Announced Aztex scouting destinations:
Mexico, Haiti, Colombia & SenegalIf 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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

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.

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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.

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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. Click to continue reading...

photo: Patrick MeredithThe 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 Mexican pro team, in the midst of their season, adds to the victory. Click to continue reading...

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). Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

Photo: VictoriaHighlandersFC.comThe 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. Click to continue reading...

Photo: Vancouver Whitecaps FacebookAnd 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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

Sore losers (key word, "losers"): Timbers fans shooting the bird at the Aztex after the final whistleHoly 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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

Photo: Patrick MeredithWell, 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. Click to continue reading...