Austin Aztex Season Opener
By Nick Barbaro, Fri., March 27, 2015
It's on! The Austin Aztex inaugural pro season in USL has been a while coming, but it finally kicks off this Saturday at House Park (13th & Lamar), with our hometown boys taking on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, a first-year expansion team, and one of four teams in USL that does not have an affiliation with an MLS squad. There's a lot riding on this game, of course: For a number of these players, it'll be their first professional game. For the Aztex organization, it's a chance to show the soccer world that Austin is indeed ready to take the plunge, and could be ready to support our first major league sports franchise.
Is Austin really ready to be a major-league city? The previous Aztex apparently didn't think so; they absconded to Orlando, and within four years, have moved up to MLS and have a new stadium in the works. Meanwhile, minor-league teams in Minneapolis, Sacramento, and San Antonio have been flexing their muscles with huge crowds and seemingly viable stadium plans, and are vying for the next MLS expansion announcement. [By the time this went to press Wednesday evening, that announcement had been made: Minneapolis will get the 23rd MLS team. Miami presumably still has the inside track on #24, but beyond that lies uncharted territory.] Well, Saturday is Austin's turn: The Aztex have assembled a very strong squad, lured back their coach of choice, Paul Dalglish, from MLS, and are raring to go, with a core of the best players from last year's team, plus a truly impressive roster of young, but deeply experienced newcomers. They've done their part – now, if all those people who've asked me if Austin can really get an MLS franchise show up Saturday night, we'll have done ours.
The Aztex added one more big piece to their roster this week: Defender Kalen Ryden, who was drafted by Columbus Crew SC after earning all-conference honors with the Aztex last year, has been assigned back here by the Crew as part of the clubs' affiliation agreement. Aztex officials say he's the only player coming down from the big club for now. It's great to see him back, but he'll be competing for playing time on a very deep and talented Aztex back line that should be a team strong point.
For me, personally, Saturday will be a first step toward a case of specially selected Colorado microbrew beers. The Aztex play the Switchbacks four times this season, and to commemorate the fledgling rivalry between these two new pro teams, I've set up a wager with the eminent John Weiss, publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent: The winner of the season series gets a case of beer from the loser – at least six different local microbrews, and, oh boy, I can taste them already. I don't know about John, but I'll make this pledge right now: Okay boys, win this one for me, and I'll share my winnings with you. One for all, and all for one. We can't do it at House Park of course (school district property), but somehow, somewhere, this is going to happen.
If the Aztex were to lose (no way), I might have to bend the rules a little, and include a sampler of Shiner brews, because the Aztex recently announced that Shiner Beer is on board as the team's Official Beer Sponsor, and provider for the new and improved biergarten that the team is introducing for the 2015 season: inside the gates, but just outside the fence and off of school property. That's a big deal for the team – they set an attendance record during last year's playoffs, when they set up beer sales for perhaps the first time in House Park history – but it's just one of their initiatives to improve the gameday experience. There's also an expanded kids area, reserved seating, VIP areas, improved food service, and more.
Season tickets are still on sale, and if you buy one by April 17, you'll be enrolled for no extra charge as an "Aztex Original" – earning a free team scarf, your name on a stadium banner, invitations to special events, and other benefits. See www.austinaztex.com for full info.
Sat., March 28, 8pm kickoff. $10-70. House Park, 13th & Lamar. www.austinaztex.com.
