The Aztexan

Aztex Dominate Home Opener

2008-05-12T05:19:00.000-05:00

What a night! The first-ever Austin Aztex home game was Saturday night, and if you missed it, you really missed something. The crowd was good, the team was good, the play was good; heck, even the result was good! (Austin soundly defeated the Houston Leones 2-0.) Not too bad a start for an expansion side.

Being brand-new to soccer in Austin, I have the opposite background as the author of this excellent post-game report:

I won't pretend to be a neutral observer for the home debut of the Austin Aztex U-23 squad. I didn't want to ask for media credentials because I wanted to sit in the stands and gauge the reaction of the crowd - if there was going to be a crowd. I wanted to do this because I want so much to see the Aztex succeed and enjoy a successful, professional soccer organization in Austin. I've been going to the Austin pro/semi-pro games since the days of the Soccadilloes and the Austin Thunder. I bemoaned the disaster that was the Austin Lightning. I predicted the scam that was the Austin Posse.

Nevertheless, I was also anxious to see what kind of crowd would turn out. Turns out, my worries were unfounded. The count from the Aztex front office is "nearly 1,500", which is fantastic. All in all, a great start for a season — and a team — that's just going to get bigger & better!

Hope to see you at Saturday's match against DFW Tornados!

Finally - First Aztex Home Game!

2008-05-10T10:30:00.003-05:00

You probably don't need me to tell you this, but tonight is the first Aztex U23 home game of the 2008 season. About time, too! 7:30PM at Round Rock High School's Dragon Stadium vs. the Houston Leones. Hopefully this will be the first of many poundings the Aztex will give the Leones. See you there!

Stoke City Promoted to Premiership!

2008-05-04T10:09:00.005-05:00

All Stoke City needed today in their game against Leicester City was a draw, and that's all they got; final scoreline: 0-0. I managed to find pirate live video of the 2nd half of the game, and let me say, it was intense. Somehow, it hadn't really registered for me that Leicester was fighting relegation, so there was a lot at stake for both teams.

Anyway, to hell with the table, and with the results of all the other matches. Who cares? All that matters to The Aztexan is that STOKE ARE PROMOTED!!

First-Ever Aztex Game Saturday

2008-05-01T13:12:00.006-05:00

If you're following the Austin Aztex at all, you probably know their season officially starts Saturday. The first-ever game of the Austin Aztex is an away game, against the El Paso Patriots.

As noted in this fine write-up in the Chronicle, El Paso finished in 2nd place in the Mid South Division last year, so they may be a tough opening opponent.

Although I would have loved to make the 16-hour round-trip drive to El Paso, I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss seeing this auspicious moment in person. However, there is a possibility that some loyal Aztex supporters will manage to get an Internet video stream of the game hooked up to a TV at Mother Egan's on Saturday night.

Having that hook-up is not a certainty. In fact, having a video stream of the game at all is not a certainty. However, Mother Egan's having plenty of ice-cold Harp lager is a certainty. Hope to see you there!

Mother Egan's Pub, 714 W. 6th St.
Saturday, May 3
8:30 PM
El Paso Patriots vs. Austin Aztex U23s

Stoke in 2nd, Promotion Not Yet Clinched

2008-05-01T07:22:00.001-05:00

Okay, we're down to the wire, now. And I'm delinquent in putting this up, so I won't give the full run-down of recent results.

Currently, Stoke City is in second, tied on points with West Brom but nowhere near in goal difference (West Brom: 31, Stoke 14). Meanwhile, Hull City continues to breathe down their neck, just 3 points back, and also with a better goal difference (19).

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	West Bromwich Albion	78	—
2	Stoke City	78	—
3	Hull City	75	—
4	Bristol City	71	—
5	Watford	69	—
6	Crystal Palace	68	—
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	67

(Full table)

So the bottom line is, if Stoke get a draw or a win when 21st-place Leicester City come to Britannia Stadium on Saturday, their promotion to the Premiership is assured! Aztex owners Phil & Kay Rawlins will be in Stoke-on-Trent for the match, so if any extra little bit of luck is needed, hopefully that will do it. GO POTTERS!!

Leones Coverage in the (Houston) Chronicle

2008-04-26T22:38:00.003-05:00

Finally, some signs of life from our soon-to-be PDL arch-rivals, the Houston Leones, in the form of two articles from the Houston Chronicle.

The first is a fairly brief blurb covering the basic facts of the new team and the league itself, though it does have a little info on some of the players: Leones ready to roam pitch in Houston

Adhering to league rules, the team is made up of mostly college-age players, many of whom attend local schools, including the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Houston Baptist and San Jacinto College. . .

The team also boasts developmental players from Mexican teams UANL Tigres (two) and Cruz Azul (four), the latter with whom the Leones have a partnership.

The Leones will be coached by Carlos Ayala, who previously coached Cruz Azul's team in First Division A, Mexico's equivalent of a second division.

The second is a more in-depth piece on the owner, Juan Carlos Hernández: There's nothing amateur about Hernandez's venture. At least there were never any anguished decisions about where they would play, as Hernandez owns Soccer World Center, a 17-acre private soccer park in Richmond (southwest of Houston).

Proof [of Hernandez' seriousness], in the way of a brand-new 4,500-capacity stadium, is as hard as the white-coated concrete it is made of. A simple yet efficient facility consisting of two long bleacher structures along the sidelines that rise some 25-30 feet, a small but cozy press box (complete with A/C), and a no-frills scoreboard, sound system and lighting. The field is getting greener and should be in good shape come May 3, when the Leones host the New Orleans Shell Shockers.

The Leones will be one of only five PDL teams, out of the more than 60 this season, to own their stadium.

Sounds like a nice outfit. I can't wait for the Aztex to start beating them!

Stoke Slide to 2nd

2008-04-22T13:15:00.002-05:00

Despite a 2-1 victory over Bristol City, Stoke City drop to 2nd place this week. West Bromwich Albion, 0-1 over Wolverhampton on Tuesday and 1-2 over Norwich on Saturday, take over the top spot, 6 points richer than last week. The only other movement at the top of the Championship table was another swap: Hull City continue their climb despite a 2-0 loss to Sheffield United on Saturday, due to their 1-3 victory over Barnsley on Tuesday.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	West Bromwich Albion	77
2	Stoke City	75
3	Hull City	72
4	Bristol City	71
5	Watford	69	—
6	Crystal Palace	68	—
7	Ipswich Town	65	—

(Full table)

That leaves 2 more games for the Potters to keep fighting for every inch (deja vu, I know - I mistakenly thought there were two games left as of last week, but it was three). Hopefully a win against dead-last Colchester this Saturday doesn't require too much fighting.

Stoke Back On Top

2008-04-14T07:50:00.008-05:00

After putting Coventry City away 2-1, Stoke City are back in the top spot! But there are still only 3 points separating them from the next four teams.

West Brom & Watford drew 1-1, which is as close to them both losing (as I requested last week) as could be managed. In fact, it was practically a festival of ties: fellow promotion challengers Bristol City (0-0 vs. Wolverhampton) and Hull City (1-1 vs. QPR) joined the party as well. Thanks, guys, and keep up the good work. The result was little movement at the top of the table, save for Stoke jumping up to #1.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Stoke City	72
2	West Bromwich Albion	71
3	Bristol City	71
4	Hull City	69	—
5	Watford	69	—
6	Crystal Palace	65	—
7	Ipswich Town	64	—

(Full table)

According to the Telegraph, Stoke manager Tony Pulis used Al Pacino's fire & brimstone locker-room speech from Any Given Sunday to rally the troops before the game:

"We came into the dressing room and there was a big screen set up with speakers and everything," said Liam Lawrence, scorer of Stoke's winner. "We were like, 'What's going on?' They showed us Al Pacino's team talk from Any Given Sunday [the American Football film] and that really got us going.

"Any added motivation is good at this stage. It's 40-odd games in and you've still got to play every game as though it's your first. It's just about winning now."

(Note: includes language not suitable for work ;-)

I hope the Potters can keep on fighting for every inch over their next 2 games, starting Saturday when #3 Bristol City come to Britannia Stadium.

Stoke City Drop to 3rd

2008-04-09T20:41:00.004-05:00

It hasn't been a good week for Stoke City's promotion prospects, as they lost to Crystal Palace Monday night, 1-0.

Meanwhile, Bristol City lost 0-2 to Southampton last weekend, which was nice of them. West Brom was less accommodating with their 3-1 defeat of Blackpool, which was enough to put them in the #1 spot, if barely. Watford won once (2-1 over Coventry City on Saturday) and lost once (0-3 to Barnsley on Wednesday), holding their #5 spot. Hull City's recent steady climb was on hold this week, if only because they didn't play.

So Stoke drops to 3rd, but not by much. Notice that the top 5 teams are separated by a mere two points!

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	West Bromwich Albion	70
2	Bristol City	70
3	Stoke City	69
4	Hull City	68	—
5	Watford	68	—
6	Crystal Palace	62
7	Ipswich Town	61	—

The Potters' weekend match is away against 19th-place Coventry City. Hopefully West Brom, Bristol City, Hull and Watford will all lose (which would be a neat trick, actually, since West Brom and Watford play each other!).

Quick Hits

2008-04-06T11:37:00.005-05:00

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!

Stoke City Slip to 2nd

2008-03-29T19:07:00.002-05:00

Stoke City held a 1-0 lead over Sheffield Wednesday for 60 minutes before surrendering a late goal and settling for a 1-1 draw today. Meanwhile, Bristol City topped Norwich 2-1 to snatch the top spot. In other results, West Brom came back from an early 2-0 deficit to Colchester, netting two in the 91st minute to come out on top, 4-3. And Hull City continue their winning streak, putting Watford down 3-0 and hanging strong in 3rd.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Bristol City	70
2	Stoke City	69
3	Hull City	68	—
4	West Bromwich Albion	66
5	Watford	65
6	Wolverhampton Wanderers	61
7	Ipswich Town	59	—

(Full table)

Stoke City don't play again until next Monday, April 7, when 9th place Crystal Palace come to Brittania Stadium.

We Have A Stadium!

2008-03-25T12:24:00.002-05:00

Finally, the answer to one of the biggest remaining questions of the 2008 Aztex season -- "Where will we play?" -- is out.

The answer is (drumroll please...) Round Rock High School's Dragon Stadium, located north of town, near the intersection of I-35 and 620.

I've added Dragon Stadium to the Google Map included with my original stadium speculation post (it's the solid green marker at the top of the map). You'll see that it's farther out from downtown than, say, the big new RRISD stadium complex, but I think it will be much simpler to get to from the south.

Sure, it might be lacking a couple of things that would make it ideal (e.g., real grass, closer in to town, no American football lines) but honestly, what could anyone expect? There is no Easter Bunny, Gwyneth Paltrow is already married to someone else, and the Aztex didn't find a secret soccer-specific stadium between the couch-cushions of downtown Austin. Okay; mourning period over!

In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to seeing this place. With a little over a month until the season begins, I'm sure the team is being put together as quickly as possible. Let the countdown to the home opener begin! (That's Saturday, May 10 vs. the Houston Leones, if I need to remind you).

Stoke City Stay In 1st

2008-03-22T16:14:00.004-05:00

The Potters hung on through another weekend, staying in first and even extending their lead a tiny bit. Their own result today was a 1-1 draw with Blackpool. Meanwhile, 2nd place Bristol City lost 1-2 to Cardiff City, and 3rd place Watford drew 1-1 with Plymouth Argyle. Hull City, meanwhile, continue to shoot up the table, with 2 wins since last weekend.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Stoke City	68	—
2	Bristol City	67	—
3	Hull City	65
4	Watford	65
5	West Bromwich Albion	63
6	Plymouth Argyle	59	—
7	Ipswich Town	59

(Full table)

So while Stoke isn't running away with it (yet!), they stay atop the table for another week. That's one down, six to go. Next up: an away match against relegation-endangered Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday, Mar. 29.

And here's a Championship bonus for you: an article from BBC News a couple weeks ago on Stoke City and Bristol City, and their Premiership hopes: Championship chargers.

"The biggest thing for a manager - and this is something that I learned when I came into coaching with Harry Redknapp at Bournemouth - is knowing the product," [Stoke manager Tony] Pulis explains. "And the product in football is players.

"There has been a big change of players here.

"You have got to really know what you want as a manager and put the right pegs in the right holes.

"You don't find out about players sat around the television. You have to be out and about, on the road, watching games. It takes a lot of time to analyse what is out there."

Live Soccer Is Better

2008-03-20T12:23:00.004-05:00

I saw this recently on the excellent FC Dallas fan site, 3rd Degree, in a write-up of the recent FCD vs. LA Galaxy game. It's probably preaching to the choir for most of the readers of this site. But maybe it's worth remembering, as we prepare to start dragging friends & family to live Aztex matches, some of who may try to say 'no, thanks -- I've seen soccer on TV.'

Which brings me back to why this game is better viewed in situ than it is by sitting at home, at a friend’s house, or in a bar. Watching the FC Dallas vs. L.A. Galaxy match from the stands where the entire field is always in view helps to see what only the very best players see: The whole picture unfold, the runs of team mates, the presence of opponents, and the options available. With one magical pass midway through the second half Beckham confirmed to me his brilliance.

People, especially those who aren't already fans, need to realize that watching soccer is different than watching other sports. Basketball is most similar, I guess, but even there, the court is small enough that the TV cameras capture most of the action. Baseball and American football are also very well-suited to television. If all you see in those sports is where the ball goes, you're not missing much.

But seeing the fluidity of a soccer match in person -- the ebbs and flows of players, the dynamic changes of formation, how subs affect that, and all the rest, is very different. And it's a much richer experience than only seeing what the TV cameras show (i.e., where the ball goes).

Now, when does this season begin, again?!

Supporters Group/Dynamo v. Municipal Watch Party

2008-03-17T20:10:00.003-05:00

Join the Aztex supporters group, gathering once again at Mother Egan's on 6th Street, this Wednesday, Mar. 19. The “agenda”: watch the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals game between the Houston Dynamo and Guatemalan side CSD Municipal (The Orange vs. The Reds!). Also, if time allows, we'll continue to not decide on a name for the supporters group. ;-)

The game starts at 7:30; some will be there as early as 6:30. And don't forget: in addition to a fine selection of beer, Mother Egan's menu also features fried Milky Way or Snickers. What more could you ask for?

U-23 Tryouts, Weekend 2

2008-03-16T07:30:00.002-05:00

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.

Stoke City Back in 1st

2008-03-15T14:37:00.007-05:00

They're just barely there, but they are there! They were only able to get a draw (0-0) against Watford today, despite being a man up for more than two-thirds of the match.

In other results of interest today, Bristol City went down 1-2 to Plymouth, and Hull City continue their climb with a 5-0 thrashing of Southampton.

But I think the most remarkable result may be West Brom, who got a 1-4 pounding from 20th place Leicester City. The Foxes scored all 4 of their goals after West Brom striker Luke Moore was red carded in the 35th minute. West Brom still have two games in hand over Stoke, and they have made it to the FA Cup semifinals, but maybe they're not worth worrying about too much, after all.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Stoke City	67
2	Bristol City	67
3	Watford	64	—
4	West Bromwich Albion	62	—
5	Hull City	59
6	Plymouth Argyle	58
7	Crystal Palace	57

(Full table)

That leaves seven more games in the season, and it looks to me to be a pretty reasonable schedule from here on out. Most of the games are against teams from the bottom of the table, except for Bristol City and Crystal Palace, and both of those are home games. So although their first-place position is a bit tenuous, I think the Potters have a good grip on their own promotion destiny now. Hopefully they'll solidify things starting with their next match: Blackpool at home next Saturday, Mar. 22.

Stoke City Back in 2nd Place

2008-03-11T19:40:00.004-05:00

With a 1-1 draw against Burnley at the weekend, and a 1-0 win over Norwich, Stoke City have climbed back into 2nd place! Bristol City and Watford also getting a 1-1 draw today didn't hurt, either.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Bristol City	67	—
2	Stoke City	66
3	Watford	63
4	West Bromwich Albion	61	—
5	Charlton Athletic	56	—
6	Hull City	56
7	Plymouth Argyle	55

(Full table)

Definitely a good result today, but I don't think we're out of the woods yet. #3 Watford has a game in hand, and #4 West Brom has two. West Brom will make up one of those tomorrow, vs. Crystal Palace (go Eagles!).

Next up for Stoke: taking the bull (hart?) by the horns this Saturday, playing Watford at Vicarage Road (Watford's home stadium).

U-23 Tryouts

2008-03-09T18:56:00.004-05:00

Tryouts at St. Edward's

I stopped by day 2 of this weekend's U-23 tryouts today. The weather was beautiful. I'm no scout, but even I could see there was quite a range of skill on display. There were three separate scrimmages going on at the same time, so I guess that means there were about 66 hopefuls in attendance. The Aztex expect about that many more for next weekend's tryouts (Mar. 15 & 16), too, so I'm sure we'll get a good strong team out of all these guys.

I'm also no photographer, but I took a few snapshots. You can see them in the new Flickr account I set up. I've also started setting up a Flickr group, so that others can share their amateur (or pro!) Aztex photos. (Note, as of this posting, no pictures are showing up in the group, apparently because Flickr hasn't completed their review process of my account yet.)

Speaking of the tryouts, there's a nice interview with U-23 Head Coach Wolfgang Suhnholz on the Aztex website (start on the main page; then read the rest):

Question: Will the Aztex Stoke connection mean a “British style of play?”

Suhnholz: There no longer is a British style, or German style, or Mexican style. That has all changed. Soccer is a global sport. You play with the players you have and what they can bring to the table. I am a big believer that a good soccer player can play with anybody and any style.

Soccer has changed. The bottom line is that you want to put a good winning product on the field. I worked with European, Hispanic, African players, people from all over the world. Even the English don’t play old English soccer anymore. Look at Adrian Heath who has played in the UK and in Spain. He will take the best from everything and play the style that will win. That’s what we intend to do.

Stoke City Fall to 3rd

2008-03-05T20:39:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, the rest of the Championship caught up some with the number of games Stoke City's played. Unfortunately, the results weren't good news for the Potters. Bristol City held on to #1, gaining a point; Watford squeaked past Stoke into the #2 spot, and though West Brom is still in 4th, they're closing in on the top again.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Bristol City	65	—
2	Watford	62
3	Stoke City	62
4	West Bromwich Albion	61	—
5	Charlton Athletic	56	—
6	Plymouth Argyle	55
7	Ipswich Town	53

(Full table)

Next up, getting back on track by beating Burnley this Saturday. The good news is, captain Andy Griffin will be back, after having the red card he was given in Sunday's game against Queens Park Rangers rescinded.

Supporters Group Meeting Tonight

2008-03-05T09:42:00.003-06:00

I mentioned this in a previous post, but don't forget: Aztex supporters group meeting 6:00 tonight at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, located at 715 W. 6th St.

Come help form the best supporters group the USL's ever seen! You'll be able to tell your great-great-grandkids, "I was there at the beginning."

Stoke City Fall to 2nd

2008-03-02T11:26:00.004-06:00

Stoke City lost today to mid-table side Queens Park Rangers, final score 0-3. The loss, which included a red card to Stoke City captain Andy Griffin at the end of the first half, keeps the Potters behind current leaders Bristol City.

P	Team	Pts	Move
1	Bristol City	64
2	Stoke City	62
3	Watford	61	—
4	West Bromwich Albion	58	—
5	Charlton Athletic	55
6	Ipswich Town	52
7	Plymouth Argyle	52

(Full table)

At least I can't take the blame for neglecting this one; I was sweating over every goal (via ESPNsoccernet's match cast). And unfortunately, Stoke City is a game up over everyone else in the league; actually two games up over some teams, including #4 West Brom. They're going to have to work hard and maybe catch a lucky break or two to stay in one of the automatic promotion spots.

Most of the league plays Tuesday -- root for Charlton over Bristol City, Norwich over Watford and an upset from Sheff Wed over West Brom. Stoke return to the pitch next Saturday, 3/8, to take on #8 Burnley.

Local Football, Why Do We Bother?

2008-03-01T18:38:00.002-06:00

I saw this 2-and-a-half minute video mentioned on the BigSoccer forum some time ago. It's originally about the Irish Football League, but I'm sure it rings true with fans far and wide.

Do you ever wonder sometimes why you bother? I mean, how easy would it be to forsake the local version of the beautiful game for the warm and cosy alternative offered courtesy of your satellite dish?
You've got your numerous camera angles, expert analysis, build-ups, post mortems and all manner of gadgets and gizmos at the other end of a wee red button.

Hard to beat, isn't it? Irish League football doesn't really stand a chance. So why do we bother?

Speaking of bothering, some of us are getting together again this Wednesday, Mar. 5, at 6:00 at Mother Egan's on 6th. We'll be forming an Aztex supporters group, at least the beginnings of one. Hope to see you there!

Stadium News Soon

2008-03-01T14:06:00.003-06:00

Aztex owner Phil Rawlins, on his Aztex Chief blog Wednesday, hints that a stadium announcement is coming soon:

Along side our coaching appointments I have been working around the clock on securing a stadium for us. I have now reviewed and met with organizations representing more than 16 stadium alternatives. Many of the options are not available in '08 due to scheduling conflicts, field reconstruction or policy issues but I am determined to find us the very best option. That means a stadium we can call home for the whole season, that has a good location and is the right size for us to create a good atmosphere. We have a couple of great options and I am confident that in the next few days/week we will have good news to share.

Stoke City 0-2 Preston North End

2008-02-26T18:59:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry everybody. It's my fault. I completely forgot about today's game, so I wasn't there for Stoke when they needed it. I'll try not to let it happen again.

Neither of the other two games (Barnsley 0-0 QPR & Burnley 2-0 Coventry) affected the top of the table, so Stoke City remain in the #1 spot. But they sure would have looked better there with 65 points, instead of 62. The other teams nipping at the Potters' heels play Saturday, and Stoke play again on Sunday. They play QPR (that's Queens Park Rangers, not the home shopping network), who are currently in 15th place.

I promise I'll remember this time. ;-)