By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
The season isn't going as smoothly as the Laredo Heat had hoped, but the club still finds itself very much alive in the running for a playoff spot and, with a little bit of luck, another Mid South Division title.
The Heat's current situation isn't sounding the panic alarms, but its current bump in the road came in the form of the El Paso Patriots.
The Patriots handed the Heat two 2-1 losses this weekend, making the bump one that could derail the hopes and shake the confidence of some teams.
Not so for the Laredo Heat whose head coach Israel Collazo sees this current situation as the perfect opportunity for his team to find its identity.
"This is the perfect time, the most difficult time, for us to show what we are made of," Collazo said.
There was no finger pointing going on after the weekend sweep at the hands, or feet, of the Patriots. If anything, Collazo prefers the digits to all point squarely at him.
The weekend was a case of missed opportunites and close calls, maybe even some bad ones.
A couple of inches here and there, and the team could've been contemplating catching up to the Austin Aztex and not looking to gather up the peices.
Instead, the reality of the sitatuion is that the Patrtiots got right back into the playoff mix and the Heat are looking to move on with a lesson in tow.
The Aztex (7-1-1, 22 points) have been given the divisional green light by Collazo as masters of their own destiny.
Austin sits four points atop Laredo (5-3-3, 18) with two less games in its pocket.
"I believe they have slipped out of reach," Collazo said. "They've had a great campaign at home and on the road."
Interestingly, this is the Aztex first year of existence, and experience would usually be seen as a positive when it comes to road games.
The difference between home games and away games wasn't as pronounced for Austin; it was all new to the team.
With time and with the strong fan support the Aztex have had in their first four home games is sure to change all that.
On the road, the team has gone 3-1-1 and has allowed its only goals against of the season.
ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Love-hate relationships are personafied in every sporting event across the world.
From the Broadway stage of professional sports to the little theater domain of minor league sports, these relationships exist between the coaches, players and fans and the man with the whistle.
Clarifying that he is far from using it as an excuse or a scapegoat, Collazo is getting increasingly frustrated with the discrepancy in calls, from referees seemingly favoring the home team, his side included, to the abuse of their powers.
"We depend on the decisions of the so-called authority," Collazo said. "They seem to not have the conviction and courage to make the right calls at times and when they make the wrong ones, 'in my opinion' they offer no explanation but laugh as if saying I'm in charge here.'"
Speaking out against the refs is a tricky sitaution, one that Collazo understands all too well. There is a fine line between whining and actually having a point and the PDL really wouldn't want to have its referee hiring process questioned.
The frustration boiled over against El Paso where Collazo's squad had three goals nullified because of offsides calls.
"Phantom calls or not, we'll never know. Sending tapes to the league and notifying them seems counterproductive," Collazo said.
"With all respect to El Paso they had a lot of luck," Collazo said. "From my point fo view we were infintely superior."
In the end somebody has to be held accountable, especially the people in charge of maintain the integrity of the sport.
The PDL only employs refs that are sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, and teams select available and qualified referess from the surrounding area.
VACANCY
The Heat will be without two key components on offense and defense for this weekend's game at Houston.
Striker and leading goal scorer Felix Garcia is serving a one-game suspension for his red card last weekend and defender Oliver Mulamba is also forced to sit out a game after accumulating five yellow cards.
Mulamba has developed into a key cog in the Heat's defensive machine.
The Heat welcome back Leone Cruz, whose timing couldn't've been better.
Cruz is looking to earn a spot with the Tigres of Monterrey and was with the club for three weeks. He returned to Laredo Monday and was with the team at the United Day practice fields.
Cruz missed six games with Laredo while he was out.
NATIONAL NEWS
The tickets for the USA Under-20 versus Mexico Under-20 game go on sale today.
The pre-sale general admission and VIP seating tickets will only be sold between today and Thursday at the following locations:
Palenque Grill on Loop 20, next to the La Quinta Inn and Suites. Talk Time (behind Starbucks at Del Mar Blvd. and McPherson). Gametronics (at Mall del Norte, next to Luby's). All Laredo Area Taco Palenque Locations Prices for Pre-Sale Tickets are:
General Admission (Pre-Sale): $25.00. VIP Seating (Pre-Sale): $40.00 If tickets are still available after the pre-sale, tickets will only be available at the gate on Game Day Friday at the following prices: General Admission (Game Day): $35.00. VIP Seating (Game Day): $50.00 For Group Pricing, please contact the Laredo Heat Soccer Club office at 723 – 4700.
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