.

Another piece is one from The Guardian's Sportblog, by Steven Wells, a British writer living in Philadelphia: Soccer: the Barack Obama of sports. His is more of a rambling, slice-of-life description of a Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia as viewed through soccer-colored glasses, with a big dash of Mad Men thrown in.

The Republicans are at a loss. They keep punching the "real America", "small town", "psst, he's black" buttons but nothing happens. Because real America has moved on. They sip lattes on Main Street. They like to think they're colour-blind. And godamn it they've been chowing down on arugla in the Midwest for decades (only they called it "rocket", who knew?). And, of course, their kids all play soccer.

The guys in Mad Men, trapped in 1960, would never have used soccer in an advert. Modern-day Madison Avenue uses little else. You need a sport that's sharp, sexy, forward looking, futuristic, hip, happening and now? It's a total no-brainer. It's the Obama of sports.

Labels: media

No matter your political persuasion, how can you resist a blog post title like this? Would Obama's election make soccer a major league American sport? (via American Soccer News' Twitter feed).

It's an interesting piece on Joe Roth, the majority owner of next year's MLS expansion team, the Seattle Sounders. Here's an excerpt to first excite, then depress soccer fans deep in the heart of reddest Texas:

"If you took a map of America where Obama is strongest and laid it over a map of where soccer has its biggest appeal, you'd see an incredible overlap," [Roth] told me. "The blue states on both coasts are very soccer-friendly as well as huge areas of support for Obama, where as the center of the country is full of people who are the enemies of soccer and Obama -- white, 50-and-over guys who listen to talk radio and only care about football or basketball."

Present company excepted, of course.

After some discussion of this intriguing intersection between national politics and soccer in America, the bulk of the article covers the novel ideas Roth is pursuing with the Sounders. These include giving fans a voice in naming the team, a system for season ticket-holders to "find their ideal seat selection based on their rooting behavior" and an American Idol-style player tryout show, complete with viewers voting online to pick a player to be signed by the team.

Not everyone thinks that Seattle's recent designated-player signing of Swedish star Freddie Ljundberg was a great idea — Goal.com has 5 reasons why it wasn't — but Roth's role is interesting:

Ljungberg was interested in the MLS, but said he wanted to play in Los Angeles or New York. So Roth made his pitch. . . Knowing that Ljungberg's agent also reps San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker, he said, 'Talk to Tony. He wanted to play in New York or L.A., and he'll tell you that the best decision he ever made was going to San Antonio.' "

Labels: media, MLS

The USL-1 championship game between Vancouver Whitecaps and the Puerto Rico Islanders I mentioned in the last post is taking place tonight.

But shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone, we don't want the secret to get out.

At least that's how it seems, since I don't have Fox Soccer Channel, where it's being televised. Other outlets one might use to follow the game, such as a match-tracker on soccernet.com, are nowhere to be found. Even the USLSoccer website doesn't make a big deal of the game, placing their pregame write-up as the 2nd of 9 rotating stories on the home page. And no match-tracker there, either.

I've seen — and participated in — various debates about whether USL-1 and MLS are equivalent, or competitors, etc. With the former's better performance in the CONCACAF Champions League so far, it might make you wonder. Then again, when the final championship game of the top tier of the league registers as less than a blip anywhere but one cable-only TV channel, maybe there's not much to argue there, after all.

Update: Whitecaps win the championship, 2-1.

Labels: media, USL-1

[With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, not that he'd know what "soccer" is.]

• If your gym has seventy-five TVs, but none of them are showing the Olympic semifinal between Argentina and Brazil, you might be an American soccer fan


• If your official Olympic broadcaster relegates the matchup between these world superpowers of football to cable-only MSNBC instead of the primary NBC affiliate, you might be an American soccer fan


• If the primary channel of your official Olympic broadcaster is filling airtime with fricking Matt Lauer and Al Roker dorking around pretending to be fricking rhythmic gymnasts during that same semifinal, you might be an American soccer fan


• If the cable-only carrier of this game breaks in — during play — to show MOTHERFLIPPIN @*#$& SASSAFRASSIN ^@#*% RACKIN FRACKIN #!&% COMMERCIALS, then there's no doubt about it. You're an American soccer fan.

Next time I'll just change the channel to Telemundo...

Labels: media

• Pulis impressed by aztex — Why Delilah
  

  Pulis, who coached for America's national youth development programme for a short spell when between jobs earlier in his managerial career, says there is a bottomless pit of potential talent because so many youngsters are playing football in the States.
  
  "No-one is making any promises," he says, "but this is clearly an area of the world that's worth keeping a very close eye on.
  
  "And we are in the very fortunate position of having two Stokies at the heart of what's going on."



• Central Texas'most powerful sports figures — Austin American-Statesman
  

  20. Phil Rawlins
  
  Sphere of influence: Soccer
  
  Title: Owner, Austin Aztex soccer club
  
  Why he's No. 20: Rawlins is the new soccer wonderboy locally. He's the minority owner of the English soccer club Stoke City, which recently moved up to the prestigious English Premier League for the first time in 23 years. While he's fairly new to the area, having moved here just four years ago, he has quickly become a major player in the soccer world.

Labels: media, Stoke City

Some more nice Aztex coverage to make sure everyone knows about: a nice profile of midfielder A.J. Godbolt in the free Capital City Sports Report paper. Google Alerts found the editorial on their site: A.J. Godbolt and the Austin Aztex. The editor says:

I have to admit, months ago when I first learned of the new Austin Aztex, I was skeptical. I've seen other "professional" soccer teams come and go in this town. In fact, we've covered a couple of them in our pages. I figured the Aztex wouldn't be any different.

I can happily admit, I was dead wrong.

The Aztex are averaging around 1,500 fans per game this season and this past Sunday they pulled in an impressive 4,700-plus crowd against one of the top Mexican team's, UANL Tigres. I know two other professional franchises in town that can only dream of pulling in those kinds of numbers.

The story on A.J. is in their current issue: A.J. Godbolt - Back Home (PDF).

“It has been great taking a more offensive role this season because nothing really compares to scoring a goal. In college it was my job and responsibility to set up my teammates for goals from the flank. It had been since high school that I had been able to be a true goal scorer and attack the way I wanted to,” Godbolt said. “I’m more of an aggressive goal scorer by nature so I have definitely enjoyed getting back into that role over the course of this season.”

Labels: media, players, U-23

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

Don't miss it: history will be made Tuesday night at Dragon Stadium. Of course, it being the first season of the club, history is made every time somebody turns around (first home game! first shutout! first 4-game winning streak! first opposing coach ejection! etc.). But still, this is big.

The Silverbacks are coming, if you hadn't heard. Furthermore, we are going to beat them. There, I said it. It made me break out in a sweat for fear of jinxing us, but I said it anyway! We are going to beat them, and beat them soundly. You heard it here first. And I hope you're there to see it with me!

In other major news, the Austin American-Statesman has a nice long story on the Aztex, including even a few pictures: Aztex, owner are on a roll.

Labels: gameday, media, U-23

A quick follow-up note to the previous post on media coverage of the Aztex.

First, I apologize for forgetting to mention the South Texas Soccer Portal, which has had very nice coverage of the Aztex games. Such as their story about Saturday's excellent 3-0 rout of the DFW Tornados. Thanks, and keep up the good work, STX!

The lingering threat of rain in Round Rock failed to deter 1013 fans or 11 Aztex from putting on a show last night, as the Aztex U-23 squad continued their debut season by posting a 3-0 win over the formidable DFW Tornadoes. With pro team boss Adrian Heath watching from his perch in Dragon stadium, the Aztex took a 1-0 halftime lead and stretched it to a 3-0 victory, while playing down for almost 30 minutes following the ejection of Round Rock native Zach Pope in the 62nd minute.

Second, as Eric pointed out in a comment on the first post, the Round Rock Leader is also covering the team: Aztex blow past Tornados for second win. Nice!

The weather was cool and perfect for a night on the pitch and the Aztex did not squander the evening - clinching their second win of the season, 3-0.

Newcomer Andres Cuero, a Westlake graduate, knocked in the first Atztex goal in the 34th minute. Willy Guadarrama and Edgar Alvarez added two more in the second half to solidify the win.

If you're an RSS news-feed reader kinda person, both sites have feeds: STX Soccer Portal; Round Rock Leader Sports.

Last, but not least, I urge you again to let the Statesman know they're letting down Austin sports fans by ignoring the Aztex.

Labels: media

First, as you hopefully know, tonight is the 2nd home game for the Aztex. It's against the DFW Tornados, fresh off their 1-0 defeat by Laredo (and when I say fresh, I mean fresh; it was last night). As already discussed, last week's game was great, and this week's couldn't come soon enough, if you ask me. So, enough said; I hope to see you there tonight!

Now, let me get to the real subject of this post: where to read about the Aztex. I just wanted to put together a rundown of some of the online places where the Aztex are being covered.

Obviously, there's the team's website: austinaztex.com. And similarly, there's the team owner's blog: The Aztex Chief. Just a few posts there so far, but they're good ones. A good example is last week's "4 out of 6", in which he describes how the organization overall probably has about the same point total this season so far as the team itself does:

We had a successful first home game on Saturday and were delighted to see a crowd of almost 1,500 enjoy the game. Most of our planning and hard work paid off but there is still much more we can do to improve our performance off the field. We have received lots of compliments and we really appreciate them and also some constructive feedback. Behind the scenes we know we have lots more we can improve on. So, off the field, while we don't have a points total to rely on to give us feedback, 4 out of 6 feels about right.

Another excellent destination for your browser or RSS news feed reader is Joshua Alcala's blog. Alcala is a starting defender with the Aztex U23s, and his feelings & experiences, as in this post from a few days ago, are a lot of fun to read.

I think the coaching staff we have, is top notch. We’ve got experience, we’ve got creative, we’ve got simplicity, all mixed together. I don’t want to keep sounding like too much of a kiss ass, because that’s not the case. I’m far from a suck up, i’ll have yall know. I am just personally happy, from the way the coaches have experimented with the line up and found something that really works.

I've also seen, thanks to Google Alerts, a few nice blog posts that mention the Aztex, even though the blogs don't specialize on just the team. For example, this post from Bean-o-rama:

The team looked good, and combined with a first-game tie against the El Paso Patriots (ppbbth) the Aztex are now at the top of the division. Most of the players looked pretty tight, and the team seemed to work well together (No. 23's got to cool off though — I thought the guy was going to start a fight, and that's not going to help him or the team).

So that's nice coverage in the blogosphere; how about more traditional print media? You couldn't ask for better attention than the team's gotten from the Austin Chronicle. Sports writer Nick Barbaro is a true Aztex hero, for all the great stuff he's written. And if you come by to check out that supporters group organizing cheers, chants & songs before the game that he mentions in that last link, I'm sure you'll be able to meet him in person.

On the other end of the spectrum is the dismal Austin American-Statesman. Not that anyone expected much from them, since the Aztex are (1) not a UT team and (2) a soccer team. I've never seen much more than an AP wire story on any soccer subject in the Statesman's pages, even with 2-time MLS champions practically next door in Houston. Speaking of Houston, at least the Houston Chronicle can include a mention of their city's PDL team, the Leones:

Leones licking wounds

The Houston Leones (1-1) suffered the first stumble of their young USL Premier Development League season, losing 2-0 to the Austin Aztex in Round Rock. They play at El Paso Patriots twice this weekend.

Seriously, the state of the Statesman is a sad one. I know the team has put a lot of effort into getting coverage from them, but to no avail. Here's a new team in town, which by all measures is off to a great start, and not a peep? Maybe now that the Ice Bats have packed it in, the Statesman will snap out of it.

Feel free to contact the Statesman's sports desk, and encourage them to pull their heads out.

Labels: media, U-23

It's been kind of slow for the Aztex lately, news-wise. To tide you over until we hear something about the U23 roster, here are a few miscellaneous tidbits (apologies to readers who keep up on BigSoccer's Aztex forum, as neither of these will be news to you).

First, Playing Through, a nice write-up in the Austin Chronicle about local soccer hopefuls Marcelino Uriarte & Wes Allen:

It's a tale of two center midfielders.

Both are smart and versatile. Either would be a cornerstone of the Austin Aztex's Premier Development League team, a squad starting up from scratch a few weeks before the 2008 season opener on May 3 (home opener May 10 vs. Houston Leones, 7:30pm, at Dragon Stadium in Round Rock).

Second, here's a BBC Radio interview with Aztex owner Phil Rawlins. You can listen to the full, hour-long show in original RealAudio format, or just the 7 minutes of Phil's interview in MP3 format (which occurs about 42 minutes in to the full show). Apparently Phil, along with Head Coach Adrian Heath and USL President Francisco Marcos, was preparing for a Stoke City fan meeting of some kind, to discuss all things Aztex.

Phil (& Adrian, presumably) will also be at Brittania Stadium tomorrow night to watch Stoke beat Crystal Palace, the lucky dogs. I'll post an update to the Championship League table after the game, but I'd like to thank Bristol City for their 0-2 loss to Southampton yesterday. Keep up the good work, lads!

Labels: coaches, media, players, Stoke City, U-23

Another beautiful weekend for the second half of the U-23 tryouts at St. Edward's, and lots of players out to take advantage of it. There were reportedly 160 players trying out, separate from the 100+ that were out last weekend. That includes lots of local folks, as well as applicants from as far away as Toronto. The Aztex Pix Flickr group has more pictures of the day, including a few (posted by "grayfamilybuda") with good commentary.

The large turnout was thought to have been boosted by a Univision segment on the tryouts that aired mid-week. And there was additional press coverage this weekend: a photographer from Spanish-language weekly El Mundo, and a camera from News 8 Austin:



That video is now also available on News 8 Austin's site, along with a story drawn from the Aztex's report on last weekend's tryout (including an incorrect mention of "next weekend’s tryouts").

According to team sources, we should be getting some good announcements out of the front office soon. The word is that the stadium location has been decided, and will be announced as soon as all the agreements are finalized, possibly this week.

Labels: media, players, U-23

Okay, let's start off with some basics: the coverage of the announcement that Austin's getting a USL-1 team in our local papers.

First, the daily paper, the Austin American-Statesman: Austin Getting Soccer Club.

The Aztex would be the 12th team in USL D-1, which includes the Seattle Sounders, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rochester Raging Rhinos and Puerto Rico Islanders.

USL D-1 has its roots in the former A-League, which had 28 teams a decade ago. Travel costs and costly player salaries were among the issues that forced some teams to fold or drop to a lower division. Rawlins said the league has since stabilized.

"Teams like the Sounders and Whitecaps have been around for 10-plus years," Rawlins said. "Average attendance is about 5,500" per game.

The Aztex also will have an under-23 team after acquiring controlling interest in the Austin Stampede, an expansion team in the USL Premier Development League. Rawlins also plans to have a women's team by 2010 and youth teams.

"We will have a full soccer club," Rawlins said.

The other bit I found especially interesting from the Statesman article was this bit at the end:

As for Stoke City, the red-and-white clad Potters are the second-oldest professional club in the world. They're currently one step down from the England's Premiership league, but will have a chance to qualify for the top league this year. The top two teams from the Championship League move up, while teams in third through sixth have a playoff for the third spot. Stoke is currently in fourth.

"We're right at the cusp of it," Rawlins said. "Our television revenue alone would go from $2 million a year to $150 million. It's a huge step up."

From $2 million to $150?? Hell yeah, baby! That certainly couldn't hurt the Aztex if their partner team got promoted to the EPL during Austin's inaugural year. And even if the Austin franchise never got a dime of that bonanza of pounds sterling, the additional press alone would surely have a good effect.

Okay, moving on, here's a bit in the local alt-weekly, the Austin Chronicle: Hello, Aztex.

Unlike any soccer team Austin's had before, this one is fully professional. And they'll start out with proven top-level management, and connections to the top levels of international football: president Phil Rawlins, an Austin resident, is also an owner and director of Stoke City FC – the world's second-oldest pro football club, currently having a very successful season in the English Championship – with whom the Aztex immediately announced an affiliation.

Plus a nice little bit of trivia/background about Stoke City:

Now I suppose I'll have to become a Potters fan. Shouldn't be hard, really – they're a likable and attack-minded young team, with a great club history, dating back to an 1863 railroad workers' team.

Labels: media, Stoke City