Soccer Therapy Does the 2015 USOC!

Posted on May 29, 2015 by CT

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.

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

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.

Road tripping for the Hill Country Derby, USOC Style

One Scorpions SG marches to the match prior to first kick

Another Scorpions SG makes their way into the stadium

My first view of Toyota Field, a classy venue

The other end of the Stadium

The San Antonio Scorpion trophy case

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

National Anthem time!

First kick.

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

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

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 9

Posted on May 5, 2015 by CT

Week 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.

UPDATE:

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.

Victor Bernardez (Defender) – SJ

Any 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.

I 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.

@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.

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.

An idea: The Eastside Aztex

Posted on March 3, 2015 by CT

A fascinating aspect of soccer, one that distinguishes the soccer culture from that of other professional sports, is the role of supporters groups (sometimes referred to as SGs). I haven’t read a handbook or researched the history of supporters groups, but having watched countless hours of soccer in the last five years, I am starting to learn a bit about them. Long established European clubs like Liverpool and Real Madrid have dozens of local supporters groups and hundreds worldwide. FC Dallas officially recognizes five SGs on their website. Every supporters’ group is unique in its own way, but most SGs are alike in that members are legitimate diehard fans and there is a very real group wide obligation to support the club as intensely as possible. Supporters’ groups are known for organized marches to the stadium before a match, evocative tifo displays during the procession, and smoke-bombs, drums, flags and flares during the match itself. SGs own their section in the stadium, they literally purchase all of the tickets, so the only way to sit in an SG section is to become a member of that SG. It is common for supporters’ groups to establish a presence behind goal and celebrate with players after a score… or throw stuff at the opposition when taking a corner.

I have always been intrigued by the supporters’ culture in soccer, but despite my love for FC Dallas, SGs have never been for me. To be a valued member of a real SG one must pay dues, attend matches at all personal and financial costs, and commit a ton of personal time to SG activities beyond the games (those tifos don’t paint themselves!) – none of these are things I am willing to commit to. That being said, I do enjoy attending a live soccer match with friends sandwiched by trips to the pub. So as a casual Austin Aztex fan, I’ve come up with an idea for a new supporters group, one that just might fit my style.

Soccer Therapy proudly presents
The Eastside Aztex: an unofficial and unorthodox SG

WHO ARE THE EASTSIDE AZTEX?
In one sense, mine will be just like every other supporters group out there. My SG will consist of members uniting for the sake of a soccer club and it will then be defined by those members’ values and actions. We will also have our very own section! – sort of. On the other hand, Eastside Aztex will differ from traditional SGs in that we will not be committed to attending every match or staying for the entire 90 of those that we do attend. Like I said, this is a group for the casual supporter. Many SGs live by a code of Community, Club and Country, but my “three Cs” would be more like Casual, Cheap and Convenient. I am sure any genuine Ultra out there reading this would be scoffing, but clearly, I was not cut from the same cloth as a traditional Ultra. For a look at the current supporters group scene in ATX, scroll way down to the bottom of this post and check out the graphic with Amplifier Austin and Eberly’s Army (featured in the image below: the group with the flag).

The Aztex are not my favorite club, but they are Austin’s club and Austin is my favorite city. I like the Aztex, I really like soccer, and I love a good time with friends on a great Austin night. This group is just as much about rallying people together around a scheduled event as it is about soccer or supporting the club. As such, if/when it is officially founded, it will lack organization and continuity. Maybe one day we will make some shirts and get a group of 20 out to a game. And if I can get 20 Eastside Aztex out for a match, that’ll warrant a custom commemorative scarf, but that’s a long way off.

THE NAME
The idea behind the name is simple. At House Park, the Aztex’ home venue, fans situate themselves in the west stands, taking up most of the good seats on that side of the stadium. The east stands are more open and my experience is that it’s easier to get a front row, center of the pitch seat there rather than squeezing in with the home fans on the west side. Our priorities are far different from most SGs, which relentlessly support their clubs with jumping, screaming and singing for 90 minutes straight. Our goals are to get people out to the match, watch some live soccer and, most of all, enjoy ourselves. When we sat in the east stands at previous matches, it was more than a onetime decision, it was a representation of who we are. We like easy, comfortable, good viewing, but sitting amongst the home crowd means little to us. Plus, Eastside Aztex has a nice little ring to it.

Below, I’ve begun drafting a constitution. I know, the word constitution in itself contradicts the supposed casual nature of this SG, but it’s mostly just a title I am putting on a list of things that need to be written down.

Constitution

Membership Details: Attend one Aztex game in which you drink all of three Steins at the Tavern: (1)prior to first kick, (2)at halftime, (3)a night cap after the match. This process, once honestly completed, earns a lifetime membership. It is roughly a $30-$40 investment and a really fun two hours.
***The only exception to this rule is a brilliant opening 45’ in a significant match such as a US Open Cup tie or a late season top of the table showdown. In that event, if you don’t want to jeopardize missing some of the action with a halftime trip to the Tavern, then we understand. Your membership will still be valid if you enjoy a beer by some other means – shotgun in the parking lot, a beer from the vendors, or take in a second night cap over at the Tavern etc.***

Goal #1: Have fun
Goal #2: Build membership numbers by getting people out for a match. This goal serves two purposes: (1)We will do our part to help the Aztex become become more relevant to the city of Austin and assist their upward movement in the United States Soccer Pyramid. Getting people out to games helps their cause with a few extra ticket sales and improves the drab atmosphere of their matches. (2)The larger our group grows, the easier it will be to reach our first goal – to have a good time.
Goal #3: Gameday plans will be easy, flexible and cheap – remember the “Three Cs.” If you prefer to sneak in a flask or shotgun a beer in the parking lot to save a buck, you will not be judged. If it is better for you to show up 20 minutes late or leave 20 minutes early, we understand, and thanks for making it out to the game.
Dues: none beyond paying for your tickets and beer, no commitments – financial or any other sort
Responsibilities: Demonstrate a willingness to embrace the local club and support them by attending a match and occasionally mentioning our group to your friends, coworkers, or through social media (as rare as you want it to be, and never forced or salesy).
Being an Eastside Aztec should never feel like a burden. There are no true, tangible commitments. If you can make a game, great. If you pick up an Aztex shirt or just wear some blue out to the match, great. If not, we really don’t care – perhaps that can be our motto going forward > The Eastside Aztex: We just don’t care.

Mark your Calendars!
The complete Aztex 2015 home schedule is posted below. For a look at Austin’s marquee home matches this year, check out Soccer Therapy’s 2015 Calendar and see when you’d like to officially become an Eastside Aztec.

The current supporters scene in ATX is described in the graphic below. I scanned this out of the program for the ATX Pro Challenge tournament that was played in February. I’ve become quite familiar with Eberly’s Army, but know little about Amplifier Austin. From what I can tell, they are a new SG, but will have an impressive presence at House Park this season – I can certainly say that the Eastside Aztex believe in the Amplifier mission. As for a third SG in Austin currently? Well, I certainly hope someone else is closer to establishing one than I am with this blog post (but I am borderline serious with all of this). Cheers, and I hope to see some readers out at House Park in 2015.

Reliving the ATX Pro Challenge

Posted on February 21, 2015 by CT

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.

Free tickets!

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

A classic ATX sunset distracts from first half action

Eberly’s Army and a glimpse of their tifo display

Nat’l Anthem before the hometown club takes the pitch

USMNT ‘keeper Bill Hamid doing work

FC Dallas all lined up for the Championship match

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

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

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

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

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

#MLSinTX

Posted on February 13, 2015 by CT

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

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

Posted on February 6, 2015 by CT

Now 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.

Brutal 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).

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

Posted on January 20, 2015 by CT

The 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.”WHEN:
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***

Soccer Therapy

Because I have no one else to tell

Tag Archives: USL