Aztex U-23 vs. Houston Leones Pre/During/Post-Game Thread

[VioletCrown]

Let me do this right this time. Give us an appropriate title.

Leones start hot right out of the gate, drubbing New Orleans 3-0 in Houston.

Looks like we're going to have a tough game on our hands Saturday. It's another Open Cup qualifier, and we pretty much need to win it to have a shot at a non-PDL team.

You can follow that mini-tournament here (http://www.usopencup.com/2008qualification/PDL/242324.html).

I'll repeat my comment from the El Paso thread -- I'm being conservative and expecting an audience of 500.

[duality72]

So, the first game ends in a draw (http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/246009.html). Not the desired result, but looks like we did good to get the point in a tough situation according to the game report.

How'd the Mother Egans thing turn out?

[VioletCrown]

So, the first game ends in a draw (http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/246009.html). Not the desired result, but looks like we did good to get the point in a tough situation according to the game report.

How'd the Mother Egans thing turn out?

Answers in this thread (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=686898&page=4).

[duality72]

Oops, my bad, got my games confused. I thought the discussion was very light...

[Roma_Wolves]

Houston beat New Orleans 3-0 in their opener. I'm not sure what that means. But we need to kick @$$.

[VioletCrown]

Houston beat New Orleans 3-0 in their opener. I'm not sure what that means. But we need to kick @$$.

The Lightning beat New Orleans 3-1 early last year, so I don't think it means a lot.

(of course, the Lightning went to New Orleans and got crushed, 8-1 later on. But I've heard that Austin had the common PDL problem of "I can't make road trips" which can decimate a roster .)

But, yeah, if we're going to get in the Open Cup, we're definitely going to have to kick ass. El Paso has a very beneficial Open Cup qualifiers schedule -- New Orleans and Baton Rouge away and Houston Leones at home.

While we have *urk* Houston and DFW at home, and Laredo away.

What a crap set of Open Cup qualifiers. Man, the Aztex need to work more on their scheduling next year. El Paso set themselves up very nicely.

[ATEX_MEX]

Hell Yeah I am now a member of the Founder's Club
anyone else in BS a member? so else who is going to the game?
man i hope Willyspeed puts on a show saturday night. his brother Sonny told me he might be at this game since he is on vacation from Morelia. if not this game then for sure the next..

[duality72]

I'm also a Founders Club member and will be at the game Saturday.

As a burgeoning supporters group, are we going to try to sit together or in a specific section or anything? Or wait for the USL1 side? I'm sure I'll be able to find some familiar faces, but I don't know that everyone will.

[Roma_Wolves]

I plan on joining the Founders Club, but haven't been able to afford it yet.

[Scooter Pete]

I'll be at the game and joined the Founder's Club as well. I think I read or heard that there might be a special set of seats set aside for FC members and/or season ticket holders at the home games -- not that with 500 people in the stadium that seating will be a problem.

For the record I will predict more fans than that, though. 659 is my prediction. :)

Phil Rawlins and one or two members of the coaching staff are scheduled to be on KGSR (107.1) tomorrow morning talking up the team and giving some tickets away with DJ Bryan Beck at about 8:45am from what I understand....

[Roma_Wolves]

I'll go with 723.

[VioletCrown]

I'll go with 723.

I'm into making predictions. I prefer to be a realist. The realist in me says that I should say just over 500.

But this is, in effect, a brand new team. It's gotten a lot of media attention (http://clubdeportes.com/futbol/aztex/aztex.html) in the non-English media. It seems like there's a buzz in the soccer circles. And because I'd like to rub it in El Paso's face, I'm going to bet that we get more than they did last Saturday. That is, the 789 they first reported (http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/246009.html), rather than the all-too-common-USL-inflation figure of 1451 that appeared in the stats (http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2008/657203.html) on the USL website.

It would also get some attention if they drew more than 1,000, I think.

So, having successfully predicted one Democratic primary result (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/23/102612/523/829/501587) (out of the one that made a prediction on:)), I'm going to boldly use the same technique and say that the Aztex will get 989 on Saturday.

I also predict that my prediction is wildly off.

[sokaymckay]

I'm prediciting about 827 Texans and 133 real Aztecs. :D

[Native Aztexan]

I'm guessing 600. Besides the El Paso "reported attendance" sounds too much like MLS reporting paid attendance as an exaggerated figure when in fact the showed-up attendance is the actual one.

[VioletCrown]

I'm guessing 600. Besides the El Paso "reported attendance" sounds too much like MLS reporting paid attendance as an exaggerated figure when in fact the showed-up attendance is the actual one.

El Paso's 1400 figure sounds more like one of those common USL numbers that includes giveaways to all the youth clubs.

While MLS does some of that, and I'm OK with a certain amount of it (sponsorships that include tickets), so much of the USL gives tickets away like candy that tickets are worthless.

But everything that I've seen so far indicates that the Aztex are doing a good job. I expect this aspect to be handled just as well.

And it's weird to be the one with a really optimistic prediction. I'm almost never at that end of the curve!

[FrogHammer]

Some of the early Austin Posse games got around 700+ so I hope they get at least that. Of course there weren't any later Posse games to compare that too...

[Roma_Wolves]

I'm guessing 600. Besides the El Paso "reported attendance" sounds too much like MLS reporting paid attendance as an exaggerated figure when in fact the showed-up attendance is the actual one.

I don't think 1400 is out of the realm of possibility for a well run team. And El Paso seems to be that. They have a good history and record too.

[Barbaro]

So, what figure are we guessing at? What gets announced at the game? What winds up on the official USL report? I'm going wild, and gonna say 1,125.

"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
– The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

[VioletCrown]

So, what figure are we guessing at? What gets announced at the game? What winds up on the official USL report? I'm going wild, and gonna say 1,125.

"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
– The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

I'm personally hoping that, unlike El Paso, all numbers announced, published, or otherwise for tomorrow night's game are the same number.

[Roma_Wolves]

I didn't know that Houston already has their own stadium. Damn, that's starting off right. Anyone know how much it cost, etc? It sounds ideal for what we're doing: 4500 capacity with room to expand to 10k.