Statesman: Aztex Return Unlikely in 2017

Word came out first from Scratching the Pitch, after seeing information from the USL ahead of their annual summer meetings:

Though not explicitly stated, the proposal is a harbinger of another dormant season for the Austin Aztex, which suspended operations in 2016 to get its house in order. Thirty teams is one more than currently compete in the league. The much-hyped inclusion of Reno in the 2017 schedule would achieve the total of 30 teams, and would leave no

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A New Soccer Foundation Brand

This week details have begun to emerge that the Aztex Soccer Foundation is undergoing a makeover and branding themselves as the Austin Soccer Foundation. In a post to Eberly’s Army members, foundation president Ed Easton details some of the motives behind the change, and announces an upcoming event, scheduled for July.

EA Friends —

I know that many of the folks on this page participated in events or bought jerseys last year that benefited the newly-created Aztex Soccer Foundation. Thank … Read the rest “A New Soccer Foundation Brand”

Road Report: San Antonio FC Home Opener

San Antonio FC kicked off their USL home campaign Saturday night with a record-setting crowd. The home team got off to a slow start as Swope Park Rangers took the early lead when a loose ball found the SAFC net in the 2nd minute.

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Both clubs are expansion sides for the 2016 USL regular season, but have had hot starts in league play. Throughout the first half, SAFC controlled possession and equalized in the 42nd minute.The second half was a … Read the rest “Road Report: San Antonio FC Home Opener”

Farewell to Futbol en Vivo

Futbol En Vivo was a bilingual radio program that aired every Tuesday from 1-2pm on 91.7 FM KOOP Radio in Austin, Texas. Work and family commitments of the hosts recently prompted them to halt the weekly show after nearly seven years on the air.

The program started in mid-2009 with Chilean David Alvarez and Mexican Jose de Loera as hosts. De Loera, current proprietor of Takoba, was unable to continue as host due to his Takoba obligations, so Alvarez, … Read the rest “Farewell to Futbol en Vivo”

The USL Show: “Austin was managed terribly”

The USL Show podcast

The first episode of the new USL Show podcast (not officially related to the league) was released this week. The discussion centers around the current state and possible future of USL, especially relative to MLS. There’s also a lot of discussion of what has happened in Rochester, where the league has taken over management of the 2015 champion Rhinos. In the course of that talk (at about the 1-hour, 12-minute point), panelist Brendan Doherty discloses information from unnamed sources … Read the rest “The USL Show: “Austin was managed terribly””

Aztex 2015: the Year in Review

For local supporters of the beautiful game, 2015 will be remembered for dramatic highs and devastating lows. It was a year in which professional soccer made a return to the City of the Violet Crown, but which ends with no active team and head coach Paul Dalglish packing his bags for a new gig in Canada.

Preseason

The year began with bang; in February the Aztex hosted three MLS teams – FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, and D.C. United – in … Read the rest “Aztex 2015: the Year in Review”

On the Record: an Interview with the Aztex

In the wake of last month’s news that the Austin Aztex would be on hiatus in 2016, with a planned reentry to USL competition in 2017, many questions came up about the club’s surprise announcement. Violet Crown Soccer had the opportunity to sit down at The Tavern last week with Aztex owner and CEO Rene van de Zande, founder David Markley and General Manager Roberto Pinto da Silva, Jr., and ask some of those questions.

It’s clear that the group … Read the rest “On the Record: an Interview with the Aztex”

Stadium Standards & Smoke Signals

On October 2nd the Austin Aztex announced that they will not be participating on the field in 2016, with the intention to return in 2017. The press release made clear that the Aztex are under pressure from USL to find a suitable long-term home for the club. If they are truly returning in 2017, the owners and the remaining staff must be working furiously to accomplish their goal. Their only public step so far is the nice-looking Stadium for Austin … Read the rest “Stadium Standards & Smoke Signals”

Kenn.com on 2015 USL Attendance

The most diligent keeper of attendance stats in American soccer over the years has to be Kenn Tomasch. With the 2015 USL regular season just completed, he has a new post with all the numbers: Taking Attendance 10/4/2015: USL First Division III League To Draw A Million.

There are lots of interesting facets to check out there, but here are the more Austin-specific bits.

The Aztex averaged 3,227, putting them 11th out of 24 teams. That’s solidly middle-of-the-pack, whether … Read the rest “Kenn.com on 2015 USL Attendance”

Is a Stadium Enough?

The Aztex organization recently announced that they would be sitting out the 2016 season, because they need to continue their “quest for a soccer friendly venue in which professional soccer in Austin can thrive”.

Concerns, plans, and fantasies related to a soccer-specific home stadium for Austin’s soccer team are nothing new. For that matter, the issue is hardly unique in American soccer. Ask any team in the country, at any level: D.C. United, the New England Revolution, and Miami … Read the rest “Is a Stadium Enough?”