2010 League

At times over the past few months it has felt like I may never get to post this blog but with the agreement reached last week between the USL & NASL teams we look like we can finally start to plan for the 2010 season! It has been pretty wearing, at times infuriating, over the past 12 months watching team owners arguing and disagreeing with each other over pretty fundamental issues. Especially frustrating as this is a time when soccer in the US is more popular than ever and in a World Cup year when the sport will get tremendous recognition and coverage.

I genuinely hope that the opportunity to play in 2010 will give all-parties a breathing space, a time to reflect and agree priorities and direction. There is still much to agree for 2010, schedule, season length, play-off format but hopefully we can get through that process relatively quickly and publish the schedule that I know you are all waiting for.

For the Aztex staff we now have to get down to the serious business of completing sponsorship deals, signing players to new contracts and selling season tickets. The delays over the past few months have been costly to our organization and I have to say had the dispute gone on much longer it may have proved fatal to several teams, including the Aztex. But we are in good shape and have an incredibly dedicated and talented team in the front office, led by new CEO Djorn Buchholz. They are eager to get going and I know you will support them over the next couple of months as we prepare for the new season.

Thanks again for sticking with us through what has been a difficult period. Let's all pull together in the next few weeks to make 2010 at House Park a huge success for Austin pro soccer.

Phil