Category Archives: USL

Soccer Therapy Does the 2015 USOC!

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I am posting here to chronicle my journey (which is still in progress) during the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (USOC). This year marks 102nd edition of the tournament, making it America’s oldest, most venerable, and super awesome soccer competition. It’s a journey began unknowingly on a Wednesday night. My Aztex season ticket package came with a pair of tickets to round 2 of the USOC, Austin’s only home match of the tournament. Naturally, I called Oliver, my live-soccer-watching-companion, and offered him the ticket to Austin’s USOC opener. When he accepted, our 2015 Cup Journey had begun.

Round 2: Austin Aztex 2 – 0 Laredo Heat, 5/20, House Park

The second round saw the introduction of USL teams into the USOC, and that is when  Austin’s and Soccer Therapy’s 2015 Open Cup experience began. Despite watching the entire match, I don’t remember much. It was muggy, there was beer, and we watched the whole match from the corner flag. Austin was expected to win this one and the action wasn’t particularly memorable, but the game is significant now in that it represents the beginning of ATX’s run in this year’s Open Cup. Below are two photos I took during the match.

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#10 Mozzi Gyorio prepares to take a corner from the SE of House Park Stadium.

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A Laredo Heat SG representing strong in ATX at the Open Cup

Like I said, I don’t remember much and we watched the entire match from the corner. While it was a great time and wins are always so fun to be a part of, I have little to report personally. Click here for an actual recap of Austin’s 2-0 win over Laredo in Round 2 of the USOC.

Round 3: SA Scorpions 0 – 2 Austin Aztex, 5/27, Toyota Field

This match is now referred to as the Hill Country Derby, the battle for the Queso Bowl. Austin beat SA 4-1 in the preseason edition, but that result meant little heading into this match, where a trip to Houston to face the Dynamo in Round 4 was at stake. The game was an absolute blast to be a part of. Open Cup games usually struggle badly at the gates. This creates a more intimate stadium environment, allowing fans to sit wherever they please and hear all of the action on the pitch and from the coaches box.This is why I believe fans are more a “part” of the game during cup play and why I’ve called the USOC a “charming” tournament.

As expected, few fans were in attendance at Toyota Field, a brilliant and inviting venue worthy of housing an MLS side. As an Aztex season ticket holder, it was nice watching the boys on a proper soccer pitch, a wide, all natural surface (Austin’s home pitch is a narrow turf surface with football lines on it). The Aztex have some nice attacking talent and dangerous wing men, so the Toyota Field pitch really lent itself to our style of play and we looked much sharper than usual. I thought Austin was stronger than SA in the first half with the best chance for either team coming on a Kris Tyrpak break where he failed to get the shot off. Despite the strong first half effort from Austin, the match was scoreless after 45.

The second half saw more impressive attacking play by the Aztex, with the pressure finally paying off when Mikey Ambrose smashed in a brilliant opener from outside the box. After the goal, ATX looked a bit gassed and SA put together their best stretch of the match, dominating possession and creating chances for the next 15 minutes. But the Scorpions simply could not break through, and ATX picked up the insurance goal on a brilliant strike from forward Caesar in the 78th minute. Check out the match recap and the second goal here.

It was a great night. Initially, I just wanted to enjoy the competition and check out a new venue (Toyota Field is worth a visit). Then Austin played their best match of the season and earned a trip to Houston, where Soccer Therapy’s US Open Cup journey can continue in June. Below is the photo album from our road trip down to SA.

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Road tripping for the Hill Country Derby, USOC Style

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One Scorpions SG marches to the match prior to first kick

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Another Scorpions SG makes their way into the stadium

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My first view of Toyota Field, a classy venue

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The other end of the Stadium

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The San Antonio Scorpion trophy case

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An Eberly’s Army member props the Queso Bowl up with a cold beer

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National Anthem time!

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First kick.

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The boys huddle on the pitch before an epic 2nd half performance.

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Caesar wastes time in the corner late in the 2nd half

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Post game emotions get the better of Soccer Therapy

Look for more on this post after round 4 of the tournament, where Soccer Therapy will be doing a little Texas Two Step. We are hitting the road to catch FC Dallas v. OKC Energy in Ft. Worth on 6/16 and Dynamo v. Aztex in Houston on 6/17. FCD and ATX on back to back nights in the great American Soccer Tournament. What a treat.

MLS Radar: Week 11

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Logo 11Unfortunately I can’t fully recap a fascinating week of action in MLS. This abbreviated post will include all of the usual content, the GOTW, Surprise of the Week, F-Up of the Week, and the Tweet of the Week, but little more. I’ll dive a bit deeper into the meaning of the results with my Friday morning #MLSinVegas post, but the main take away from week 11 is that Major League Soccer remains wildly unpredictable. Montreal picked up their first win of the season, crushing a solid Real Salt Lake team by four goals to one. Toronto’s draw in New England came unexpected after their dismal home performance against a lesser Dynamo side in week 10. Orlando City picked up their first home win of the season, taking advantage of a badly struggling LA Galaxy side and exploding for four goals in the Citrus Bowl. For some perspective, The Lions had scored just three goals in their first five home games on their way to two draws and three losses – needless to say, four goals and three points seemed unlikely for Orlando prior to the match start on Sunday. And then, as if we hadn’t seen enough craziness, the Sunday night cap saw a dog Philly team take down red hot DC United 1-0 with a stoppage time winner.

pOINTS pARTYEvery time we begin to think we have this league figured out, something crazy like week 11 happens to remind us that parity rules the day. On a good day, a bad team can always spoil a Three-Points-Party, and no matter how many patterns emerge between now and the end of the season, that will always be the case in MLS as we know it today.

F Up OTW 2Everyone!

I thought about giving this award to the Galaxy for their 4-0 loss to an expansion side. I thought about the Chicago Fire for this award after they squandered a two goal and one man advantage in New York (also against an expansion side). I also thought about giving it to RSL for getting thrashed in Montreal. Vancouver came out flat at home against a top of the table competitor and hated rival. I just couldn’t decide, and unless I’ve overlooked something, I couldn’t point to one player costing his team the game in a single boneheaded moment.

Surprise of the Week
MTL 4 – 1 RSL

I’ve covered all of the surprising results already in this post, but Montreal deserves the shout out here. They’ve struggled to find their league form early in 2015 thanks to a miraculous run in the CONCACAF Champions League. Montreal were burdened by more non-MLS action right after that run with a home-and-home Canadian Cup semifinal against rivals Toronto. They advanced from that series in dramatic fashion just three days prior to meeting RSL, so I thought they’d struggle to find the energy and motivation in this one. Obviously that wasn’t the case and The Impact were damn impressive in their 4-1 win (it should have been 5-0: Piatti missed a PK off the post for Montreal and Sandoval’s goal for RSL was about as likely as me winning the lottery). Montreal have some quality, they can counter as well as any team in the league, and now they can really hone in on collecting points in MLS. The top four in the east will be tough to deal with in the table (DC, NYRB, CLB and NE) but perhaps Montreal could make a run at the five or six seed in 2015.

GOTW imageDevon Sandoval’s lovely one touch finish from the corner of the 18 yard box will likely take the honors on MLSsoccer.com’s GOTW voting, but I’m giving him the runner up. For me, this week’s winner is Michael Bradley, what a beast mode run and quality finish. Bradley’s return to MLS has been marked by visible frustration at times. On this goal, I feel like he channeled that frustration positively, using it to make a strong play and earn his club a point on the road.

TOTWimageThe TOTW section has been a little light on numbers lately. This week we’ll give credit to the two fellas below for sharing these stats about two of MLS’ best.

TOTW 11Hopefully week 12 will give us just as much to talk about as week 11 has. FC Dallas, who’ve played 7 of 11 matches at home, are about to embark on a five game road trip. It all starts Saturday at 8 ET in Montreal where we’ll see two of the best counter attacking sides in MLS go head to head. A lot could be learned about FC Dallas and the seriousness of their title aspirations from this road trip.

I’ll finish off this post with a quick mention of one of my favorite aspects of American soccer. The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the oldest soccer competition in the United States, is in full swing with the second round (featuring lower division and amateur sides) taking place this week. Check out the tournament schedule here. If you’re interested in watching the Austin Aztex throughout the competition (or in any of their matches for that matter), go ahead and bookmark the club’s YouTube page, where all their matches are broadcast live and for free. Cheers, and look out for the MLSinVegas post on Friday morning.

MLS Radar: Week 9

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wk 9 radar logoWeek 9 is in the books and the season fully under way as most clubs are starting to reveal their 2015 identities. RSL and San Jose played to a 1-1 draw in Utah, further establishing themselves as mediocre clubs with little hope for playoff success. Portland did the same in their scoreless performance at home against rivals Vancouver. DCU continued their early season run, taking down a good Columbus team 2-0 at RFK. United are now off to their finest start in franchise history, averaging 2.13 points per match through 8 games. That’s remarkable considering how successful the charter club has been over the last two decades. One club we haven’t had the chance to analyze in league play is Montreal, who’ve played just four matches so far this season while MLS accommodated to their unanticipated CONCACAF Champions League run. Speaking of that, it was fun while it lasted for the Impact, but inevitably, Club America finally turned it on with four goals in the second half of the second leg to take the final 4-2 on aggregate. In the midst of America’s goal explosion, Dario Benedetto stole the show with a nifty hat trick in a span of just 31 minutes – this highlight video was the best I could find, but some of those strikes are worth a look.

I frequently reference Matthew Doyle and his Sunday night piece that you can read on MLSsoccer.com. I’ll go ahead and throw in the hyperlink to his week 9 piece because it’s always a good read. Doyle has a way of describing things effectively and concisely. He’s long referred to FCD playmaker Mauro Diaz as a “Magical Little Unicorn” – which is both apt and hilarious. This week he offered another perfect player description – I’ve included the excerpt below:

Chris Rolfe is in one of his “I’m a freaking Wizard” streaks

I love this quote. It perfectly sums up Chris Rolfe because he really does look like a wizard on the pitch at times, whether creating quality chances or finishing off a world class goal himself. But then of course, he does have those stretches where he goes unnoticed and fails to impact matches, making him a streaky player.

BpyMzr6CUAAXcGaUPDATE:

The Aztex are 3-3-1 and currently sit tied for 4th in the USL’s western conference. Not bad at all for the club’s inaugural campaign in the USL, but a closer look at the results reveals a disturbing trend: they are struggling with the better USL clubs and picking up points against the weak ones. Six of the club’s 10 points on the year have come at home against expansion side Colorado Springs (While Austin are new to USL, we are not a new franchise. ATX were founded in 2011 and have three seasons of experience in the USL PDL. Colorado Springs Switchbacks were founded in 2014 and played their first ever competitive match against Austin in the USL season opener, a 2-0 win for the Aztex).

Three more points came from a 2-0 win on the road against Tulsa Roughnecks FC, another expansion club playing in their first ever competitive season. And the tenth point ATX has so far in 2015 came at home against OKC Energy FC – a 2-2 draw in which Austin allowed an 87th minute equalizer (OKC, founded in 2013, are another relatively new club and have just one season of competitive experience). On the other hand, Austin have dropped points against stronger USL opposition: losing at home to Whitecaps II and Arizona United, and on the road against Galaxy II.

The team is young and the current group has had relatively little time to gel. This trend is no cause for panic, but Austin will want to grab a win against a quality opponent soon, before their confidence suffers as a result.

F Up OTW 2Victor Bernardez (Defender) – SJ

Picture1Any time I get the chance to give this award to Victor Bernardez I am going to take full advantage. I hate this guy. Victor was the clear winner in week 9 with this hilarious own goal that cost the Quakes a pair of points on the road. That was the GK’s ball all the way and an easy stop, but no.

Runner-Up

I hate to give commentators a hard time as I appreciate the difficulty of talking for two straight hours without sounding like an idiot at least once (or twice or a dozen+ times). But Paul Caligiuri must be mentioned for his clumsy and hilarious analysis of FC Dallas’ opening goal on UniMas’ #ViernesDeFutbol. Before watching, note that Houston’s ‘keeper is named Tyler Deric. The Dallas ‘keeper is Dan Kennedy.

GOTW imageI love seeing two FC Dallas players nominated for GOTW on MLSsoccer.com, but all four of our goals against Houston were classy finishes. Week 9 offered a nice selection of goals to choose from, but two in particular caught my eye. Some might wonder why I didn’t choose Sebastian Giovinco’s 35-yard free kick goal that decided the 1-0 match in Philly over the weekend. I hate to take anything away because it was an awesome strike, but I believe a better GK would have read it earlier and made the stop. Thus, no GOTW for you, Sebas.

My official week 9 winner is the third and final goal in Seattle’s 3-1 win over NYCFC thanks to the sublime assist by Clint Dempsey. Once Deuce put him through, the control and the finish from Obafemi Martins was pure confidence and quality. Those two have been downright filthy of late and are proving to be in a class of their own every time they take the pitch. No play illustrates that better than the week 9 GOTW.

There’s nothing wrong with silver and I simply loved this goal, so the GOTW runner-up goes to the entire Revs attack for their second of the night in a 2-1 win over rivals NYRB. What amazing team work, kind of like a slow version of Arsenal! The passing was quick, crisp and crafty, and I love seeing the patience and composure from Teal Bunbury to finish off the move.

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@HeyHayward, producer of top notch programs Soccer Morning and The Best Soccer Show, had the best of the CCL tweets from Wednesday’s second leg. This is Jurgen Klinsmann in a nutshell, apparently Piatti was running his ass off at that stage in the match.

But the tweet below Hayward’s is the official week 9 TOTW. @BBCSporf deserves credit for spotting it, but the distinction is awarded to the Notts County FC social media team for their perfect response to a fan’s inquiry.

TOTW wk9

I’ve got little more to add to this week’s post. Week 9 was fun but 10 could be even better with matchups like CHIvRSL, MTLvPOR, CLBvSEA, DALvLA and a game the folks in New York have been waiting to see for nearly two years now: NYRB vs. NYCFC, 5/9, Red Bull Arena, FS1, 7 ET.

Reliving the ATX Pro Challenge

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Anyone who follows this blog knows how excited I was to see Major League Soccer (and my favorite club FC Dallas) visit my hometown for this event. Now that it has passed, I feel obligated to put something up on the blog so it can live in our (digital) memories forever. Below, you will find a recap of the action with some other talking points from the weekend. At the end, I’ve included a short photo album. Austinites really showed up to watch some soccer and proved that, even if we are not #MLSready, we are most certainly USL ready.

FC Dallas v. Columbus Crew (2/13/2015)

A gorgeous Austin sunset and some brilliant weather (50-70 degrees and clear all night) set the scene as FCD and Crew SC kicked off the inaugural ATX Pro Challenge at 5:45pm. A lackluster crowd was on hand to start the evening, but Dallas’ supporters traveled well, showing up in impressive numbers to support their club from start to finish.

FIRST HALF
Both clubs fielded strong XIs but the first half looked like the early preseason action that it was: inconsistent passing and mistakes aplenty in the final third. Columbus did put together some legitimate scoring chances, including a one on one between new Crew attacking man Kei Kamara and FCD ‘keeper Chris Seitz. Kamara made a nice effort at goal (from my poor point of view anyway) but Seitz and the woodwork each got a piece of the ball and Dallas maintained their first half clean sheet. A mostly forgettable first half ended in a flurry as FCD bagged three goals in the final 16 minutes. Promising young midfielder Ryan Hollingshead assisted FCD Talisman Blas Perez in the 29th minute before bagging a brace with goals of his own in the 38th and 44th minutes. Perez’ opener delighted fans as he took the pass from Hollingshead in a tight space just outside the box, gave a quick touch with his left, and then half volleyed it past the ‘keeper with his right all in the blink of an eye. Hollingshead’s brace was a pair of tap in rebounds, but his performance on the night should not be discounted as he was all over the place.

The halftime band was AWESOME. A different band for the Sunday match was equally awesome. After all, Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World.

SECOND HALF
A drab and uninspired second half was filled with sloppy play. Dallas created some nice chances early on, but Columbus controlled the run of play and got one back in the 65th minute to make for a final score of 3-1. For highlights of the match (especially the classy Blas finish), click here.

Austin Aztex v. DC United (2/13/2015)

A great crowd (estimated at 6,000) was on hand for this one as Eberly’s Army came out in full force after an all day tailgate. After a classy march to the match and an impressive tifo display, the ATX supporters’ group stole the show, engaging the crowd and creating an exciting soccer atmosphere (relatively speaking, remember this is still third division soccer in a football, baseball and basketball country).

FIRST HALF
Admittedly, I am Dallas ‘till I die, not Aztex ‘till I die, so we left at halftime for this one. Fortunately, I didn’t miss a single goal on the evening, witnessing each of United’s goals in their 2-0 win over Austin. Austin was without the bulk of their attacking players (missing four forwards!) and it showed on the pitch. The players they did start up top were midfielders and they did very little in the final third as a result – plus, ATX was outmatched to begin with. The Aztex did put one in the back of the net at one point but it was called back for offside. While the defending was poor on the play(more like nonexistent), Miguel Aguilar’s 9th minute blast stood out as the most visually spectacular moment on Friday night. Our group left for the bars at halftime of this match, but we didn’t miss much as the second half turned out goal-less. Here is a look at the highlights, including the highlight of the night by Miguel Aguilar.

Championship Sunday
FC Dallas v. DC United

Again, I am a casual Aztex fan, so I skipped out on the third place match and showed up for the final: The battle for the famous armadillo trophy and a clash between two strong sides heading into MLS 2015. The weather was a step down from Friday, but given that forecasts called for a 100% chance of rain, we gladly settled for an overcast, but dry afternoon.

FIRST HALF
FC Dallas fielded a strong lineup (other than a backup forward – Texiera relieved Blas Perez up top) and was impressive for the first 45’. Dallas saw more of the ball than DC, connecting on most of their passes and playing the possession style soccer Coach Oscar Pareja prefers. While the Hoops created solid chances, they did not manage a goal, and that would cost them in the end.

SECOND HALF
Both clubs came out flat but it was FC Dallas that never quite found their groove in the second ’45. A Chris Rolfe strike in the 54th minute from outside the box was a worthy tournament winner for United. Check out the highlight here, it’s an absolutely gorgeous goal, if you’re into that kind of thing. FC Dallas made a solid push for the equalizer over the last 20 minutes behind the relentless support of their brilliant traveling fans. Despite these rowdy efforts (most notably those of  FCD Supporters’ Groups The Beer Guardians and El Matador) their boys came up short in the end, falling 1-0 to DC. A couple of orange clad Houston Dynamo fans stole the show in the stands, perfectly positioning themselves one section over from the Dallas Supporters’ and engaging them in some friendly(ish) banter. The back and forth was fun as the Dynamo duo succeeded in their scoreboard taunting of the frustrated FCD supporters, who in turn reminded the duo that Dallas had won four straight over their beloved Dynamo (a streak that has included some rather enjoyable moments – WATCH THIS!).

This was only a preseason tourney, but FC Dallas and their fan base are starving for any silverware they can get, and that armadillo trophy is simply a world class piece of silverware. Lord knows, DC United have no room for preseason silverware in their ridiculously stuffed trophy case. However, as any weathered sports fan knows, preseason action is truly meaningless, and we Dallas folks will get over it sooner than later.

PHOTO ALBUM
Scroll down to view my ATX Pro Challenge Photo Album. It starts with a series of my own shabby iPhone photos. It concludes with the four finest images I gathered through various media covering the event. To be clear, the four good ones at the bottom are not my photos, I did not take them.

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Free tickets!

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A nice look at a quality pitch as the boys make way to our seats

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A classic ATX sunset distracts from first half action

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Eberly’s Army and a glimpse of their tifo display

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Nat’l Anthem before the hometown club takes the pitch

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USMNT ‘keeper Bill Hamid doing work

kick off final match

FC Dallas all lined up for the Championship match

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A line to use the restroom at a SOCCER match?! ATX is definitely #MLSready

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DC United’s Thursday training session marks the official start of the ATX Pro Challenge

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A great shot of Eberly’s Army by the Austin American-Statesman

cap live game

Live action from the 3rd place match. Crew SC downed Austin Aztex 1-0

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In its inaugural appearance, the Armadillo Trophy became instantly famous.

#MLSinTX

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I cannot think of a better day than this one, the kickoff of the ATX Pro Challenge, to post one of my favorite pics: MLS in Texas

MLSinTexas

With the tourney kicking off in a few short hours from now, I am making gameday preparations. I plan on getting some good pictures and putting a nice album together. I’ll try to live tweet the games as much as I can (@SoccerTherapy) and I’ll post a recap after the weekend. Hopefully we will get a nice turnout, tough to really know though.

Soccer Therapy’s 2015 Calendar

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Soccer Therapy's 2015 scheduleNow that the 2015 schedules for both MLS and the USL are available, Soccer Therapy can finally start planning the year! This column looks at the Austin Aztex home schedule to see which clubs are coming to House Park during our inaugural USL Pro season. More importantly, I’ll line up Austin’s home games with FC Dallas’ schedule and determine how many weeks I’ll be able to catch a live game in ATX without missing one second of FCD’s 2015 campaign. Below, I have written about parts of the schedule that caught my eye:

SIX! – Only six of Austin’s home matches occur on match days for FC Dallas (listed below and marked on the calendar above). The times for most of these matches are TBA and hopefully they won’t all overlap. However, it’s likely that most games listed below will start somewhere between 7 and 8pm central time.

  • Sat 3/28: FCD v. SEA / ATX v. Colorado Springs
  • Fri 5/1: HOU v. FCD / ATX v. OKC Energy
  • Sat 5/9: FCD v. LAG / ATX v. Real Monarchs (RSL II)
  • Sat 5/23: FCD v. MON / ATX v. Tulsa
  • Sat 8/15: FCD v. LAG / ATX v. LAG II
  • Sat 8/22: FCD v. VAN / ATX v. Orange County

Friday Night Soccer – In 2013, I launched a Twitter assault of sorts on MLS commissioner Don Garber. For about two months, I bombarded him with “You guys should have Friday night soccer” tweets, especially on Fridays. Check out the image below to see my efforts at encouraging MLS to schedule more Friday night games. The efforts paid off and the league has responded favorably. Univision, the Spanish language television network, will show MLS Friday Night Football on all but five Fridays throughout the season. Not only will we be getting more Friday Night Soccer in 2015, we will be getting more FCD on Fridays as the Hoops play nine of their 34 MLS matches (more than 25%!) on a Friday. Friday night offers a nice little window in the sports schedule for MLS to showcase itself to the traditional North American sports fan, so hopefully the league will offer up some entertaining matches.

FNS garber assaultBrutal Finish for FCD – Five matches in the final 22 days of the season to be specific. We will be hosting bitter rivals (1)Houston Dynamo, traveling to BC Place where (2)Whitecaps FC are one of the toughest home clubs in MLS, hosting those same (3)Whitecaps in Frisco, traveling to Rio Tinto where (4)RSL are nearly impossible to beat, and then hosting a (5)Quakes squad who could be good, bad or anywhere in between come October. All of that, in just 22 days. FCD would be wise to earn themselves a nice cushion in the table going into this brutal run.

MLS Realigns – With the additions of NYCFC and Orlando City and the retraction of Chivas USA, MLS has realigned its conferences again. MLS is making the obvious geographic decision by moving Sporting KC and Houston Dynamo over to the western conference to make room for the two new east coast clubs. Despite both struggling in 2014, Houston and SKC have been two of the east’s stronger clubs in recent years, combining to win the east in 3 of the last 4 years. This could make it tough out west, which was already the stronger and deeper of the two conferences. It’s not just LA Galaxy and their dominance, it’s RSL and Seattle too. Portland, FCD and Vancouver make for tough midtable opposition as well. Houston and SKC are two of the best run clubs in MLS and they have the trophies to show for it. Adding them to the west will make the conference that much more difficult to compete in.

Tough Venues – SKC’s addition to the west is unfortunate because Dallas will be traveling to the Cauldron twice in 2015. That is a damn tough arena to get points out of and we can’t realistically expect much from those two matches. It’s not all bad. Like SKC, Portland, Seattle, RSL and LA are some of the toughest teams to beat on the road. All of these teams have quality squads, great fan support, and tend to handle FCD when we travel to their place. Fortunately we will only be traveling to Seattle, RSL, Portland and LA once apiece in 2015. This is a massive break for FCD as we have dropped countless points on the west coast over the last few years (not to mention a frustrating playoff draw(loss) in the Emerald City last fall).

clint-dempsey-zach-loyd-mls-playoffs-seattle-sounders-fc-dallas-850x560

Thoughts on Aztex Inaugural USL Pro Campaign – I do not follow the USL closely, so I look forward to learning more about the league as I track the Aztex in 2015. I have read about clubs like Sacramento Republic FC and Indy Eleven and their MLS aspirations. I have also followed the growing number of MLS clubs that now field their own second squad in the USL. While I don’t know much about the league, I do have a sense for which clubs I’d like to see live. The Aztex host 14 USL matches from late March to early September. Here is my list of marquee home games that I’ll be sure to attend in 2015:

  • March 28th – Colorado Springs, Inaugural USL Match + Home Opener
  • April 1st – Whitecaps II
  • April 11th – Arizona United SC (FC Dallas affiliate)
  • June 27th – Sacramento Republic FC
  • July 17th – Arizona United SC
  • August 1st – Portland II
  • August 15th – LA Galaxy II *Side note: FCD hosts real LA Galaxy in Frisco on this day
  • September 5th – Sounders II

Other Notes – (1) I did not address the US Open Cup in this column because it does not begin until April and MLS Clubs do not participate until June. Make no mistake, Soccer Therapy loves the USOC and will be addressing the topic when the time is right. (2) Preseason is an afterthought on this blog but one 2015 event needs mention on this post. The ATX Pro Challenge happens in February, when the Aztex and FC Dallas will be sharing the same venue and potentially going head to head in the final round. (3) I will be heading to San Antonio on April 15th to see the USMNT take on El Tri for what should be a breathtaking experience. I hope to have quite the 2015 photo album when all is said (snapped?) and done.

Link to each club’s complete 2015 league schedule:
Austin Aztex 2015 USL Pro Schedule
FC Dallas 2015 MLS Schedule

Soccer Therapy Goes to the ATX Pro Challenge

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ATX Challenge logoThe greatest soccer tournament in the history of Austin, Texas is happening in February. Why is it so great? My club, FC Dallas, the classiest club in all of sports, is coming to town. This post details all of the need-to-knows for those interested in celebrating this unbelievable occasion.

WHAT: Basically the most awesome thing ever. The inaugural ATX Pro Challenge is a preseason soccer tournament consisting of four games to be played between three MLS clubs and the Austin Aztex!

WHO:
Austin Aztex – Founded in 2011 after the old Aztex bailed for Orlando. The Aztex were champions of the USL PDL (4th tier of US professional soccer) in 2013. In 2014, the club earned a promotion to American soccer’s third tier, the United Soccer League (USL). They make their USL debut this spring against the likes of Sacramento Republic FC and LA Galaxy II.

Columbus Crew SC – Founded in ’94 as one of MLS’ 10 charter clubs. The Crew are a significant franchise in the history of US Soccer as they were the first MLS club founded and built Crew Stadium, the first ever soccer specific stadium in the United States. In addition to these momentous achievements, Columbus has been equally impressive on the pitch with one MLS Cup (2008), three Supporters’ Shields (2004, 2008, 2009) and one USOC Championship (2002).

DC United – Another MLS charter club. DCU are arguably the proudest and most successful club in MLS history. They have been rotting away in RFK, but with a new stadium deal secured, the franchise is certain to become one of MLS’ shining stars once again. They are one of only two MLS clubs (LA Galaxy is the other one) with a CONCACAF Champs League title (1998), they’ve won four MLS Cups (’96, ’97, ’99, ’04), four Supporters’ Shields (’97, ’99, ’06, ’07) and three USOCs (’96, ’08, ’13). That kind of trophy case can really take your breath away.

FC Dallas – Like the Crew and DCU, FCD is a charter club and has played in all 19 MLS seasons. Unfortunately, being a classy club is about all FCD supporters can brag about. Their lone trophy came in the ’97 USOC, back when the club was branded as the “Dallas Burn.”alain_sutterWHEN:
Friday 2/13: Semifinals
4:45pm – Gates open
5:45pm – Crew SC vs FC Dallas
8:00pm – Aztex vs DC United

Sunday 2/15:
12:00pm – Gates open
1:00pm – 3rd Place Game
3:15pm – Championship Game

WHERE: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field – UT Campus (just behind the east stands of DKR Memorial)

HOW MUCH:
$20 – General Admission for each match day
$40 – General admission for the weekend
$8 – 16oz Beer

***For more info, or to purchase tickets yourself, click here***

Social Media a Catalyst for MLS Expansion Efforts

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When MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league’s plans to expand to 24 teams by 2020, supporters groups and soccer cities around the country began their respective campaigns to bring MLS to their home. Since its inception in 1996 the league has steadily grown from 8 to 19 franchises. Historically, MLS can attribute this growth to the incredibly passionate fans and “supporter’s group culture” in markets like Salt Lake City, Portland and Toronto. MLS fans (average attendance of 18,600 fans per game in 2013) have surpassed NBA fans (17,300) and shockingly, America’s top soccer league now outdraws its top basketball league.

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what IS in Orlando

As cities across the country make their expansion bids, supporter’s groups are turning to social media as a unifying force to gain followers (literally and online) and strengthen their cities chance at being awarded one of the 24 franchises. Orlando City SC was awarded MLS’ 21st franchise last November after a strong online effort and social media driven expansion campaign. OCSC launched an online petition that reached its goal of 15,000 signatures in less than two weeks thanks to Twitter and their #Mission15K hashtag. They also created a website home for their expansion campaign “OrlandoBelievesInMLS.com.” Orlando City SC’s efforts yielded their city and fans MLS’ 21st franchise. Around the country, places like St. Louis, Atlanta and Minneapolis are selling MLS on the viability of pro soccer in their city. The San Antonio Scorpions are following Orlando’s lead and unifying their support for a new franchise online. They also started an online petition and are using the hashtag #MLSready along with a newly created Twitter handle, @MLSinSA.

What COULD be in San Antonio

Major League Soccer lists critical prerequisites for any aspiring MLS club. These pre-requisites include deep-pocketed owners, a soccer specific stadium and legitimate fan interest. The first two prerequisites are very easy to prove, either you have them or you don’t. Social media is making it much easier for clubs to prove they have the third prerequisite, legitimate fan interest.