It's do-or-die time for Heat

By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

The Premier Development League’s Mid-South division is coming to an exciting finish this week, with the key contest being played today at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.

To defend its Premier Development League title, the Laredo Heat will have to beat the only club that has a winning record against it, the El Paso Patriots.

With that in mind, and to ease the financial burden, the Heat has opened the gates to the general public free of charge, while the VIP section ticket prices are reduced to $10.

Kick-off is set for 8:15 p.m.

The Patriots (7-4-3, 24 points) beat Laredo twice in El Paso this year, improving to 8-4 versus Laredo historically.

The Patriots have scored 26 goals to Laredo’s 13, but at home, the Heat (6-4-4, 22) lead the series 3-2 with a 6-5 goal advantage, including a shutout.

If the Patriots win, they clinch the final playoff berth; if Laredo wins, the team will need to defeat New Orleans on Saturday to make the playoffs.

If the teams tie, El Paso needs only to tie Austin at home on Saturday to move on.
Austin is in cruise control, having already clinched the division.

“El Paso comes in here knowing that a tie pretty much places them in the playoffs,” Heat Coach Israel Collazo said. “They’re an intelligent team with quality soccer. They won’t be looking to give us any freebies. In my opinion, we are the better team, but no matter who’s better it all comes down to who plays better Wednesday.”

If Laredo loses today, it’ll be the team’s first time missing the postseason since its inception in 2005.

The Patriots are sure to take a defensive approach to this game, but at this stage, the Heat has played most of its games versus opponents only looking for counter attack opportunities so it’s nothing the club hasn’t seen before.

Players will just need to tighten their aim and be opportunistic.

The Heat’s starting goalie, Ryan Cooper, is scheduled to arrive today from Honduras, but in case he’s late, the club’s second goalie, former Patriot Jorge Muniz, has been practicing as the starter.

It’s been a frustrating year for the Heat, which hasn’t been in this position before.
Interestingly enough, the Heat’s fortune changed after dropping the two games at El Paso earlier this season.

The Heat went to El Paso with the second-best record in the division at 5-1-3 for 18 points, while the Patriots had recently dismissed Coach Miguel Murillo after opening up the season 2-4-2 for nine points before flourishing under new coach Javier McDonald, winning five of their next six contests, with one tie.

The Heat’s next three games after the El Paso trip resulted in a tie, a loss and finally a win. Laredo tied and defeated the Houston Leones and lost to Austin.

The tie with Houston was following the Patriots game, and the Heat came home frustrated at the missed opportunities in the contest. The game at Austin was no better, as the Heat lost 3-1 and Collazo found himself ejected from the contest.

The following week allowed the Heat to relax and let go of some of those frustrations in its 3-0 loss to the Mexico U-20 national team.

With its back to the wall, and with the pressure mounting, including taking offense at the media’s view of the Mexico game, the team rallied and used the negativity positively by rebounding with a 7-0 beating of the Houston Leones.

The Heat, while wary not to get overconfident, got some of its mojo back with the win and is looking forward to taking control of its destiny against a Patriots team that for the time being has all the momentum.

“They’re very dangerous at the moment, having won five of six, including the two against us and against the division winner Aztex at Austin,” Collazo said. “That’s already in the past, though; yes, we had an advantage back then, and now we are two points behind. We are focused (on) the task at hand, and we know what’s at stake.”

Laredo, on the other hand, has to worry about a New Orleans team that, if it beats Baton Rouge today, will have an outside chance of making the playoffs if Laredo beats El Paso and New Orleans beats Laredo and Dallas.

HEAT NOTES: Also, Collazo has cut his roster to the league-mandated 26 players. He trimmed the list late Tuesday night. “It’s a moment in which you would prefer not to have to make that decision, but it’s my duty and responsibility, and it has to be done. I’m sure some players will be disappointed, but those are the rules,” Collazo said.