Photo Gallery Event :: USMNT v. Honduras At Cuatros (01-23-2010)

Members of Chantico's Army watching the US-Honduras match on the big screen outside on a cool Saturday evening.



The Cuatrotron. Don't like the scoreline on the screen.



Chantico's Army member Daniel proudly showing his new U.S. Soccer flag.



Getting out the Aztex Amber Ale to the public.



Chantico's Army member and AAA beer creator Ed (left) handing out Chantico's Army president Matthew (right) the first glass beer.



Me with the beer preparing to salute this fine creation....



....that is the Aztex Amber Ale.

While the match really sucked, at least the beer was good. More malty and little less hoppy but it's definitely strong to my taste in which I like.

Despite the usual crappy CONCACAF refereeing and playing in front of a pro-Honduran crowd at the Honduran Depot Center in L.A., the U.S.'s lack of actuate passing and lack of disciple is more to blame for their performance. As an American fan, seeing their off season and lackadaisical performance is not surprising to me at all. And for me to say that really show the lack of depth in quality players in certain key positions for the U.S. They need to improved these situations before the World Cup otherwise having the likes of Algeria "somewhat" upsetting Ivory Coast, England and Slovenia would put the U.S.'s chances into making into the second round in jeopardy.

Stoke City vs Arsenal FA Cup Goals & Highlights (01-24-2010)

Update on Jean Alexandre's Father

We are happy to report that Jean Alexandre's father is safe and has flown back to the U.S. We hope for the best of him, Jean and their family.

Meanwhile here's a classic Aztex moment that will never get old (thanks to Alejo for this one ;-) ):



Please continue your donations to Haiti whenever possible.

Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 for the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 for the American Red Cross relief for Haiti.

You can also donate by visiting RedCross.org or by calling 800-RED-CROSS.

Aztex News & Notes: Waiting For The 2010 Season To Begin

There's been news on when the 2010 USSF Division II soccer season is going to start. Reports are there's going to be a schedule coming out soon. I'm looking forward to it after the USL-1 and NASL settle their differences and work towards a more effective and organized second division in the U.S. and Canada. For more details on the settlement, check out the USL-NASL conference call transcript from the U.S.Soccer..

* USL Conference
* Rochester Rhinos
* Portland Timbers
* Puerto Rico Islanders
* Minnesota (new team; name yet to determine)
* Austin Aztex
* Tampa Bay Rowdies

NASL Conference
* Montreal Impact
* Vancouver Whitecaps
* Crystal Palace Baltimore
* AC St. Louis
* Carolina RailHawks
* Miami FC

Also, the new NASL website was launched this year in which they had an open letter to soccer supporters on what their goals are and beyond. Plus they had their 1st annual general meeting in Tampa, Florida.


One of the big news coming form the Austin Aztex is that they signed Yordany Alvarez to new three year contract. We fans are delighted to have him on the team for the upcoming 2010 season. In addition to Alvarez, the Aztex sign all-league & former Minnesota Thunder midfielder Lawrence Olum So far we added CEO Djorn Buchholz, Camp & Clinics Director Brian Pederson, and now Lawrence Olum. I wonder who's next that we can get from the Minnesota Thunder? Melvin Tarley? ;-)

Finally congrats to former Austin Aztex U-23 player Austin da Luz for being drafted by the New York Red Bulls in the 2010 MLS Draft.



This Saturday the U.S. Men's National Team will take on Honduras at the Home Depot Center. The match will start at 8:00pm CST. There's a Chantico's Army watching event at Cuatros. So please joins us as we unveil & sample the latest & greatest Chantico's creation of all mankind:

Aztex Amber Ale!


Sadly our friend and Chantico member Dan from the Free Beer Movement won't be able to be at the watching event. In fact, he will be in Carson for the USA match itself. I should say barely since he had a drama issue with his flight out to L.A. Nevertheless he will get his beers in California chanting with his fellow U.S. supporters.

And let's hope that our fellow Texan Clint Dempsey gets a speedy recovery in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Don't forget, there's a Austin Aztex tryout coming up on February 13th and 14th. For more detail on the tryouts, click here for the information.

Next week Phil Rawlins will be on The Wake Up Call on AM 1300 "The Zone" this Thursday at 6 a.m. to talk about the upcoming season for the Austin Aztex. And perhaps Phil will teach Ahmad Brooks how to talk with a better English accent. ;-)

Also check out Futbol En Vivo on KOOP as our Chantico's Army's president Matthew Gray was the guest on the show. You can listen to the show here on what's going on for the upcoming season as well other soccer topics this past week.

Jozy Altidore Talks To CNN International About Haiti

My Thoughts And Mind On Haiti

Most of you like myself were sadden and heartbroken to what has happen in Haiti over these past couples of days. The news coming from there is that tens of thousands are feared dead after the earthquake disaster. All of us here have deep sympathy, thoughts & prayers to the victims of the earthquake. We do care about what's going on down there....well except a certain personality who shall remain nameless whom made a classless comments about Haiti and their people.




Nevertheless, the Soccer World here is no stranger to Haitians and Haitian-Americans in the U.S. From Joe Gaetjens to Wyclef Jean to Jozy Altidore, they are as much part of the hearts & souls in the American soccer. Plus the likes of Emmanuel Sanon, Philippe Vorbe & Haiti's memorable 1974 World Cup team to Puerto Rico Islander's Fabrice Noel & Real Salt Lake's & Austin Aztex's Jean Alexandre are very much in part of our world as well as our culture and should never be ignored.

Courtesy of CNN: Wyclef Jean helping through 'Yéle Haiti' drive.



Please make a donation for the Haiti Earthquake Relief by either:

Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 for the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 for the American Red Cross relief for Haiti.



You can also donate by visiting RedCross.org or by calling 800-RED-CROSS.

Clint Dempsey's Wonder Goal Against Stoke City

Yes I'm happy that Stoke was able to get 3 points against Fulham. But you can never take away the brilliance from Dempsey's goal.

If I was Stoke, I would be very weary of CONCACAF players in the EPL taking long range volley goals.

Futbol en Vivo Now Available on Podcast

We now have word that the "Futbol en Vivo" show is now available as a podcast at several locations.

Futbol en Vivo is a bilingual soccer program with a first half hour in Spanish and the second one in English. A program with news and events related to the sport around the city (Longhorns soccer, Austin Aztex, Austin city league) and the world. It will include analysis of the World Cup in South Africa, listener participation and commentaries about how soccer explains the world.

* You can access the podcast from the Chantico's Army website. Simply click here to take you to the Multimedia section that has the podcasts loaded.

* You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. You either connect directly to the podcast in the iTunes store or search for it using "Futbol en Vivo".

Each show has 3 different podcasts to suit everyone's tastes; Full hour podcast, Spanish only segment from 1:00 - 1:30, or English only segment from 1:30 - 2:00. The show airs every Tuesdays from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on KOOP (Community Radio for Austin, Texas).

Many thanks to Matthew Gray, KOOP, David and Arch for letting us lbe able to listen to this fine quality show.

Stuart Holden on Good Morning America

My New Year's Soccer Resolution

Normally I don't do any New Year's resolutions because to me they are a waste of time and energy. Stuff like this always happens every year:

• Hangover from New Year's Day Party (I never attend them).
• Bombardment of "Getting Healthy As A Resolution"commercials & news reports from fitness & gym companies just to get you (and your money) to come into their gym.
• Eating black eye peas, cabbage, etc.. on New Year's Day just for good luck. (Yeah right!)
• Firecrackers shooting out from drunk people. Much like last night.
  
• Watching the usual {Insert Some Crappy Corporate Name} college bowl throwball game on TV.
  

So I decided to give out my realistic soccer resolutions for 2010. This is in no particular order:

Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish everyone here a Happy New Year. Let's hope 2010 will bring some positive news...better yet...a whole lot of positive news coming in the world of soccer in this country. Especially from the MLS-Players' Union CBA, the never ending soap opera that is the NASL/TOA/USL saga and the U.S. Men National Team's preparations for the World Cup. Hence the reason why I took a break from blogging (along with personal issues) so all of this stressful drama can calm down for awhile. So hopefully I will be able start up my blog next week.

Take care everyone and be safe.

Honduras vs United States World Cup Qualifier Highlights

Video courtesy from U.S. Soccer.



Book your tickets to South Africa because the U.S.A is heading to the World Cup.


Standings (with one round to go)
--------------------------------------------------
1st - 19 points - USA (qualified)
2nd - 18 points - Mexico (qualified)
3rd - 15 points - Costa Rica
--------------------------------------------------
4th - 13 points - Honduras
--------------------------------------------------
5th - 8 points - El Salvador (eliminated)
6th - 5 points - Trinidad and Tobago (eliminated)
--------------------------------------------------


NOTES:

3rd place finisher qualifies for the World Cup

4th place finisher plays against the 5th place finisher from CONMEBOL (Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay or Venezuela ) in a two-legged playoff.


On the next matchday (14 October):

* Costa Rica will qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup if:
1. They beat the United States OR
2. Honduras fail to beat El Salvador.

* Honduras will qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup if:
1. They defeat El Salvador AND Costa Rica fail to beat the United States.

Austin Aztex vs Miami FC Blues Highlights

Austin Aztex vs Minnesota Thunder Highlights

Mexico vs USA Pre-game thoughts.

Just getting ready for the showdown at Azteca.



Let's get the job done guys.

Austin Aztex vs Montreal Impact Highlights

My Thoughts On The Mariah Carey's Glitter Isn't Gold Cup

Yep. Much like how lame the movie is itself, this is how the tournament is as well. This "All That Mariah Carey's Glitter Isn't Gold" Cup competition HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING WHATSOEVER !!!!! This to me, as good as the usual USA-Mexico Final is set up to be, is just a B-C team rated tournament all in thanks to CONCACRAP for running this lame ass tournament with their lame ass referees (again), lame ass rules changes (why the USA's roster increase and not the other teams), lame ass venues (Mexico playing in Phoenix, Houston & Dallas? Shocking!!!) and lame ass schedules (Playing during the MLS, USL-1 **, the underrated & ignored U.S. Open Cup, & SUM's Euro Clubs Circus). To me the tournament should be held every four years instead of two AND have the tournament hosted by either Mexico Canada or the United States (rotating the hosts every 4 years) instead of always having the U.S. hosting it. But much like the other Heads of CONCACRAP, lead by Jack "My votes goes to England hosting the World Cup over U.S.A. but would love some of U.S.A.'s money" Warner, they would go out get all of the money from the fans and put it into their own corrupt pockets and make the Gold Cup competition looked foolishly incompetent in comparison to the other confederations' cup competitions like the Euro Cup, Copa America and even the Asian Cup. And I won't feel that the CONCACRAP officials won't get things right functionally in the future.

** Side Note: I even watched the Minnesota Thunder-Austin Aztex USL-1 match over the USA's match last week. That to me is sad from a die hard soccer fan. But other die hard soccer fans should not have to deal with either choosing club or country to watch or attend to when both are playing at the same time. It really diverges any growth of soccer in this country and continues to divides any progress made from it.

My Quote of the Day

"Soccer: A simple game ruined by complex people who run it."


And who are these complex people that I'm speaking of?

A) Heads of U.S. Soccer?

B) Heads of Major League Soccer?

C) Heads of United Soccer Leagues?

D) Heads of Soccer United Marketing?

E) Heads of CONCACAF?

F) Heads of FIFA?

G) All of Above





Answer: Nothing but a G thing.

Tigres vs Cruz Azul Copa Aztex Highlights

Video highlights from Tigres vs Cruz Azul in Copa Aztex.

Insert Caption Here

Because you know you want to.