Burrito is happy Hulk Hogan going to be at 2 Miami FC games as he wrestle to beat your property taxes, like he used to wrestle Andre the Giant and Ultimate Warrior!
But Burrito really hope the Hulkster brings his daughter Brooke! She is one hot mamacita! Burrito going to ask Hulk if it ok if Burrito marry her and then we have little Hogan Burritos!

Miami FC was able to overcome a 1-0 deficit at half time and defeated Lynch's FC by scoring 2 goals in 1 minute.
Lynch's drew first blood at the 35th minute off of a penalty that left the crowd gathered at Tropical Park silent. As half time came and went things looked bleak for the Blues until a confusing play that looked like a penalty in favor of Miami FC led to the first goal by Paulo Araujo at the 64th minute.

Hulkamania will not be coming to FIU Stadium after all. Turns out the Hulkster canceled his South Florida dates. No further info was given.
While all the drama concerning USL's sale was going on, Miami FC signed a new player. He is Forward Aaron King who transferred last Friday. King, will be need up front as Miami's forwards have not been very efficient this year.

Everyone be sure to let the good people at the USL and USLLive.com know how much we appreciate them broadcasting all the U.S. Open Cup matches that possibly can. I know there are many MLS fans that are excited about being able to see their clubs play as well...
...and of course, every soccer fan should be ecstatic to be able to watch the Portland v.

Inside Minnesota Soccer learned this evening from several reliable sources who both wished to remain anonymous, that there will be a USL-1 First division team playing in Minnesota in the summer of 2010.

One source close to the Team Owners Association (TOA) and United Soccer League (USL) impasse did not want to expound on who the owners of the team would be but did indicate that it would not be the current ownership group of the Thunder.

Some people might complain that sport ticket prices in this town are expensive. In Baseball they can range from $315 to $12-$16 for upper nose bleed. For American Football it's even worse $41.00 to $700.00! Not to mention parking! But when you talk about Football Soccer then you really can't complain.

As many were aware, backup goalkeeper Zack Simmons has been waived by the Revolution to pursue a law degree at Yale (glad to see we have some intelligent soccer players). In his place, the New England Revolution announced yesterday that the club has signed goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to a developmental contract.

The news came out this week that Austin Aztex FC and the University of Texas will jointly host an exhibition match featuring 2 premier Mexican pro soccer teams, dubbed the "State Farm Copa Aztex". The deal is to last for several years, making this an annual event. The teams announced for this first year's matchup on July 18 are Cruz Azul and Tigres UANL.

It took 8 games for Miami FC to finally win one as they came from behind and scored an important victory over the Austin Aztex at FIU Stadium on Saturday. The fans led by the Miami Ultras came out on a wet night and were rewarded with a stellar performance by Midfielder Brian Shriver who was awarded man of the match.

Hola South Florida Futbol Fans and peoples of the worlds! (Especialy all the hot mamacitas!) Burrito bring you mucho informations so put on seatbelts cause here we go:
Miami FC win game on Sunday vs los Aztex from Austin by 2-0. Burritos idol Diego Serna hit post on shot then miss penalty but later score when Austin Goalie make boo boo and give ball straight to Serna.

As US Soccer's special "Professional League Task Force" lead by CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn, sorts through this debate of 2nd division league control, I thought it might be helpful for everyone to go through the teams one by one as a guide. There have been many claims by both sides as to the teams they have slated to play in 2010.

Three stories which appeared at first unrelated all seem to be coming together at the same time.
Story 1 - Philadelphia Union's Nick Sakiewicz, stated on Glenn Davis's show that they were pursuing a high profile coach who would also serve the role as manager. One whom they had to wait for.

All quiet on the Wasatch Front?
At least for now... However our friends at MLSR partner RSLFM give us the lowdown on some moves that we will be keeping our eyes open for in the days/weeks ahead:
"Secret Trialist" at RSL training at Xango Field in Lehi, UT yesterday. Not sure who it is yet--but stay tuned.

MLSnet Game Previews
- FCD Host Quakes In Sunday Matinee
- West Powers Meet In Los Angeles
- Reds Face Galaxy In Matinee Showdown
Americans Abroad / USMNT
Nothing Ever Seems Easy For U.S. Soccer Team - New York Times
Conor Casey Gets USMNT Call-Up - Soccer By Ives
Hard Work Results In Swedish Success For Davies - Soccer365
Dismal Display In Costa Rica Opens Door For Criticism - Fox Sports
Should The U.

According to the Dynamo, goalkeeper Tyler Deric, defender Mike Chabala and midfielder Erik Ustruck will be joining the Austin Aztex on loan. Deric, who previously joined the Aztex in a backup role, will be with the USL team in the...

The Dynamo defeated the Austin Aztex last night 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open Cup Tournament. The roster was dominated by seldom used players; Tally Hall, Julius James, John Michael Hayden, Erik Ustruck, Danny Cruz, Ade Akinbiyi. Despite the roster overhaul, the Orange still managed to post two goals.

Hailed as the biggest professional soccer game in Austin history, the State Farm Copa Aztex is this Saturday, July 18. The match will be an exhibition game between two storied Mexican teams gearing up to start their season: Cruz Azul and UANL Tigres.
The Chronicle has more on the game and why it's a big deal:

It's the final preseason tune-up for the clubs, who open the 2009 Apertura season next week.

After their 3-1 victory on Saturday over the Aztex, Miami FC gets ready to take on The Rochester Rhinos at Lockhart Stadium this Tuesday September 8th at 8 pm.
Last time these teams met was back in April at Lockhart Stadium when the Blues were stunned by the Rhinos 2-1 in front of over 1500 people.

I'm not normally one to simply pass on links, but I just came across a nice little article on the Austin Aztex, and I thought I'd share. It fits nicely with my new found interest in USL, and I'm...

Cause he and some other ex-FCD'ers will be in Austin on Friday night to play the Aztex.

The Colorado Rapids have loaned midfielder Ciaran O'Brien to the Austin Aztex for the remainder of the 2009 season, the club announced.

O'Brien joins the USL First Division side, and he will be available for its game Saturday night against the Charleston Battery.

"I think this is a wonderful opportunity for him to get games, to further his development and really to play in what is most important in front of a crowd and for points," Rapids coach Gary Smith told the Rapids Undercurrent.

Four MLS clubs were toppled by lower-division clubs in round of 16 play on Tuesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. The U.S. Open Cup is our countries version of the FA Cup.
Giant killers included Charleston of USL-1 (who defeated Chivas USA 3-1); Rochester Rhinos of USL-1 (who defeated the Columbus Crew in penalty kicks after drawing 1-1 at the end of regulation); Harrisburg of USL-2 (defeated the New England Revolution 2-1); Wilmington Hammerheads of USL-2 (defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0).

MLS Clubs Even the Score Wednesday Night, Next Round Kicks Off July 7
CHICAGO (July 2, 2009) — The third round of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup wrapped up Wednesday night with matches in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Ore. While Tuesday night had seen four of six MLS teams tossed from the tournament with losses to lower division teams, Wednesday saw balance restored in the form of victories for the Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo.

As the European club season hits the stretch drive, teams are starting to position themselves for title runs. Some teams already have one hand on their domestic titles, while some others are embattled in tight races.

UEFA Champions League semifinalists Barcelona and Manchester United can move closer to their domestic titles with wins today, as Barcelona faces a tough Valencia squad and United takes on Tottenham.

Programming note for all of you interested in USL-1; Ginge is holding a live blog at his site tonight for the Austin Aztex v. Puerto Rico Islanders match. Those of you that are regular readers...

The Puerto Rico Islanders tied the Austin Aztex 1-1 in "normal" week-4 action to remain undefeated in 2nd place) with 8 points, only 2 points behind the leading Carolina Railhaks, in this "normal" week's standings.

In other 4th "normal" week action this weekend, the Portland Timbers got their first win of the season, while the 2008 USL-2 Champion Cleveland City Stars allowed 3 more goals (9 goals allowed so far this season) to lose their 3rd straight game of the season.

Your wait is finally over. The Houston Leones got their 2009 season underway on Saturday, achieving a 1-1 tie with the Austin Aztex U23 team. Who are these clubs I speak of? They are members of the Premier Development League, which is a division of the United Soccer League. Before you ask yourself why you should care, let me point out a few former members of the PDL.

Some links I wanted to share with y'all this weekend.
The U.S. Open Cup is one of the oldest cup competitions in the world,and here's a really good site devoted to the competition.
Thanks to the success of the Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact in the CONCACAF Champions League, the USL now has a higher profile and with that profile comes a new website devoted to USL News.

The Austin Aztex return home to Nelson Field tonight, Sunday May 24, at 6:00 to face the league leaders Carolina Railhawks.
The Railhawks are perched at the top of the table, tied for 1st with the Charleston Battery; both teams have 16 points from 8 games. The Railhawks are 5-2-1, coming off a 3-0 win over Cleveland City Stars on Friday night in Cleveland (match report / box score).

Maybe I like rooting for the underdog, and the Houston Leones certainly fit that description. The losses are piling up and my frustration is rising. Any other fan might head the opposite direction, but not me. Enduring defeat makes victory that much sweeter. And not all was a total loss this weekend.

A little reminder of what we're playing for on Saturday!

• National Team loses 3-1 to Costa Rica

Embarrassing. I'm torn between firing Bradley now and improving our chances, or keeping Bradley so the team goes down hard and the USSF learns a lesson.

• Pablo called up for the Nats

Given the way he played last night, this may be his last callup.

The Puerto Rico Islanders got their 2nd victory in a row with a win at home in week-10 "normal" action, their first home win at their last 3 games at Juan Ramón Loubriel. The Islanders (15 pts) climbed up a spot to 4th place in the "normal" standings, 7 points behind the league leading Charleston Battery and Carolina Railhawks who are tied on the top with 22 points.

Americans Abroad / USMNT
Bob Bradley From Training In Seattle - The MNT Blog
USA Moves Up To 12th In FIFA Rankings - Soccer By Ives
Team USA Earning Respect - Press-Enterprise
Pacific Time, Day 1 - The MNT Blog
Americans Abroad: Maurice Edu's Wild Ride - Soccer America
Deconstructing Bradley - Unprofessional Foul
American Soccer Is Fine, Thank You - Three Wise Men
More On The Awful American Soccer Team - Harper's Magazine
Cup Run Was A Lift, Says Benny - Soccer365
Barnes, Grella Excel From Start - Duke Chronicle
More Choices For Bradley At Gold Cup - Goal (NY Times)
Report: Clint Dempsey To Quit Fulham For Everton - Goal.

Friday night at Middlefield Cheese Stadium saw a pretty even game between the Aztex and the Cleveland City Stars. I was terrified through the last 15 minutes that Cleveland was going to steal a draw again, like they did last weekend. But Austin held on, and got their first win on the road.
Here's a rundown of other post-match coverage:

• box score - USLSoccer.

USL Week in Review

I'm makeing***

League News

USL named their First Division Team of the Week - Week #12:

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United Soccer Leagues announced the Team of the Week honors for the 12th week of the USL season.

image via Rochester Rhinos

Rochester Rhinos' rookie, Nano Short, is this week's guest on the Jared Montz Soccer Podcast. Nano earned All-American honors at Lynn University and is coming fresh off his start in last night's US Open Cup match against the Wilmington Hammerheads.

After dealing with an injury Nano seems to be on the right track scoring a goal over the weekend against the Austin Aztex and starting last night.

Press Release - Blaine, MN - Minnesota Thunder 07/18/09

Thunder Outlast Austin Aztex 1-0

Lightning Tie Cleveland Internationals 1-1 in Final Match of the 2009 Campaign

BLAINE, Minn. (Saturday, July 18, 2009) - The Thunder are on their first two game winning streak in USL league play of the 2009 campaign with a win over the Austin Aztex 1-0.

CENTRAL CONFERENCE
Great Lakes Division
Chicago Fire 1 - 0 FC London
Division Final - Chicago Fire 2 - 1 Kalamazoo Outrage
Heartland Division
Real Colorado Foxes 1 - 0 Thunder Bay Chill
Division Final - Real Colorado Foxes 1 - 2 Des Moines Menace
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Mid Atlantic Division
Cary Clarets 3 - 1 Carolina Dynamo
Division Final - Cary Clarets 2 - 1Reading Rage
Northeast Division
Ocean City Barons 2 - 0 Long Island Rough Riders
Division Final - Ocean City Barons 2 - 1 Ottawa Fury
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Mid South Division
Austin Aztex U23 1 - 2 West Texas United Sockers
Division Final - West Texas United Sockers 0 - 1 Laredo Heat
Southeast Division
New Orleans Jesters 0 - 1 Bradenton Academics
Division Final - Bradenton Academics 3 - 2 Mississippi Brilla
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Seattle Wolves 3 - 2 Portland Timbers U23
Division Final - Seattle Wolves 0 - 2 Kitsap Pumas
Southwest Division
Los Angeles Legends 1 - 2 Ventura County Fusion
Division Final – Ventura County Fusion 3 - 1 Hollywood United Hitmen
Check out the full USL News Release HERE.

Clint Dempsey's Fulham takes on Chelsea while the New York Red Bulls begin life without head coach Juan Carlos Osorio today against FC Dallas in just two of the matches on tap today.

Serie A's schedule kicks into full gear, with defending champion Inter and top contender Juventus beginning their campaigns today.

Saturday, August 29, will see the Austin Aztex back home again at Nelson Field. The 7:30 game, against the Miami FC Blues, will be their next-to-last home game, and their last weekend game, of the season (the very last game will be on Monday, Sept. 7).
Miami stumbles into town this weekend in extraordinary shape.