Return to 'normal'!

Finally, the office is returning to something akin to normal. It's been hard to focus on the upcoming season with all the shenanigans but common sense finally prevailed. The good news (and I know I am biased) is that Phil is one of the team owners selected to be on the Executive Committee for the new league along with Merritt Paulson of Portland Timbers, Jeff Cooper of St Louis, Pete Medd of Baltimore and Dan Flynn of US Soccer who will serve as Chairman. I obviously know first hand the role that Phil has played in this whole process and I am inordinately proud of him.

The office today has been a little deserted - we have signed up to the Partners in Reading scheme and are mentoring in various elementary schools around the city. We have also been invited to participate in Career Days at both elementary and middle schools - always so much fun. The kids come up with some great questions and love being able to talk to 'real life' soccer players. We are also once again involved with the AISD middle schools, helping them to raise their levels of cardio-vascular fitness through soccer.

The MLS draft takes place tomorrow and one of our 2008 PDL players is in it:

24

Austin da Luz

Comments: Toronto needs help on the wings in a bad way and da Luz is a far better player than this draft position indicates. He drops because he isn't very versatile and other teams have solid players on the left wing.

We wish him every success!

Kay

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

Winter Wonderland!

Phil and I flew to the UK on Monday for a mostly business trip that happily coincided with 2 Stoke City games! We knew the UK had been taking a bit of a battering as far as the weather goes and packed accordingly. The first setback was having to land at Gatwick instead of Manchester but we made it up to Stoke in time for the game - and what a game it was! Stoke went in 3 up at half time and looked to be having the better of the challenging conditions. Under soil heating meant the pitch itself was in good shape but the snow was swirling for most of the game. Fulham brough Dempsey on in the second half and he proved to be the catalyst they needed, scoring a contender for goal of the season. One of our summer interns, Scott Burleson, was at the game with his mates and spoke with Dempsey after the game. They have been having a grand old time in the UK and have seen lots of games including Chelsea/Fulham, Millwall/Derby, Arsenal/West Ham and Hayes &Yeading/AFC Wimbledon (look it up!!)

Hopefully, the end of this week will see a solution to the USL/TOA situation and we can all move on with our lives. Phil has already been busy working on our pre-season games - more to follow soon!

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Brian Pederson and his wife Stephanie as they join our Aztex family - he brings a great deal of experience in running successful and exciting camps and clinics.

We will be back in Austin on Sunday after hopefully seeing Stoke win away at Burnley (temporarily managerless) and also weather permitting.

Kay

Aztex mailings

The office this week resembles a mail depot as the ticket sales team parcel up the scarves and backpacks to get them to their recipients in time for Christmas. There is still one day left if you want to take advantage of the special offer.

We've also received some lovely gifts of the edible variety so it's just as well that the staff have started playing indoor soccer of an evening - it certainly burns a few calories! We just need Miguel and Yordany back in the side so that results can improve!

I was sad to read this week how the blogs and message boards descended into ugliness over the USL/TOA situation. The USSF has asked everyone to not comment until a decision has been reached. As soon as we know something concrete, we will certainly report it.

Thank to our Big Soccer posters for keeping us up to date with developments at House Park -

"Things are moving along very quickly. There's something resembling the beginning of walls now. I got to drive home in daylight last night (being at work at 6:30 am helps make that happen) and I'm getting excited about getting to watch the Aztex at House next season and watching the teams come out of those locker rooms."

While on the subject of Big Soccer, there was a post a while back about Adrian applying for the job of Port Vale manager. Let's be serious for a moment - Port Vale!!!! Never mention those words in front of any self-respecting Stoke City fan. Adrian did not apply for the job, it was a figment of Port Vale's imagination!

I had a quick chat with Adrian this morning - he was up in Carolina for the Final Four. He thought there were some very promising players there and he had a great deal of sympathy for Akron who were 23 games undefeated and then fell to Virginia on penalties in the final in front of 5,679 fans.

Congratulations to Nick Noble for securing a contract at Swedish Superettan club Ljungskile SK - we wish him the very best.

Kay

MLS Cup etc.

We are back from the USL meetings in Tampa - it was interesting to say the least. It's difficult for me, being on the inside but knowing how much all the fans of the various teams want to know what is going on. I have no intention of adding to the rumours and speculation and will wait until there is something tangible before committing it to print.

It was also an interesting weekend for soccer in general - the MLS Cup was won by the 'underdogs' Real Salt Lake. Despite the presence of Beckham and Donovan (who blasted his penalty kick over the bar) it was Beckerman and his team mates who played with more heart and determination. It was reported that the game was being shown in 123 different countries - great news for the game here in the USA.

Those of you who had Defoe in your Fantasy League team had a stellar weekend - 5 goals in one game in an English Premiership game - quite an achievement. Defoe ties with Andy Cole who scored 5 playing for Manchester United in a 9-0 victory over Luton Town in 1995. That's not the record though - Arsenal's Ted Drake scored all seven goals in a 7-1 win over Aston Villa in 1937. The record for most goals scored in the English FA Cup goes to Ted McDougall - he scored nine goals in an 11-0 win over Margate in 1971.

Alex Tapp and I attended a career fair at Galindo Elementary School this morning. The kids asked some great questions but were most fascinated to hear about the ice baths the players take after training. It was one of those 'don't try this at home kids' moments!

Look out for the Colombia story on the website soon.

Kay

I don't know if you've been following the MLS Cup but personally, I'm glad to see the so-called 'Cinderella' team, Real Salt Lake making it to the final. Not least because two of their players have pulled on Aztex jerseys this season and done very well for us. On that note, here is THAT goal again! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xpAuGXWIeI We have also supported RSL player Andy Williams in a bone marrow drive - his wife Marcia has a rare form of leukemia. There will no doubt be international interest in the game due to the presence of a certain Galaxy player who was probably glad to miss England's 1-0 defeat to Brazil in Doha. Not digging the haircut by the way.
Catch the game on Sunday November 22nd, 8.30 pm. http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/events/mls_cup/2009/

Phil and Adrian are currently in Colombia - more on that when they return - and they will then travel to Tampa for the USL AGM starting on Thursday. As well as the new owners of the league and USL team delegates, strategic partner Beswicks Sports, a leading European sports management and law firm, is leading a diversified group of foreign organizations who are interested in US soccer. Representatives from Burnley FC, Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham FC. The diverse group of attendees will also include a Portuguese agent, Tony Araujo and Mexican entrepreneurs Rodrigo Suarez and Eduardo Salamonovitz who are representing a group of Mexican investors who are interested in launching a club with United Soccer Leagues. I'm looking forward to a lively and interesting conference!

Kay

USL news

The messageboards and blogs have been working overtime in the last week debating and reporting any snippets about the USL and TOA situation. Whilst the meeting in Portland did not address the TOA matter directly, it was a very positive meeting with many new initiatives. Ironically some of them are the very issues the TOA claimed to be at odds with the USL management. I'm not going to speculate on what will happen next - it's too busy here at the office preparing for next season.

We've also been busy decorating the office - we have accumulated quite a few jerseys and scarves over the season and we finally got round to putting them up. We also have an amazing wooden Aztec calendar that has pride of place at the front of the office. Visitors are welcome!




Last night's MLS playoff game between Real Salt Lake and Columbus Crew was full of action and, to be honest, some woeful goalkeeping. It was great to see Jean Alexandre get into the action. He had a great England trip and was indispensable as a translator for Ednerson and Vaniel. Speaking of, Adrian has been on a trip to Haiti (more on the website) and was in a car on the way back from a game when he saw an Aztex sticker in the back of a car - it turned out to be Ednerson!

Phil and Adrian are also taking a side trip to South America on the way to the USL AGM in Tampa on 19th November.

Finally, we welcome Djorn to the office on Monday - he's keen and ready to take up his duties.

Kay