By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
The Heat isn’t accustomed to early exits in the Premier Development League playoffs.
So it was a bit surprised when it bowed out in the semifinals this time around.
“As I have said all along, you have to measure your success in the regular season and not necessarily the playoffs,” Heat owner Shashi Vaswani said. “The playoffs are one game, do-or-die and more often than not, especially in the game of soccer, the best team does not win.
“So the playoffs have a lot to do with one team being more fortunate than the other. The past three years, we have been fortunate enough to pass through to the finals.”
The Bradenton Academics gave the Heat an early exit last weekend, before losing to the Ventura County Fusion.
The Fusion takes on the Chicago Fire on Saturday for the PDL championship.
“Nature will always find a way to eventually balance things out, and I guess this was the year that the universe decided to balance the scales,” Vaswani said.
Odds are that the majority of the Heat players and personnel will be glued to the TV watching the contest live via the Fox Sports Soccer channel.
The Heat had an injury-plagued season, which continued to its last game, in which the club lost its two central defenders in Carlos Ordaz (torn ACL) and Pedro Ramos (groin pull).
In its playoff opener, the Heat lost midfielder Alex Hergert to an ACL tear.
“You will be hard-pressed to find similar events to those, but then again you will also be hard pressed to find a relatively new franchise that has reached the championship stage three times consecutively in a league with more than 60 teams,” Vaswani said.
This time around, things didn’t go quite the Heat’s way. Still, the club added another Mid-South divisional title and set foot in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
“The season, because we have made the finals three years in a row and are spoiled to a certain extent, is obviously a disappointment at first sight,” Vaswani said. “But when you sit back and really analyze the whole season closely, you realize that we have to be thankful for the season we had. Struggling with injuries all season and still managing to become Mid-South division champions is a feat to be proud of.”
Overall, the team finished 8-2-8 and heads into the offseason as one of the PDL favorites come next year.
As is the case every year, the Heat is sure to go through some changes in personnel.
While the club is likely to return the core group of players, nothing is certain.
The Heat is sure to welcome back many of its young players that have grown up in its youth camp system.
Several of the youth players played integral roles in the team’s success this season. The most recent example was its opening-round playoff win against the West Texas Sockers in which Alfredo Ramos scored the lone goal. The former St. Augustine student spent time with the youth team.
“That experience in a big game is exactly what we strive to accomplish, and that makes the season worthwhile no matter where we finish,” Vaswani said.
The one constant in the PDL is that the level of play in the Mid-South division has been improving year after year.
“Working harder than usual in order to keep up is no secret, and we will definitely have our work cut for us,” Vaswani said. “In the meantime, we will work diligently within our youth program to develop as many players as possible.”
The latest teams to join the division have made sure that each season is going to be exciting.
In turn, the Heat has learned that if it’s going to stay atop the division, it needs to keep up its level of play year in and year out.
“I think all of us involved have learned an important lesson: we cannot be lax and expect to coast through to the finals every year,” Vaswani said. “I think it will make us all work harder throughout the offseason and into next year’s campaign.
“In other words, after a storybook ride for three years, we are brought back down to earth, which is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Heat hosts playoffs, boost local economy
For the fifth consecutive season, the Laredo Heat Soccer Club is hosting portions of the Premier Development League playoffs, continuing this weekend with the PDL quarter- and semifinals at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.
The Heat itself plays Bradenton Academics of Florida Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Teams are coming from California, Florida and Washington state, bringing players, staff members and various other supporters to Laredo, where they will do much more than put on a soccer show.
“Any sort of recreational sporting event that draws athletes, spectators and family has a strong economic and collateral impact on the hotel/motel and retail industries, as well as service providers,” said Timothy Franciscus-Timm, industrial development specialist for the Laredo Development Foundation. “It’s a huge positive. They aren’t coming to invest, but they are spending their disposable income that they otherwise would have spent elsewhere.”
Added Miguel Conchas, President and CEO of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, “It’s extremely positive. We welcome anything and any organization, whether it be a private group or a city organization, that brings in visitors. It has a tremendous impact on the economy. We have a number of sports events here throughout the year, and the Heat is certainly doing its share.”
But the benefits of the Heat’s hosting duties don’t end with economic impact.
“We’ve inherited this very negative image that is really unfair,” Conchas explained. “There was some violence in Nuevo Laredo years ago that has moved on, but the stigma remained. Any time visitors come to the city and see that it is not a city of crime, that it’s actually a very hospitable city… I think it’s a very good thing.”
Franciscus-Timm agreed.
“People who would not normally come to Laredo will take this opportunity to visit and hopefully leave with a positive image,” he said.
That positive image is something the Heat is happy to portray to the league and those who follow teams to Laredo.
“We call Laredo home, and we want to introduce people to the city,” said President Shashi Vaswani. “We had to supercede what other teams have to offer, and this was the toughest year to bring to bring it here. We had to make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
“We tend to play better on the road, but bringing people to our city is a great thing. We want to put it on the map.”
The Heat itself plays Bradenton Academics of Florida Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Teams are coming from California, Florida and Washington state, bringing players, staff members and various other supporters to Laredo, where they will do much more than put on a soccer show.
“Any sort of recreational sporting event that draws athletes, spectators and family has a strong economic and collateral impact on the hotel/motel and retail industries, as well as service providers,” said Timothy Franciscus-Timm, industrial development specialist for the Laredo Development Foundation. “It’s a huge positive. They aren’t coming to invest, but they are spending their disposable income that they otherwise would have spent elsewhere.”
Added Miguel Conchas, President and CEO of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, “It’s extremely positive. We welcome anything and any organization, whether it be a private group or a city organization, that brings in visitors. It has a tremendous impact on the economy. We have a number of sports events here throughout the year, and the Heat is certainly doing its share.”
But the benefits of the Heat’s hosting duties don’t end with economic impact.
“We’ve inherited this very negative image that is really unfair,” Conchas explained. “There was some violence in Nuevo Laredo years ago that has moved on, but the stigma remained. Any time visitors come to the city and see that it is not a city of crime, that it’s actually a very hospitable city… I think it’s a very good thing.”
Franciscus-Timm agreed.
“People who would not normally come to Laredo will take this opportunity to visit and hopefully leave with a positive image,” he said.
That positive image is something the Heat is happy to portray to the league and those who follow teams to Laredo.
“We call Laredo home, and we want to introduce people to the city,” said President Shashi Vaswani. “We had to supercede what other teams have to offer, and this was the toughest year to bring to bring it here. We had to make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
“We tend to play better on the road, but bringing people to our city is a great thing. We want to put it on the map.”
Sunday, July 26, 2009
More Heat info
It took the Laredo Heat 120 minutes, plus an additional five minutes of compensation time, to finally get past a determined West Texas United Sockers team on Saturday night at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.
The 1-0 win gave the Gateway City club its third Mid-South Division title in the last five years.
Not only did the Heat faithful see a hard fought match played by two equally talented teams, they also witnessed seldom-used reserve, 18-year-old Alfredo Ramos, a recent graduate of St. Augustine High School, laser a shot from about 22 yards in the game’s 109th minute to seal the victory.
Ramos entered the game at the 103rd minute when he was substituted in for veteran player Greg Mulamba.
The win advanced the Heat into the Premier Development League quarterfinal/semifinal tournament – the Elite Eight – next weekend.
“We received word (on Friday) from our League Director Lee Cohen that we were the frontrunners to host one of the two Elite Eight tournaments; however, all we needed to do was beat West Texas,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said.
“I told him that is a lot easier said than done.”
The Heat, though, got the job done, and playoff soccer will return to Laredo next weekend.
“At this point, we are very excited to once again showcase Laredo to the rest of the United Soccer Leagues soccer members spread throughout the United States and Canada,” Vela said. “Sixty-eight teams started this PDL season back in May and now only eight remain.
“We are going to have a great soccer event this coming weekend with teams coming to Laredo from Florida, California and Washington. We are inviting all the soccer and sports fans to start making plans to come out, and not only support us but the visiting teams as well.”
The three teams coming to Laredo are:
Southeast Division Champions: Bradenton (Florida) Academics.
Southwest Division Champions: Ventura County (California) Fusion.
Northwest Division Champions: Kitsap (Washington) Pumas.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Friday, game one: at 5:30 p.m., Kitsap Pumas vs. the Ventura County Fusion.
Friday, game two: at 8:30 p.m., Bradenton Academics vs. the Laredo Heat.
On Saturday will be the PDL semifinal pitting the winner of game one versus the winner of game two.
The winner of Saturday’s match will play the winner of the other PDL quarterfinal/semifinal tournament between the following four teams: the Des Moines (Iowa) Menace, the Ocean City (New Jersey) Barons, the Chicago Fire and the Cary (North Carolina) Clarets.
The United Soccer Leagues Premier Development Championship game will be on Saturday, Aug. 8.
The 1-0 win gave the Gateway City club its third Mid-South Division title in the last five years.
Not only did the Heat faithful see a hard fought match played by two equally talented teams, they also witnessed seldom-used reserve, 18-year-old Alfredo Ramos, a recent graduate of St. Augustine High School, laser a shot from about 22 yards in the game’s 109th minute to seal the victory.
Ramos entered the game at the 103rd minute when he was substituted in for veteran player Greg Mulamba.
The win advanced the Heat into the Premier Development League quarterfinal/semifinal tournament – the Elite Eight – next weekend.
“We received word (on Friday) from our League Director Lee Cohen that we were the frontrunners to host one of the two Elite Eight tournaments; however, all we needed to do was beat West Texas,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said.
“I told him that is a lot easier said than done.”
The Heat, though, got the job done, and playoff soccer will return to Laredo next weekend.
“At this point, we are very excited to once again showcase Laredo to the rest of the United Soccer Leagues soccer members spread throughout the United States and Canada,” Vela said. “Sixty-eight teams started this PDL season back in May and now only eight remain.
“We are going to have a great soccer event this coming weekend with teams coming to Laredo from Florida, California and Washington. We are inviting all the soccer and sports fans to start making plans to come out, and not only support us but the visiting teams as well.”
The three teams coming to Laredo are:
Southeast Division Champions: Bradenton (Florida) Academics.
Southwest Division Champions: Ventura County (California) Fusion.
Northwest Division Champions: Kitsap (Washington) Pumas.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Friday, game one: at 5:30 p.m., Kitsap Pumas vs. the Ventura County Fusion.
Friday, game two: at 8:30 p.m., Bradenton Academics vs. the Laredo Heat.
On Saturday will be the PDL semifinal pitting the winner of game one versus the winner of game two.
The winner of Saturday’s match will play the winner of the other PDL quarterfinal/semifinal tournament between the following four teams: the Des Moines (Iowa) Menace, the Ocean City (New Jersey) Barons, the Chicago Fire and the Cary (North Carolina) Clarets.
The United Soccer Leagues Premier Development Championship game will be on Saturday, Aug. 8.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Heat capture division title
For the third time in five seasons, the Laredo Heat Soccer Club is the Premier Development League’s Mid South Division champion.
The Heat (8-1-8) defeated the West Texas United Sockers 1-0 in extra time on Saturday night at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex to continue its quest for a fourth straight PDL championship berth.
A goal by Alfredo Ramos in the game’s 119th minute undid all the hard work the expansion Sockers (8-6-3) had put into keeping the game scoreless through regulation and one period of extra time.
Ramos sent the ball from just inside midfield to the West Texas goal, where it bounced off the post before flying into the net and setting the crowd of 1,425 into a frenzy.
With the win, the Heat clinched the right to host the Southern/Western Conference portion of the PDL’s Elite Eight tournament next weekend.
Semifinal games will be played on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. with the final scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 p.m.
Laredo will face the Bradenton Academics in the later semifinal, while the Ventura County Fusion will face the winner of Saturday’s game between the Seattle Fusion and Kitsap Pumas in the early game.
The Heat (8-1-8) defeated the West Texas United Sockers 1-0 in extra time on Saturday night at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex to continue its quest for a fourth straight PDL championship berth.
A goal by Alfredo Ramos in the game’s 119th minute undid all the hard work the expansion Sockers (8-6-3) had put into keeping the game scoreless through regulation and one period of extra time.
Ramos sent the ball from just inside midfield to the West Texas goal, where it bounced off the post before flying into the net and setting the crowd of 1,425 into a frenzy.
With the win, the Heat clinched the right to host the Southern/Western Conference portion of the PDL’s Elite Eight tournament next weekend.
Semifinal games will be played on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. with the final scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 p.m.
Laredo will face the Bradenton Academics in the later semifinal, while the Ventura County Fusion will face the winner of Saturday’s game between the Seattle Fusion and Kitsap Pumas in the early game.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Playoffs are set
The Laredo Heat now know who their potential opponent is going to be next Saturday for the divisional championship.
The West Texas Sockers beat Rio Grande 3-1 on Sunday and clinched the division's second seed.
In third are the Austin Aztex, who edged out the El Paso Patriots due to their head-to-head games.
The Sockers have the option to host the Aztex on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
The West Texas Sockers beat Rio Grande 3-1 on Sunday and clinched the division's second seed.
In third are the Austin Aztex, who edged out the El Paso Patriots due to their head-to-head games.
The Sockers have the option to host the Aztex on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Getting to know them
Well the initial idea was to make this part of the story, but apparently I couldn't use up a whole page.
So just in case you actually want to read a bit more here is a capsule look at each of the core players
Dionisio “Nicho Infante: While some of the players have been there for only a couple of season. Infante is the only player to have e been there since the team’s inception in 2004.
“Nicho” has been key to the team with his versatility on the field. He has played as a forward and a defender in all his season.
In 2005 he scored eight goals and had one assist. In the postseason he scored once.
In 2006 he added one goal and one assist. In the postseason he repeated the feat with one goal and one assist.
In 2007 he scored three times. In the post season he had one assist. In 2008 he only had one assist.
This season he has shouldered the offensive load, scoring four goals and adding one assist.
In his career he has 16 goals and three assists in the regular season. Combined with the postseason he has 18 goals and six assists. He averages 3.2 goals per season.
Juan de Dios Ibarra: Ibarra has been an integral piece in the middle for the Heat. The offensive minded midfielder has proven to be equally dangerous as a scorer and a passer. The ultimate team player Ibarra is the club career leader in goals and assists.
In 2005 Ibarra tallied seven goals and five assists. In 2006 he scored six times and had one assist. In 2007 he scored five times and had five assists. In 2008 he had five goals and eight assists.
This season he has two goals and four assists.
In total he has scored 25 goals and 23 assists. Including the postseason he has 28 goals 29 assists. He averages five goals per game and 4.6 assists per season.
Daniel Galvan: Galvan has worn the label of Captain for several seasons. He’s a force as a midfielder and has provided some help offensively and defensively for the team.
In 2006 he had 3 goals and two assists. In 2007 he had one goal. In 2008 he had added another goal.
This season he has one goal and one assist.
In total he has 6 goals and 3 assists. Including the postseason he has 8 goals.
Carlos Ordaz: The team’s ironman in the defense. He hasn’t missed a game since last season. Ordaz is the clubs most dependable back and has formed a formidable duo with Ramos.
Ordaz added his only career goal this season. That scored placed Ordaz in the All PDL team for this past week.
Raul Quiñones: Quiñones can be seen providing lateral help game-in and game-out. The speedster helps the Heat offense begin its counterattacks.
In 2006 he had one goal and three assists. In 2007 he had one goal in the postseason
In 2008 he had two goals and one assist.
This season he has one assist.
In total he has three goals and five assists. Including playoffs he has four goals, five assists.
Ryan Cooper: Cooper picked up where Ryan Shaughnessy left off and has provided some stellar goal keeping in his season’s with the club.
In 2007 he played in 15 games and allowed 11 goals, posting a .756 goals against average. His record was 9-2-3 with five shutouts.
In 2008 he played in 13 games and posted a .883 goals against average and allowed 11 goals. He had four shutouts and a 6-3-4 record.
This season he has a 6-1-7 record and has played in 14 games and a 1.071 GAA with three shutouts. He has allowed 15 goals
In total in the regular season he has a goals against average of .881 (37 goals allowed in 42 games). He has 12 shutouts. He has a record of 21-6-14.
He has been even dependable in the playoffs.
In the postseason in 2007 he had three shutouts and allowed one goals in four games. The Heat lost in penalty kicks. 3-1-0
In 2008 he allowed three goals in five games and had 2 shutouts. He went 5-0-0.
In total in the post season he has a 8-1-0 record. A goal against average of .444 and has five shutouts.
Greg Mulamba: Mulamba became a factor around the same time Felix Garcia did, in the 2008 playoff run. He has played himself into becoming a key member for the Heat.
In 2007 played in nine games, sparingly, picking up a few minutes here and there.
In 2008 he was in 14 games and had one goal in the regular season. In the postseason he had two goals and one assist.
This season he has four goals and two assists
In total he has five goals and two assists. Including the post season he has seven goals and three assists.
So just in case you actually want to read a bit more here is a capsule look at each of the core players
Dionisio “Nicho Infante: While some of the players have been there for only a couple of season. Infante is the only player to have e been there since the team’s inception in 2004.
“Nicho” has been key to the team with his versatility on the field. He has played as a forward and a defender in all his season.
In 2005 he scored eight goals and had one assist. In the postseason he scored once.
In 2006 he added one goal and one assist. In the postseason he repeated the feat with one goal and one assist.
In 2007 he scored three times. In the post season he had one assist. In 2008 he only had one assist.
This season he has shouldered the offensive load, scoring four goals and adding one assist.
In his career he has 16 goals and three assists in the regular season. Combined with the postseason he has 18 goals and six assists. He averages 3.2 goals per season.
Juan de Dios Ibarra: Ibarra has been an integral piece in the middle for the Heat. The offensive minded midfielder has proven to be equally dangerous as a scorer and a passer. The ultimate team player Ibarra is the club career leader in goals and assists.
In 2005 Ibarra tallied seven goals and five assists. In 2006 he scored six times and had one assist. In 2007 he scored five times and had five assists. In 2008 he had five goals and eight assists.
This season he has two goals and four assists.
In total he has scored 25 goals and 23 assists. Including the postseason he has 28 goals 29 assists. He averages five goals per game and 4.6 assists per season.
Daniel Galvan: Galvan has worn the label of Captain for several seasons. He’s a force as a midfielder and has provided some help offensively and defensively for the team.
In 2006 he had 3 goals and two assists. In 2007 he had one goal. In 2008 he had added another goal.
This season he has one goal and one assist.
In total he has 6 goals and 3 assists. Including the postseason he has 8 goals.
Carlos Ordaz: The team’s ironman in the defense. He hasn’t missed a game since last season. Ordaz is the clubs most dependable back and has formed a formidable duo with Ramos.
Ordaz added his only career goal this season. That scored placed Ordaz in the All PDL team for this past week.
Raul Quiñones: Quiñones can be seen providing lateral help game-in and game-out. The speedster helps the Heat offense begin its counterattacks.
In 2006 he had one goal and three assists. In 2007 he had one goal in the postseason
In 2008 he had two goals and one assist.
This season he has one assist.
In total he has three goals and five assists. Including playoffs he has four goals, five assists.
Ryan Cooper: Cooper picked up where Ryan Shaughnessy left off and has provided some stellar goal keeping in his season’s with the club.
In 2007 he played in 15 games and allowed 11 goals, posting a .756 goals against average. His record was 9-2-3 with five shutouts.
In 2008 he played in 13 games and posted a .883 goals against average and allowed 11 goals. He had four shutouts and a 6-3-4 record.
This season he has a 6-1-7 record and has played in 14 games and a 1.071 GAA with three shutouts. He has allowed 15 goals
In total in the regular season he has a goals against average of .881 (37 goals allowed in 42 games). He has 12 shutouts. He has a record of 21-6-14.
He has been even dependable in the playoffs.
In the postseason in 2007 he had three shutouts and allowed one goals in four games. The Heat lost in penalty kicks. 3-1-0
In 2008 he allowed three goals in five games and had 2 shutouts. He went 5-0-0.
In total in the post season he has a 8-1-0 record. A goal against average of .444 and has five shutouts.
Greg Mulamba: Mulamba became a factor around the same time Felix Garcia did, in the 2008 playoff run. He has played himself into becoming a key member for the Heat.
In 2007 played in nine games, sparingly, picking up a few minutes here and there.
In 2008 he was in 14 games and had one goal in the regular season. In the postseason he had two goals and one assist.
This season he has four goals and two assists
In total he has five goals and two assists. Including the post season he has seven goals and three assists.
Monday, July 13, 2009
It's official: Heat is in the playoffs
The Laredo Heat can stop worrying about making the playoffs, as the stars aligned for the club on Sunday when the Austin Aztex lost to the Dallas Fort Worth Tornados and the El Paso Patriots were tripped up by the West Texas Sockers.
With its fifth consecutive playoff birth in the books, Laredo can now turn its attention into locking up a third divisional title when the club closes out the season against the Sockers on Friday.
“We have been in the league five years, and five years we have made the playoffs,” Heat general manager J.J. Vela said. “This is something that we are very proud of as an organization.
“However, this is just the first step for us in the bigger picture this year. We are excited about making the playoffs and the opportunity that brings to give our region of the United States continued soccer notoriety.”
If the Heat (6-1-8, 26 points) wins, the club will have 29 points and clinch the Mid South Division, as no other team can total more than 28 points. Additionally, Laredo owns the tiebreaker against all teams except West Texas, which was the only Mid South team to beat the Heat this season.
Making the three points all the more important is that home field advantage is on the line; the divisional winner gets to host the divisional playoffs the weekend of July 24-26.
“The Mid South Division regular season title is still there for us,” Vela said. “The importance it brings to us is hosting the divisional championship tournament next weekend in Laredo… that would be huge for us, plus it gives us more time to rest.”
With a Laredo victory, the club would welcome the two survivors among the Aztex (7-4-4, 25), Sockers (7-4-3, 24), Patriots (7-6-1, 22) and Rio Grande Bravos (5-4-5, 20).
The second and third seeded teams would face off first, with the winner playing the Heat for the right to move on to the Elite 8 the following weekend.
The two conference winners play in the championship on Saturday, Aug. 8.
If Laredo ties against West Texas, then the door is left wide open for the divisional title. But at 27 points, the Heat could still win the divisional title if things fell its way again.
The club is optimistic that the injured Greg Mulamba and Danny Galvan could be available for the contest. Their services would be welcomed, especially since the club is going to be without Dionisio “Nicho” Infante and Esteban Bayona.
Infnate is suspended due to yellow card accumulation and Bayona received a red card in the last match.
On Monday the Premier Development League mandated that all teams freeze their rosters at 26 players with no more signings allowed.
The Heat got a break with the the number of foreign players they can carry as Juan De Dios Ibarra received his Resident Card on Monday and is now classified as domestic.
That allowed the team to keep Luis Reyes, who was on the bubble due to a high-ankle sprain, on the roster.
One player whose injuries played a part in him not the final cut was Esteban Bayona,w ho despite leading the team in goals was the odd man out because of the over-23 limit.
Bayona had returned from his injury but was less then 100 percent and apparently more injured than suspected.
The postseason roster is made up of Erick Acevedo, Rodrio Avila, Soamy Bautista, Theo Browne, Ryan Cooper, Alejandro De La Fuente, Lucas Dyer, Albert Escovar, Danny Galvan, Eusebio Garcia, Wayo Gonzalez, Alex Hergert, Ibarra, Dionisio Infante, Adam Kelemet, Frank Lara, Juan Lara, Reyes, Josh Maley, Mulamba, Carlos Ordaz, Joel Perez, Raul Quiñones, Alfredo Ramos and Pedro Ramos.
With its fifth consecutive playoff birth in the books, Laredo can now turn its attention into locking up a third divisional title when the club closes out the season against the Sockers on Friday.
“We have been in the league five years, and five years we have made the playoffs,” Heat general manager J.J. Vela said. “This is something that we are very proud of as an organization.
“However, this is just the first step for us in the bigger picture this year. We are excited about making the playoffs and the opportunity that brings to give our region of the United States continued soccer notoriety.”
If the Heat (6-1-8, 26 points) wins, the club will have 29 points and clinch the Mid South Division, as no other team can total more than 28 points. Additionally, Laredo owns the tiebreaker against all teams except West Texas, which was the only Mid South team to beat the Heat this season.
Making the three points all the more important is that home field advantage is on the line; the divisional winner gets to host the divisional playoffs the weekend of July 24-26.
“The Mid South Division regular season title is still there for us,” Vela said. “The importance it brings to us is hosting the divisional championship tournament next weekend in Laredo… that would be huge for us, plus it gives us more time to rest.”
With a Laredo victory, the club would welcome the two survivors among the Aztex (7-4-4, 25), Sockers (7-4-3, 24), Patriots (7-6-1, 22) and Rio Grande Bravos (5-4-5, 20).
The second and third seeded teams would face off first, with the winner playing the Heat for the right to move on to the Elite 8 the following weekend.
The two conference winners play in the championship on Saturday, Aug. 8.
If Laredo ties against West Texas, then the door is left wide open for the divisional title. But at 27 points, the Heat could still win the divisional title if things fell its way again.
The club is optimistic that the injured Greg Mulamba and Danny Galvan could be available for the contest. Their services would be welcomed, especially since the club is going to be without Dionisio “Nicho” Infante and Esteban Bayona.
Infnate is suspended due to yellow card accumulation and Bayona received a red card in the last match.
On Monday the Premier Development League mandated that all teams freeze their rosters at 26 players with no more signings allowed.
The Heat got a break with the the number of foreign players they can carry as Juan De Dios Ibarra received his Resident Card on Monday and is now classified as domestic.
That allowed the team to keep Luis Reyes, who was on the bubble due to a high-ankle sprain, on the roster.
One player whose injuries played a part in him not the final cut was Esteban Bayona,w ho despite leading the team in goals was the odd man out because of the over-23 limit.
Bayona had returned from his injury but was less then 100 percent and apparently more injured than suspected.
The postseason roster is made up of Erick Acevedo, Rodrio Avila, Soamy Bautista, Theo Browne, Ryan Cooper, Alejandro De La Fuente, Lucas Dyer, Albert Escovar, Danny Galvan, Eusebio Garcia, Wayo Gonzalez, Alex Hergert, Ibarra, Dionisio Infante, Adam Kelemet, Frank Lara, Juan Lara, Reyes, Josh Maley, Mulamba, Carlos Ordaz, Joel Perez, Raul Quiñones, Alfredo Ramos and Pedro Ramos.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Heat loses opportunity, ties Bravos
Defenseman Carlos Ordaz, normally a stout presence in the backfield, salvaged a point for the Laredo Heat Thursday night at the Texas A&M Soccer Complex.
Ordaz received a perfectly timed pass from Joel Perez off a free kick, as he entered the area and wrapped the ball in the netting in the 90th minute to tie the contest 2-2, the eventual score.
Ordaz spoiled a beautiful play for a goal by the Bravos’ Salvador Luna. Luna’s 13th goal of the season was a waltz that started off an inbound pass from the left side of the field.
He faked and dribbled past several Heat defenders before sliding in the area to best the Heat’s Ryan Cooper in the 69th minute.
The Heat’s Josh Maley had the game’s final opportunity to give his team the win in compensation time.
Much to his dismay, however, he whiffed on a pass facing an empty net.
The tie comes as a bittersweet pill to swallow for Laredo. The Heat (6-1-8, 26 points) had a chance to practically cement its postseason classification with a win.
The Heat is no longer the frontrunners for the Mid-South Division title and must now win its final contest against the West Texas Sockers on July 17.
The Bravos (5-4-5, 20) still have an outside shot of making the playoffs, if they win their final two gamse of the season.
The Heat and Bravos both had opportunities to add to the score.
The Heat sorely missed the presence of captain and midfielder Daniel Galvan, and midfielder Greg Mulamba.
The Heat trailed early, after a well-placed shot from the Bravos’ Kendor Vasquez in the sixth minute lifted his team to a 1-0 lead.
The momentum then swung in the Heat’s favor when the Bravos’ Enrique Quintero was awarded his second yellow card of the game in the 25th minute.
The man advantage allowed the Heat to equalize the game in the 36th minute when Dionisio “Nicho” Infante knocked in his fourth goal of the contest from point-blank range.
The goal came about after a corner by Juan de Dios Ibarra to the far post was redirected to Infante.
The Heat’s Esteban Bayona, its leading goal scorer, was forced into action in the 20th minute after Luis Reyes was injured.
Bayona wasn’t 100 percent, coming off an injured ankle, and it showed as the striker couldn’t knock in a relative easy opportunity in the 38th minute on a Raul Quiñones set-up.
Four minutes later, Bayona found himself on a one-on-one against the Bravos’ goalie Juan Garcia, but Bayona put too much force on his last touch that forced him to take an off-angled shot that bounced off the side netting.
Ordaz received a perfectly timed pass from Joel Perez off a free kick, as he entered the area and wrapped the ball in the netting in the 90th minute to tie the contest 2-2, the eventual score.
Ordaz spoiled a beautiful play for a goal by the Bravos’ Salvador Luna. Luna’s 13th goal of the season was a waltz that started off an inbound pass from the left side of the field.
He faked and dribbled past several Heat defenders before sliding in the area to best the Heat’s Ryan Cooper in the 69th minute.
The Heat’s Josh Maley had the game’s final opportunity to give his team the win in compensation time.
Much to his dismay, however, he whiffed on a pass facing an empty net.
The tie comes as a bittersweet pill to swallow for Laredo. The Heat (6-1-8, 26 points) had a chance to practically cement its postseason classification with a win.
The Heat is no longer the frontrunners for the Mid-South Division title and must now win its final contest against the West Texas Sockers on July 17.
The Bravos (5-4-5, 20) still have an outside shot of making the playoffs, if they win their final two gamse of the season.
The Heat and Bravos both had opportunities to add to the score.
The Heat sorely missed the presence of captain and midfielder Daniel Galvan, and midfielder Greg Mulamba.
The Heat trailed early, after a well-placed shot from the Bravos’ Kendor Vasquez in the sixth minute lifted his team to a 1-0 lead.
The momentum then swung in the Heat’s favor when the Bravos’ Enrique Quintero was awarded his second yellow card of the game in the 25th minute.
The man advantage allowed the Heat to equalize the game in the 36th minute when Dionisio “Nicho” Infante knocked in his fourth goal of the contest from point-blank range.
The goal came about after a corner by Juan de Dios Ibarra to the far post was redirected to Infante.
The Heat’s Esteban Bayona, its leading goal scorer, was forced into action in the 20th minute after Luis Reyes was injured.
Bayona wasn’t 100 percent, coming off an injured ankle, and it showed as the striker couldn’t knock in a relative easy opportunity in the 38th minute on a Raul Quiñones set-up.
Four minutes later, Bayona found himself on a one-on-one against the Bravos’ goalie Juan Garcia, but Bayona put too much force on his last touch that forced him to take an off-angled shot that bounced off the side netting.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Big games looming for Heat
The Premier Development League season is nearly over and the Laredo Heat is in control of its own destiny.
Not only is a playoff berth a very real possibility, but the club can also win its third Mid-South divisional title.
The Heat (6-1-7, 25 points) can practically assure itself a spot in the postseason with a win over the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4, 19) tonight at the Texas A&M International soccer complex.
“In all honesty, what better way to finish out the regular season than playing two teams (Bravos and Sockers) that are in playoff contention, at home, and the results of those games will have implications as to the future of all the teams involved,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said. “Talk about controlling your destiny.”
If the Heat beats the Bravos, then the Valley team becomes the club’s third swept team for the season.
Laredo already holds the tiebreakers against the Austin Aztex (6-3-4, 22) and the El Paso Patriots (7-5-1, 22).
Both the Aztex and Patriots would have to win two and tie once, or win out, and hope the Heat loses one of its next two games, to get ahead of the Heat in the standings.
The Aztex take on the Patriots in their season finale, so only one can actually win out.
If the Heat beats the Bravos, the Valley team’s slim playoff hopes practically evaporate and they’re left on the outside looking in.
The other team in contention is the West Texas Sockers (6-3-3, 21). The Sockers have the inside track on the division, as they can amass 33 points if they win their final four games.
The Heat and the Bravos have played three times on the season, with Laredo winning once and tying twice.
Two of the three matches have had suspensions on both sides, with the latest game a 4-2 win by Laredo.
The Heat is without an important midfield presence in Greg Mulamba, who is day-to-day with a knee injury.
Danny Galvan is also a game-time decision for tonight.
The team had played with all their players for the first time since the opening game last weekend against Dallas before Mulamba went down later in that contest.
Returning to add some offensive spark was Esteban Bayona, who knocked in his sixth goal of the season against the Tornados.
“While we are glad that we finish off the regular season at home, we are aware that we will need to defend our turf versus two quality expansion teams,” Vela said.
The Heat finishes the season against West Texas on July 17.
“First thing’s first, we need to get three points versus the Bravos (tonight) in order to create some distance in the standings and then prepare for our final game of the season next week versus the West Texas United Sockers,” Vela said.
Austin plays twice this weekend, with the first contest against the winless Houston Leones (0-10-3, 3) at home on Friday; and the second at Dallas Fort Worth (2-6-4, 10) on Sunday.
The Aztex wrap up the season hosting the El Paso Patriots on July 17.
The Aztex can finish with a maximum of 31 points.
The Patriots can also total 31 points if they win out in their final three games.
They have a tougher schedule than Austin, since, besides playing the Aztex, they take on the Sockers on Sunday.
It won’t be easy; all their games are on the road against Dallas and El Paso over the weekend.
They close out the season against Laredo and Rio Grande Valley.
The Bravos (5-4-4, 19) can collect 28 points if they win their final three games.
Not only is a playoff berth a very real possibility, but the club can also win its third Mid-South divisional title.
The Heat (6-1-7, 25 points) can practically assure itself a spot in the postseason with a win over the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4, 19) tonight at the Texas A&M International soccer complex.
“In all honesty, what better way to finish out the regular season than playing two teams (Bravos and Sockers) that are in playoff contention, at home, and the results of those games will have implications as to the future of all the teams involved,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said. “Talk about controlling your destiny.”
If the Heat beats the Bravos, then the Valley team becomes the club’s third swept team for the season.
Laredo already holds the tiebreakers against the Austin Aztex (6-3-4, 22) and the El Paso Patriots (7-5-1, 22).
Both the Aztex and Patriots would have to win two and tie once, or win out, and hope the Heat loses one of its next two games, to get ahead of the Heat in the standings.
The Aztex take on the Patriots in their season finale, so only one can actually win out.
If the Heat beats the Bravos, the Valley team’s slim playoff hopes practically evaporate and they’re left on the outside looking in.
The other team in contention is the West Texas Sockers (6-3-3, 21). The Sockers have the inside track on the division, as they can amass 33 points if they win their final four games.
The Heat and the Bravos have played three times on the season, with Laredo winning once and tying twice.
Two of the three matches have had suspensions on both sides, with the latest game a 4-2 win by Laredo.
The Heat is without an important midfield presence in Greg Mulamba, who is day-to-day with a knee injury.
Danny Galvan is also a game-time decision for tonight.
The team had played with all their players for the first time since the opening game last weekend against Dallas before Mulamba went down later in that contest.
Returning to add some offensive spark was Esteban Bayona, who knocked in his sixth goal of the season against the Tornados.
“While we are glad that we finish off the regular season at home, we are aware that we will need to defend our turf versus two quality expansion teams,” Vela said.
The Heat finishes the season against West Texas on July 17.
“First thing’s first, we need to get three points versus the Bravos (tonight) in order to create some distance in the standings and then prepare for our final game of the season next week versus the West Texas United Sockers,” Vela said.
Austin plays twice this weekend, with the first contest against the winless Houston Leones (0-10-3, 3) at home on Friday; and the second at Dallas Fort Worth (2-6-4, 10) on Sunday.
The Aztex wrap up the season hosting the El Paso Patriots on July 17.
The Aztex can finish with a maximum of 31 points.
The Patriots can also total 31 points if they win out in their final three games.
They have a tougher schedule than Austin, since, besides playing the Aztex, they take on the Sockers on Sunday.
It won’t be easy; all their games are on the road against Dallas and El Paso over the weekend.
They close out the season against Laredo and Rio Grande Valley.
The Bravos (5-4-4, 19) can collect 28 points if they win their final three games.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Two games remain as Heat stay atop Mid-South
The Dallas Fort Worth Tornados might not prove daunting for the majority of the Mid-South Division, but to the Laredo Heat, they have been anything but pushovers.
Once again the Heat rallied from an early deficit and managed to tie Sunday's game, 2-2, for the all-important one point.
The Tornados are 1-2-3 on the season at home and 2-6-4 overall.
The Heat (6-1-7, 25) fell into a 2-0 hole quickly before a red card to the Tornados’ Taylor Brice in the 44th minute swung the momentum tin its favor.
The second half, with the man advantage, belonged to the Heat as Esteban Bayona and Greg Mulamba scored to give the club its seventh tie of the season.
The Heat welcomed back Bayona, who quickly added to his team-leading goal total, which now stands at six. Bayona was in his second game back with the team, after recovering from an ankle injury. He cut the deficit in half in the 58th minute with an unassisted goal.
Mulamba,, on the other hand continued with his offensive surge and now has four goals on the year. His equalizing goal came in the 75th minute off a pass from Juan De Dios Ibarra.
Mulamba has proven to be the Heat’s ace in the hole late in the contests. All his goals have been of the game-tying variety.
The Heat snapped a two game winning streak, but still sit atop the division with 25 points.
Right behind the club is the Austin Aztex Austin (6-3-4, 22), El Paso Patriots (7-5-1, 22), West Texas Sockers (6-3-3, 21) and Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4, 19). The Sockers beat El Paso 2-1 on Saturday to stay in contention.
Laredo finishes its road portion of the season schedule with a 3-1-4 record. It closes out the regular season at home against the Bravos (July 9) and West Texas (July 17).
Once again the Heat rallied from an early deficit and managed to tie Sunday's game, 2-2, for the all-important one point.
The Tornados are 1-2-3 on the season at home and 2-6-4 overall.
The Heat (6-1-7, 25) fell into a 2-0 hole quickly before a red card to the Tornados’ Taylor Brice in the 44th minute swung the momentum tin its favor.
The second half, with the man advantage, belonged to the Heat as Esteban Bayona and Greg Mulamba scored to give the club its seventh tie of the season.
The Heat welcomed back Bayona, who quickly added to his team-leading goal total, which now stands at six. Bayona was in his second game back with the team, after recovering from an ankle injury. He cut the deficit in half in the 58th minute with an unassisted goal.
Mulamba,, on the other hand continued with his offensive surge and now has four goals on the year. His equalizing goal came in the 75th minute off a pass from Juan De Dios Ibarra.
Mulamba has proven to be the Heat’s ace in the hole late in the contests. All his goals have been of the game-tying variety.
The Heat snapped a two game winning streak, but still sit atop the division with 25 points.
Right behind the club is the Austin Aztex Austin (6-3-4, 22), El Paso Patriots (7-5-1, 22), West Texas Sockers (6-3-3, 21) and Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4, 19). The Sockers beat El Paso 2-1 on Saturday to stay in contention.
Laredo finishes its road portion of the season schedule with a 3-1-4 record. It closes out the regular season at home against the Bravos (July 9) and West Texas (July 17).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Pivotal games remain for Heat
The final month of Premier Development League play is here for many teams.
With the playoffs looming on the horizon, the Laredo Heat is hoping that it gets another chance to extend its season into August.
The Heat’s no stranger to the pressures that go hand-in-hand with the final month of action. It just hopes that its experience and knowledge can guide it back into the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
The Heat finds itself in the same five-way Mid-South Division battle that began two months ago.
The Heat (5-1-6, 21 points) trails co-division leaders Austin Aztex (6-2-4, 22) and El Paso Patriots (7-4-1, 22) by one point.
Behind Laredo is Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4-, 19) and the West Texas Sockers (4-3-3, 15).
The Heat takes on the Aztex in Austin tonight and then plays the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados on Sunday.
Heat coach Israel Collazo is suspended for tonight’s game after being ejected in the team’s last contest against the Bravos.
“Austin’s a well-coached and organized team,” Collazo said. “They have players that are not only quick, but strong. They can turn it on at any moment offensively, but like always we are planning to play our game.”
The Heat is coming of its first victory in nearly three weeks with a 4-2 win over the Bravos.
It was a game in which defender Soamy Bautista knocked in two goals to become the team’s first player to be named to the PDL Team of the Week.
“I had no idea,” Bautista said about the honors. “Well that’s new, I’ve never made it to anything like that before, but, hey, if it happens, it happens. What I want to do is take care of business and do what I can.”
Another thing that Bautista had never done in his two years as a starter for Texas A&M International was score a goal.
He is currently tied with Greg Mulamba in second place for the team lead in goals scored.
“It’s a surprise,” Bautista said about the goals. “I mean, I haven’t scored in two years with TAMIU, but yeah, it goes to show the nature of the game.”
The club’s leader in goals Esteban Bayona (five goals) is going to suit up, but his chances of playing depend on the situation on the field.
He is coming off an ankle sprain suffered against the Tornados back on June 18.
The club is hoping its recent offensive outburst against the Bravos continues. Before that game, it had scored seven goals in six games, five of those games ending in ties.
Bautista, who is going to be a junior for the Dustdevils next season, made a quick impact with the Heat by scoring his first goal in its season opener against the Aztex.
The defender then settled into his role for the next six games, before an injury sidelined him for the next four, in which the team went 1-0-3.
He’s still not at 100 percent, but he concedes that he probably won’t be at top form anytime soon.
This season would be Bautista’s second with the Heat if it wasn’t for a reality show that he appeared in last summer.
“It was an opportunity (the TV show) that I couldn’t pass up, you know,” he said. “So I was approached again this year, and I had nothing else going on so I couldn’t pass up a great opportunity (playing for the Heat) like this.”
Meanwhile, Bayona’s return to the team came at a perfect time, with the team battling for a playoff spot and with the roster freeze coming up on July 16.
If the Heat’s going to make it to its fifth consecutive playoffs in a row, now is the time where the players that plan to lead the team have to stand out.
“We know what we gotta do to win,” Bautista said. “We have tied plenty of games, but we haven’t lost and that’s big. We know we have gotten by with ties, but we have to grow as a team.”
The Aztex and Heat have met twice before, both in Laredo. The Heat won their first meeting, 3-1, and tied the second, 1-1.
Still, the Aztex have yet to lose at home, going 4-0-1 and outscoring teams 16-5.
“If the players execute our game plan and everything works out for us as we hope, our playoff destiny will rest solely in our hands, and, from experience, that is a good thing to have on our side,” Vela said.
Tonight, the Heat welcomes the return of Mulamba, Erick Acevedo and Alejandro de la Fuente. All three were suspended for the Bravos game.
With the playoffs looming on the horizon, the Laredo Heat is hoping that it gets another chance to extend its season into August.
The Heat’s no stranger to the pressures that go hand-in-hand with the final month of action. It just hopes that its experience and knowledge can guide it back into the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
The Heat finds itself in the same five-way Mid-South Division battle that began two months ago.
The Heat (5-1-6, 21 points) trails co-division leaders Austin Aztex (6-2-4, 22) and El Paso Patriots (7-4-1, 22) by one point.
Behind Laredo is Rio Grande Valley Bravos (5-4-4-, 19) and the West Texas Sockers (4-3-3, 15).
The Heat takes on the Aztex in Austin tonight and then plays the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados on Sunday.
Heat coach Israel Collazo is suspended for tonight’s game after being ejected in the team’s last contest against the Bravos.
“Austin’s a well-coached and organized team,” Collazo said. “They have players that are not only quick, but strong. They can turn it on at any moment offensively, but like always we are planning to play our game.”
The Heat is coming of its first victory in nearly three weeks with a 4-2 win over the Bravos.
It was a game in which defender Soamy Bautista knocked in two goals to become the team’s first player to be named to the PDL Team of the Week.
“I had no idea,” Bautista said about the honors. “Well that’s new, I’ve never made it to anything like that before, but, hey, if it happens, it happens. What I want to do is take care of business and do what I can.”
Another thing that Bautista had never done in his two years as a starter for Texas A&M International was score a goal.
He is currently tied with Greg Mulamba in second place for the team lead in goals scored.
“It’s a surprise,” Bautista said about the goals. “I mean, I haven’t scored in two years with TAMIU, but yeah, it goes to show the nature of the game.”
The club’s leader in goals Esteban Bayona (five goals) is going to suit up, but his chances of playing depend on the situation on the field.
He is coming off an ankle sprain suffered against the Tornados back on June 18.
The club is hoping its recent offensive outburst against the Bravos continues. Before that game, it had scored seven goals in six games, five of those games ending in ties.
Bautista, who is going to be a junior for the Dustdevils next season, made a quick impact with the Heat by scoring his first goal in its season opener against the Aztex.
The defender then settled into his role for the next six games, before an injury sidelined him for the next four, in which the team went 1-0-3.
He’s still not at 100 percent, but he concedes that he probably won’t be at top form anytime soon.
This season would be Bautista’s second with the Heat if it wasn’t for a reality show that he appeared in last summer.
“It was an opportunity (the TV show) that I couldn’t pass up, you know,” he said. “So I was approached again this year, and I had nothing else going on so I couldn’t pass up a great opportunity (playing for the Heat) like this.”
Meanwhile, Bayona’s return to the team came at a perfect time, with the team battling for a playoff spot and with the roster freeze coming up on July 16.
If the Heat’s going to make it to its fifth consecutive playoffs in a row, now is the time where the players that plan to lead the team have to stand out.
“We know what we gotta do to win,” Bautista said. “We have tied plenty of games, but we haven’t lost and that’s big. We know we have gotten by with ties, but we have to grow as a team.”
The Aztex and Heat have met twice before, both in Laredo. The Heat won their first meeting, 3-1, and tied the second, 1-1.
Still, the Aztex have yet to lose at home, going 4-0-1 and outscoring teams 16-5.
“If the players execute our game plan and everything works out for us as we hope, our playoff destiny will rest solely in our hands, and, from experience, that is a good thing to have on our side,” Vela said.
Tonight, the Heat welcomes the return of Mulamba, Erick Acevedo and Alejandro de la Fuente. All three were suspended for the Bravos game.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
USL hands out fines, suspensions for Heat, Bravos
The United Soccer League has laid down the law, regarding the extracurricular activities between the Laredo Heat and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos that took place last week.
As far as the league is concerned, it has washed its hands of the mess and strongly urged for both teams to do the same.
Especially since the two clubs meet again tonight in Hidalgo, and once more in Laredo on July 9.
The activities came about after the Heat and Bravos’ last game in which Bravos coach Ismael “Moreira” Braga went over to the Heat bench and issued some words to the Heat’s Greg Mulamba.
A shoving match ensued and the league handed out suspension and fines after reviewing the video.
The coach was mad because he felt the tackle Mulamba had on Jesus Mireles, which broke his fibula was dirty. Mulamba was cleared of any wrongdoing by the league.
The Heat’s (4-1-6, 18 points) Mulamba, Eric Acevedo and Alejandro de La Fuente were suspended for tonight’s game and fined $25 each.
For the Bravos (4-3-4, 16), Braga is suspended three games and fined $150.
Back-up goalie Eric Chapa is suspended two games and fined $50.
The league also fined each team $250.
“Honestly, while I might not agree with all their decisions, it’s time to move on. I have to focus on preparing the team and look for solutions in how we can win tonight with the players we do have,” Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
“It will be a highly contested game, but I don’t think it will or should go beyond that. We are going to go out and play and be respectful.”
Fines were also handed out to Laredo’s Juan de Dios Ibarra ($50) and Esteban Bayona ($50).
Ibarra was fined for throwing a water bottle, while Bayona, who was on crutches, shouldn’t have been on the field at all, but still was.
In the Bravos corner, Alfonso Cavaso was fined $50, along with Edgar Cona, both for throwing water bottles.
Of note, is that the Bravos are a pay-for-play club, as they elected to pay their players for their services.
They’re the only team in the Mid-South Division to sign their players in exchange for money.
In their previous two games, the Heat has finished the contests with at least a man down. It has also rallied to tie the game in both matches.
Its first encounter was a 3-3 stalemate back in May, followed by the 1-1 tie two weeks ago.
While the Heat welcomes back defender Pedro Ramos and midfielder Luis Reyes, it loses a key figure in the midfield in Mulamba, who had emerged as the team’s go-to guy on offense, having scored three goals in the last three games.
Also missing the match is defender Acevedo.
The club is already without its top scorer in Bayona, leaving the offense a work in progress.
Helping alleviate the scoring woes is the return of Albert “Chiti” Escovar. Escovar logged some minutes in Friday’s contest, so his availability for a full game is still in question.
“It’s important to keep all your players on the field for continuity and familiarity’s sake, but you can’t predict this sort of thing. We have to adjust, adapt and look for what works for us,” Collazo said.
In its last game, the Heat moved Dionisio “Nicho” Infante back on top alongside Frank Lara.
Infante has some experience atop, so Escovar would be a welcome addition, being that he has played at the university level.
The more likely option is Luis Reyes as an offensive-minded midfielder, with Nicho alone at top.
Lara and Eusebio Garcia have seen some time at the forward position and should see some playing time.
Making an impact lately is midfielder Alex Hergert, who is likely going to called on again with Mulamba out.
The return of Ramos and Soamy Bautista allows for Danny Galvan to return to his natural position in the midfield.
“It’s going to be a difficult match and I expect a hostile welcome. It’s an extremely important match because we both need those three points that are up for grabs,” Collazo said.
As far as the league is concerned, it has washed its hands of the mess and strongly urged for both teams to do the same.
Especially since the two clubs meet again tonight in Hidalgo, and once more in Laredo on July 9.
The activities came about after the Heat and Bravos’ last game in which Bravos coach Ismael “Moreira” Braga went over to the Heat bench and issued some words to the Heat’s Greg Mulamba.
A shoving match ensued and the league handed out suspension and fines after reviewing the video.
The coach was mad because he felt the tackle Mulamba had on Jesus Mireles, which broke his fibula was dirty. Mulamba was cleared of any wrongdoing by the league.
The Heat’s (4-1-6, 18 points) Mulamba, Eric Acevedo and Alejandro de La Fuente were suspended for tonight’s game and fined $25 each.
For the Bravos (4-3-4, 16), Braga is suspended three games and fined $150.
Back-up goalie Eric Chapa is suspended two games and fined $50.
The league also fined each team $250.
“Honestly, while I might not agree with all their decisions, it’s time to move on. I have to focus on preparing the team and look for solutions in how we can win tonight with the players we do have,” Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
“It will be a highly contested game, but I don’t think it will or should go beyond that. We are going to go out and play and be respectful.”
Fines were also handed out to Laredo’s Juan de Dios Ibarra ($50) and Esteban Bayona ($50).
Ibarra was fined for throwing a water bottle, while Bayona, who was on crutches, shouldn’t have been on the field at all, but still was.
In the Bravos corner, Alfonso Cavaso was fined $50, along with Edgar Cona, both for throwing water bottles.
Of note, is that the Bravos are a pay-for-play club, as they elected to pay their players for their services.
They’re the only team in the Mid-South Division to sign their players in exchange for money.
In their previous two games, the Heat has finished the contests with at least a man down. It has also rallied to tie the game in both matches.
Its first encounter was a 3-3 stalemate back in May, followed by the 1-1 tie two weeks ago.
While the Heat welcomes back defender Pedro Ramos and midfielder Luis Reyes, it loses a key figure in the midfield in Mulamba, who had emerged as the team’s go-to guy on offense, having scored three goals in the last three games.
Also missing the match is defender Acevedo.
The club is already without its top scorer in Bayona, leaving the offense a work in progress.
Helping alleviate the scoring woes is the return of Albert “Chiti” Escovar. Escovar logged some minutes in Friday’s contest, so his availability for a full game is still in question.
“It’s important to keep all your players on the field for continuity and familiarity’s sake, but you can’t predict this sort of thing. We have to adjust, adapt and look for what works for us,” Collazo said.
In its last game, the Heat moved Dionisio “Nicho” Infante back on top alongside Frank Lara.
Infante has some experience atop, so Escovar would be a welcome addition, being that he has played at the university level.
The more likely option is Luis Reyes as an offensive-minded midfielder, with Nicho alone at top.
Lara and Eusebio Garcia have seen some time at the forward position and should see some playing time.
Making an impact lately is midfielder Alex Hergert, who is likely going to called on again with Mulamba out.
The return of Ramos and Soamy Bautista allows for Danny Galvan to return to his natural position in the midfield.
“It’s going to be a difficult match and I expect a hostile welcome. It’s an extremely important match because we both need those three points that are up for grabs,” Collazo said.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The final verdict
The USL reviewed the video evidence and handed down the suspensions on Thursday.
The Heat suffers the most with two starters out for their game against the Bravos on Sunday.
That left Heat owner Shashi Vaswani hoping that their game video ran a little bit longer than normal.
"The unfortunate part is we sent them the tape, but our camera man shutdown when the final whistle blew and he missed the first thirty to forty seconds where it showed how it began . We have to move forward, they made their decision and we just have to move on," Vaswani said.
More importantly, the league resolved the issue of whether or not the tackle on Jesus Mireles was anything out of the ordinary. The verdict absolves Mulamba of any malicious intent.
The following is the USL's response to the clubs.
Gregory Mulamba (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
Mr. Mulamba becomes involved as a reaction to the physical contact initiated by Mr. Chapa. While Mr. Mulamba may have been acting in defense of Mr. Chapa, the evidence leads us to believe his actions are responsible for the escalation of the altercation.
o We have reviewed the tackle that Mr. Mulamba committed in the 30th minute against Jesus Mireles (including consolation) with USSF, and we feel that the tackle doesn’t warrant any disciplinary action.
Alejandro De La Fuente (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
o Mr. De La Fuente is identified by multiple witnesses as attacking/striking a member of the Rio Grande Valley.
Erick Acevedo (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
o Mr. Acevedo is identified by multiple witnesses as attacking/striking a member of the Rio Grande Valley.
Rio Grande Valley Bravos:
Ismael “Moreira” Braga (Rio Grande Valley Bravos) – 3 game suspension & $150 fine ( 6/27 vs. Austin, 6/28 vs. Laredo, 7/9 @ Laredo)
It is our assessment that Mr. Braga was the instigator of this incident as he approached the Laredo Heat player Gregory Mulamba after the conclusion of the match. His actions fall far below the level of professionalism we expect for the Head Coach.
It is clear from the video that Mr. Braga attempted to strike a member of the Laredo Heat during the beginning of the confrontation. Whether this was in defense of oneself is irrelevant, these actions are not acceptable by the Head Coach.
Several times Mr. Braga continued to enflame the situation by continuing verbally provoke the Laredo Heat members. It is our expectation, Mr. Braga (or any coach) to act in the manner of trying to diffuse the situation and gain control of his team.
Eric Chapa – (Rio Grande Valley Bravos) – 2 game suspension & $50 fine (6/27 vs. Austin & 6/28 vs. Laredo)
Mr. Chapa initiated the physical contact between the two teams as he struck Mr. Mulamba. This action served as the precipitator for others to become physically involved and for the situation to quickly deteriorate.
Mr. Chapa involvement continued throughout the entire situation, and as both teams looked to be settling down, Mr. Chapa attempted to strike another member of the Laredo Heat, again causing the confrontation to re-escalate.
_________________________________________________________________
So there you have it.
Of note, Mulamba is one yellow card away from receiving another suspension. He has four on the year.
As for coach Braga, the USL took a much different apporach back in 2005 when the then coach Eleazer Jepsen was suspended for three months after deliberatley bumpbing into a referee. It seems Braga was lucky that he actually didn't hit anybody during the altercation.
For that incident the USL had this to say.
The Heat suffers the most with two starters out for their game against the Bravos on Sunday.
That left Heat owner Shashi Vaswani hoping that their game video ran a little bit longer than normal.
"The unfortunate part is we sent them the tape, but our camera man shutdown when the final whistle blew and he missed the first thirty to forty seconds where it showed how it began . We have to move forward, they made their decision and we just have to move on," Vaswani said.
More importantly, the league resolved the issue of whether or not the tackle on Jesus Mireles was anything out of the ordinary. The verdict absolves Mulamba of any malicious intent.
The following is the USL's response to the clubs.
Gregory Mulamba (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
Mr. Mulamba becomes involved as a reaction to the physical contact initiated by Mr. Chapa. While Mr. Mulamba may have been acting in defense of Mr. Chapa, the evidence leads us to believe his actions are responsible for the escalation of the altercation.
o We have reviewed the tackle that Mr. Mulamba committed in the 30th minute against Jesus Mireles (including consolation) with USSF, and we feel that the tackle doesn’t warrant any disciplinary action.
Alejandro De La Fuente (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
o Mr. De La Fuente is identified by multiple witnesses as attacking/striking a member of the Rio Grande Valley.
Erick Acevedo (Laredo Heat) – 1 game suspension & $25 fine (7/28 @ Rio Grande Valley)
o Mr. Acevedo is identified by multiple witnesses as attacking/striking a member of the Rio Grande Valley.
Rio Grande Valley Bravos:
Ismael “Moreira” Braga (Rio Grande Valley Bravos) – 3 game suspension & $150 fine ( 6/27 vs. Austin, 6/28 vs. Laredo, 7/9 @ Laredo)
It is our assessment that Mr. Braga was the instigator of this incident as he approached the Laredo Heat player Gregory Mulamba after the conclusion of the match. His actions fall far below the level of professionalism we expect for the Head Coach.
It is clear from the video that Mr. Braga attempted to strike a member of the Laredo Heat during the beginning of the confrontation. Whether this was in defense of oneself is irrelevant, these actions are not acceptable by the Head Coach.
Several times Mr. Braga continued to enflame the situation by continuing verbally provoke the Laredo Heat members. It is our expectation, Mr. Braga (or any coach) to act in the manner of trying to diffuse the situation and gain control of his team.
Eric Chapa – (Rio Grande Valley Bravos) – 2 game suspension & $50 fine (6/27 vs. Austin & 6/28 vs. Laredo)
Mr. Chapa initiated the physical contact between the two teams as he struck Mr. Mulamba. This action served as the precipitator for others to become physically involved and for the situation to quickly deteriorate.
Mr. Chapa involvement continued throughout the entire situation, and as both teams looked to be settling down, Mr. Chapa attempted to strike another member of the Laredo Heat, again causing the confrontation to re-escalate.
_________________________________________________________________
So there you have it.
Of note, Mulamba is one yellow card away from receiving another suspension. He has four on the year.
As for coach Braga, the USL took a much different apporach back in 2005 when the then coach Eleazer Jepsen was suspended for three months after deliberatley bumpbing into a referee. It seems Braga was lucky that he actually didn't hit anybody during the altercation.
For that incident the USL had this to say.
The USL says, any contact with a referee is seen as ref assault, regardless of the severity of the aggression which means consequences are mandatory.
"It was a deliberate action by the coach, and based on that we had to give a minimum of three months in accordance to the soccer rule book. He feels awful and we know he is a class act, but we can't overlook the fact that this happened. The rule is put in place to protect the refs," USL vice president Tim Holt said by phone out of his Florida office Wednesday.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Heat, Bravos at odds over altercation
The Development tag for the Premier Development League isn't relegated only to the teams on the field.
At times, and more often than not, coaches and players take to heart the work, or lack thereof, from the referees calling the game.
Referees suffer the brunt of a team's and fan's aggression, and at times they might be right.
But what gets lost in translation is that officials often do a respectable job.
The simple truth, though, is that one wrong can outweigh five rights in the arena of athletics.
It all comes down to the eye of the beholder.
What the teams don't want to let happen, though, is for the league to become complacent if there is a real problem.
Friday's match between the Heat and Rio Grande Valley, which has been touted as a rivalry despite playing just twice, did have the ingredients necessary to actually turn the contest into a grudge match, similar to the rivalry between Laredo and El Paso.
"For a game to be a rivalry a classic, you have to actually play more then a couple of games.
Like the history we have with El Paso, we have four years playing against each other.
Right away they (Rio Grande) want to jump on board the rivalry angle.
If this is already a rivalry, then it seems we are setting quite a low standard for a match to be considered a rivalry," Heat head coach Israel Collazo said.
Making the Heat and Bravos contest interesting is that the Bravo fans actually make a difference since the drive to Laredo is not too lengthy, and on Saturday, there was a loud contingent supporting the club.
From a scene straight from a WWF script, soon after the Bravos got on the board first on a nice goal by Salvador Luna, Luna immediately went into the classic character and paraded around the field, milking every second for an in-your-face celebration.
All this tends to aid the rivalry angle, given time. What ensued after the quick goal was a frenetic and energetic game.
At first, the referee seemed content to let the clubs play.
Soon after, however, the fouls came at shorter intervals and tempers began to flare.
A ticking time bomb was lit midway though the first half when the Bravos' Jesus Mireles was fouled by the Heat's Greg Mulamba.
Mireles, a 17-year-old star from Class 5A state champ Hidalgo, is now, as a result, forced to watch the rest of the season from the sidelines with a broken leg.
What took place in that play is digitally recorded in the game video.
As of Sunday, no one had taken a look to clear the air.
In the Bravos' eyes, Mulamba, according to what was told to the McAllen Monitor, jumped on Mireles' back and tackled him to the ground.
"What bothers me is that the people that listen to their claims is going to believe that.
People have to be more responsible with what they write.
I saw that play unfold, and if Mulamba did go out of his way to hurt the player I would be the first to discipline him.
The fact of the matter is that Mulamba went for the ball and the players foot got his foot stuck on the field," Collazo said.
The snowball effect was in full force as the game took a more physical tone.
By the time the game finished, two Heat players, Pedro Ramos and Luis Reyes, were ejected, along with one Bravo, Adrian Vazquez.
There were a total of nine yellow cards handed out, five to the Bravos and the rest to the Heat.
Bravos coach Ismael Moreira Braga wasn't pleased with what happened and was less pleased with the work the referees had done.
The league is currently reviewing the postgame altercation that involved several Heat players and Bravos players, along with coach Braga, who can be cited for irresponsible behavior for allegedly talking to Mulamba after the game.
"Honestly, the league should address them.
They came unto the field to provoke us, starting with their coach.
I don't want to talk bad about anybody, but the league has suspended me for less.
The league has to take care of situations like this, but if they don't well there is nothing I or anyone else can do," Collazo said.
If the guillotine falls, it should be known today what actions are going to be taken.
The Heat is already hurting with Soamy Bautista and Albert Escovar out with injuries.
Now Ramos and Reyes are suspended for one game, and the club might find itself with fewer players if the league takes action.
Also up in the air is the health of its goal leader, Esteban Bayona, who was hurt in the game against Dallas Fort Worth on Friday.
All this only benefits the Austin Aztex (6-1-3, 21 points), who share the Mid-South Division lead with El Paso (7-4-0, 21). The Aztex travel to Laredo on Friday.
The Heat (4-1-5, 17) is currently in third place, one point ahead of Rio Grande (4-3-4, 16) and three in front of West Texas (4-3-2, 14).
Austin and Laredo have played only 10 games, while Rio Grande and El Paso have 11. West Texas has played only nine games.
At times, and more often than not, coaches and players take to heart the work, or lack thereof, from the referees calling the game.
Referees suffer the brunt of a team's and fan's aggression, and at times they might be right.
But what gets lost in translation is that officials often do a respectable job.
The simple truth, though, is that one wrong can outweigh five rights in the arena of athletics.
It all comes down to the eye of the beholder.
What the teams don't want to let happen, though, is for the league to become complacent if there is a real problem.
Friday's match between the Heat and Rio Grande Valley, which has been touted as a rivalry despite playing just twice, did have the ingredients necessary to actually turn the contest into a grudge match, similar to the rivalry between Laredo and El Paso.
"For a game to be a rivalry a classic, you have to actually play more then a couple of games.
Like the history we have with El Paso, we have four years playing against each other.
Right away they (Rio Grande) want to jump on board the rivalry angle.
If this is already a rivalry, then it seems we are setting quite a low standard for a match to be considered a rivalry," Heat head coach Israel Collazo said.
Making the Heat and Bravos contest interesting is that the Bravo fans actually make a difference since the drive to Laredo is not too lengthy, and on Saturday, there was a loud contingent supporting the club.
From a scene straight from a WWF script, soon after the Bravos got on the board first on a nice goal by Salvador Luna, Luna immediately went into the classic character and paraded around the field, milking every second for an in-your-face celebration.
All this tends to aid the rivalry angle, given time. What ensued after the quick goal was a frenetic and energetic game.
At first, the referee seemed content to let the clubs play.
Soon after, however, the fouls came at shorter intervals and tempers began to flare.
A ticking time bomb was lit midway though the first half when the Bravos' Jesus Mireles was fouled by the Heat's Greg Mulamba.
Mireles, a 17-year-old star from Class 5A state champ Hidalgo, is now, as a result, forced to watch the rest of the season from the sidelines with a broken leg.
What took place in that play is digitally recorded in the game video.
As of Sunday, no one had taken a look to clear the air.
In the Bravos' eyes, Mulamba, according to what was told to the McAllen Monitor, jumped on Mireles' back and tackled him to the ground.
"What bothers me is that the people that listen to their claims is going to believe that.
People have to be more responsible with what they write.
I saw that play unfold, and if Mulamba did go out of his way to hurt the player I would be the first to discipline him.
The fact of the matter is that Mulamba went for the ball and the players foot got his foot stuck on the field," Collazo said.
The snowball effect was in full force as the game took a more physical tone.
By the time the game finished, two Heat players, Pedro Ramos and Luis Reyes, were ejected, along with one Bravo, Adrian Vazquez.
There were a total of nine yellow cards handed out, five to the Bravos and the rest to the Heat.
Bravos coach Ismael Moreira Braga wasn't pleased with what happened and was less pleased with the work the referees had done.
The league is currently reviewing the postgame altercation that involved several Heat players and Bravos players, along with coach Braga, who can be cited for irresponsible behavior for allegedly talking to Mulamba after the game.
"Honestly, the league should address them.
They came unto the field to provoke us, starting with their coach.
I don't want to talk bad about anybody, but the league has suspended me for less.
The league has to take care of situations like this, but if they don't well there is nothing I or anyone else can do," Collazo said.
If the guillotine falls, it should be known today what actions are going to be taken.
The Heat is already hurting with Soamy Bautista and Albert Escovar out with injuries.
Now Ramos and Reyes are suspended for one game, and the club might find itself with fewer players if the league takes action.
Also up in the air is the health of its goal leader, Esteban Bayona, who was hurt in the game against Dallas Fort Worth on Friday.
All this only benefits the Austin Aztex (6-1-3, 21 points), who share the Mid-South Division lead with El Paso (7-4-0, 21). The Aztex travel to Laredo on Friday.
The Heat (4-1-5, 17) is currently in third place, one point ahead of Rio Grande (4-3-4, 16) and three in front of West Texas (4-3-2, 14).
Austin and Laredo have played only 10 games, while Rio Grande and El Paso have 11. West Texas has played only nine games.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Heat salvages a point against Tornados
The Dallas Fort Worth Tornados didn't look like a team that came into Thursday night's contest struggling, while the Laredo Heat (4-1-4, 16 points) didn't offer its sharpest performance at home as
it salvaged a point with a 2-2 tie against the Tornados (1-5-3, 6) at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.
The Tornados were seven minutes away, six compensation, from earning their second victory of the season.
Rescuing the Heat were the duo if Dionisio "Nicho" Infante and Greg Mulamba.
In the 89th minute, Infante, who had worked his way untouched down the midfield, placed a perfect pass to Mulamba just outside the box.
Mulamba then turned around and sent the ball past the Tornados goalie Maros Valko for the equalizer.
"This game was a must win for us, but we are appreciative of getting at least one point," Heat goalkeeper Ryan Cooper said.
The Heat stayed undefeated at home despite being out shot nine to seven and for the most part outplayed after a strong start to the contest in which the Heat dominated the first five minutes in which several shots on goals came and went.
The missed opportunities came back to haunt the club, no opportunity better then the one Esteban Bayona had in the opening minute.
After a miscue in the defense, Bayona intercepted the pass and raced towards the goalie for a one-on-one situation. His shot went just wide of the far left post.
The Tornados then shored up their defense and played the Heat evenly before Bayona finally managed to knock in the opening score in the 41 minute.
It was Bayona's fourth goal with the Heat.
Bayona left the after injuring his ankle late in the game, leaving the team thin at the forward's position.
His services for tonight's contest against the Rio Grande Bravos at TAMIU might not be available.
The Tornados controlled the contest in the second half, and Paulo Da Silva knocked in the equalizer in the 58th minute with a laser shot from a 25-yard free kick.
They added the go-ahead goal via another set play, this time on a corner kick in the 79th minute when Stephen McCarthy slid to knock in a goal from about three yards out.
"There was some miscommunication with the defenders, and nobody could clear it," Cooper explained.
The Tornado's corner came about after they nearly knocked in their second goal a couple of second earlier.
A Tornado player broke away in the seventh minute, but his shot bounced off the crossbar and just outside the goal line.
Note: The Heat will host the Bravos tonight at 8:15 p.m. at the TAMIU Soccer Complex.
Anyone who purchased a ticket for Thursday night's game gets in tonight for free.
it salvaged a point with a 2-2 tie against the Tornados (1-5-3, 6) at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.
The Tornados were seven minutes away, six compensation, from earning their second victory of the season.
Rescuing the Heat were the duo if Dionisio "Nicho" Infante and Greg Mulamba.
In the 89th minute, Infante, who had worked his way untouched down the midfield, placed a perfect pass to Mulamba just outside the box.
Mulamba then turned around and sent the ball past the Tornados goalie Maros Valko for the equalizer.
"This game was a must win for us, but we are appreciative of getting at least one point," Heat goalkeeper Ryan Cooper said.
The Heat stayed undefeated at home despite being out shot nine to seven and for the most part outplayed after a strong start to the contest in which the Heat dominated the first five minutes in which several shots on goals came and went.
The missed opportunities came back to haunt the club, no opportunity better then the one Esteban Bayona had in the opening minute.
After a miscue in the defense, Bayona intercepted the pass and raced towards the goalie for a one-on-one situation. His shot went just wide of the far left post.
The Tornados then shored up their defense and played the Heat evenly before Bayona finally managed to knock in the opening score in the 41 minute.
It was Bayona's fourth goal with the Heat.
Bayona left the after injuring his ankle late in the game, leaving the team thin at the forward's position.
His services for tonight's contest against the Rio Grande Bravos at TAMIU might not be available.
The Tornados controlled the contest in the second half, and Paulo Da Silva knocked in the equalizer in the 58th minute with a laser shot from a 25-yard free kick.
They added the go-ahead goal via another set play, this time on a corner kick in the 79th minute when Stephen McCarthy slid to knock in a goal from about three yards out.
"There was some miscommunication with the defenders, and nobody could clear it," Cooper explained.
The Tornado's corner came about after they nearly knocked in their second goal a couple of second earlier.
A Tornado player broke away in the seventh minute, but his shot bounced off the crossbar and just outside the goal line.
Note: The Heat will host the Bravos tonight at 8:15 p.m. at the TAMIU Soccer Complex.
Anyone who purchased a ticket for Thursday night's game gets in tonight for free.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Heat ready to host two pivotal games
With only eight games remaining in the regular season, the Laredo Heat can no longer afford to let any more points slip away.
Six potential points are up for grabs this week, as the Heat host the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados tonight and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos on Friday.
Both games are at 8:15 p.m.
The club's veterans and rookies have now reached a point where their inexperience with one another is no longer a valid obstacle.
They've played and practiced long enough to finally begin showing signs of what the team can accomplish.
Essentially, it's the time of the season where every team hopes to begin ironing out the nuances as they strive to make a playoff run.
"There will always be things to tinker with here and there," Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
"What we need to do is make sure we stay the course for 90-plus minutes.
It does you no good to play 80 solid minutes and lose in the final ten.
"The new players are learning game by game.
You don't start off in this league knowing what you have to do or is expected of you."
The Heat (4-1-3, 15 points) looks to maintain its current course and stay in contention for another division title.
"These next two games at home are crucial, and we're striving for the six points," Collazo said.
The Tornados (1-5-2) come to town on Thursday when they'll look for their first win in over a month.
The Tornados' last victory came on May 16 against the Houston Leones.
Since then, the club has been on a downward spiral where they've been shut out three times and outscored 15-6.
On the road the Tornados are 1-3-0 and have been outscored 9-5.
The Heat, on the other hand, is perfect in three games at home and has scored five goals and allowed one.
The fact that the Tornados are playing poorly isn't offering the Heat any consolation as Laredo managed two ties and one win against the Houston Leones, the division's last place team.
The two ties were on the road.
"Playing at home is always an advantage since we know the ins and outs of the field," Collazo said.
"When we hit the road, the fans aren't really what worries us, but the referees since they tend to have a tendency to favor the home team."
The Tornados' leading player is Daniel Summers with three goals.
Their goalkeeper Janrai Gravely hasn't played too well, allowing 2.869 goals on average.
On Friday, the Heat host the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (3-3-3, 12) who are 2-2-2 on the road, but have scored 11 goals and allowed nine.
The Bravos have lost two of their past three games, with their last game being a 5-2 rout of Dallas.
Their top scorer is Salvador Luna with five goals followed by Jesus Mireles with two goals.
Their goalkeeper Juan Garcia has allowed 1.28 goals against per game.
Note: With the purchase of a ticket for tonight's game, fans will receive a ticket free of charge for Friday's game.
General admission tickets are $5.00 for adults, and kids 12 and under get in free.
VIP Area tickets are priced at $20.
Six potential points are up for grabs this week, as the Heat host the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados tonight and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos on Friday.
Both games are at 8:15 p.m.
The club's veterans and rookies have now reached a point where their inexperience with one another is no longer a valid obstacle.
They've played and practiced long enough to finally begin showing signs of what the team can accomplish.
Essentially, it's the time of the season where every team hopes to begin ironing out the nuances as they strive to make a playoff run.
"There will always be things to tinker with here and there," Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
"What we need to do is make sure we stay the course for 90-plus minutes.
It does you no good to play 80 solid minutes and lose in the final ten.
"The new players are learning game by game.
You don't start off in this league knowing what you have to do or is expected of you."
The Heat (4-1-3, 15 points) looks to maintain its current course and stay in contention for another division title.
"These next two games at home are crucial, and we're striving for the six points," Collazo said.
The Tornados (1-5-2) come to town on Thursday when they'll look for their first win in over a month.
The Tornados' last victory came on May 16 against the Houston Leones.
Since then, the club has been on a downward spiral where they've been shut out three times and outscored 15-6.
On the road the Tornados are 1-3-0 and have been outscored 9-5.
The Heat, on the other hand, is perfect in three games at home and has scored five goals and allowed one.
The fact that the Tornados are playing poorly isn't offering the Heat any consolation as Laredo managed two ties and one win against the Houston Leones, the division's last place team.
The two ties were on the road.
"Playing at home is always an advantage since we know the ins and outs of the field," Collazo said.
"When we hit the road, the fans aren't really what worries us, but the referees since they tend to have a tendency to favor the home team."
The Tornados' leading player is Daniel Summers with three goals.
Their goalkeeper Janrai Gravely hasn't played too well, allowing 2.869 goals on average.
On Friday, the Heat host the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (3-3-3, 12) who are 2-2-2 on the road, but have scored 11 goals and allowed nine.
The Bravos have lost two of their past three games, with their last game being a 5-2 rout of Dallas.
Their top scorer is Salvador Luna with five goals followed by Jesus Mireles with two goals.
Their goalkeeper Juan Garcia has allowed 1.28 goals against per game.
Note: With the purchase of a ticket for tonight's game, fans will receive a ticket free of charge for Friday's game.
General admission tickets are $5.00 for adults, and kids 12 and under get in free.
VIP Area tickets are priced at $20.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Heat amidst many
Laredo stands at the mid-point of the Premier Development League season and it finds itself amidst a bit of company.
The Heat is coming off a disappointing game against the winless Houston Leones, in which they tied 1-1.
"We're a little bit irked about it (tie). It was a very winnable match and a mental lapse late in the game cost us two points.
That's in the past now, what we gotta do now is focus on what lies ahead," Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
At the top of the division, for the moment, are the Austin Aztex (5-1-3, 18 points) who showed that West Texas (4-2-2, 14) wasn't the only team enjoying a non-loss streak in the Mid South division.
The Aztex club is on an eight game roll, after dropping its season opener against the Heat.
The Aztex won their last two games, first against the Sockers, ending their streak, and then against the El Paso Patriots (5-4-0, 15) to take over the top spot of the division.
The Heat (4-1-3, 15) finds itself in a tie with the Patriots for second place, but with a game in hand. They are on a six game streak without a loss.
Behind the Heat are the Sockers and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (3-3-3, 12). All five teams are vying for three postseason spots.
The PDL changed its playoff format for the season.
Instead of the top two teams advancing, the top three move on, with the first place team hosting a mini tournament.
In which, the second and third place teams square off and the winner plays the first place team for the division title.
Then the Southern (where the Heat belong) and Western conference divisional winners play for the conference title and the winner faces the Northern and Eastern conference survivor in the Championship game.
Back in the Mid South division, the bottom two teams in the Dallas Forth Worth Tornados (1-5-2, 5) and the Houston Leones (0-6-3, 3) need a dramatic change of fortunes to at least dip a toe into postseason waters.
Laredo, West Texas and Dallas have the benefit of having played one less game than the rest of the division.
The Heat also has the fortune to play their next three games at home.
Where they have yet to lose a game in three tries and has knocked in five goals, while allowing only one.
Up first are back-to-back games, beginning on Thursday against Dallas and concluding on Friday against Rio Grande.
The Heat is coming off a disappointing game against the winless Houston Leones, in which they tied 1-1.
"We're a little bit irked about it (tie). It was a very winnable match and a mental lapse late in the game cost us two points.
That's in the past now, what we gotta do now is focus on what lies ahead," Heat coach Israel Collazo said.
At the top of the division, for the moment, are the Austin Aztex (5-1-3, 18 points) who showed that West Texas (4-2-2, 14) wasn't the only team enjoying a non-loss streak in the Mid South division.
The Aztex club is on an eight game roll, after dropping its season opener against the Heat.
The Aztex won their last two games, first against the Sockers, ending their streak, and then against the El Paso Patriots (5-4-0, 15) to take over the top spot of the division.
The Heat (4-1-3, 15) finds itself in a tie with the Patriots for second place, but with a game in hand. They are on a six game streak without a loss.
Behind the Heat are the Sockers and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (3-3-3, 12). All five teams are vying for three postseason spots.
The PDL changed its playoff format for the season.
Instead of the top two teams advancing, the top three move on, with the first place team hosting a mini tournament.
In which, the second and third place teams square off and the winner plays the first place team for the division title.
Then the Southern (where the Heat belong) and Western conference divisional winners play for the conference title and the winner faces the Northern and Eastern conference survivor in the Championship game.
Back in the Mid South division, the bottom two teams in the Dallas Forth Worth Tornados (1-5-2, 5) and the Houston Leones (0-6-3, 3) need a dramatic change of fortunes to at least dip a toe into postseason waters.
Laredo, West Texas and Dallas have the benefit of having played one less game than the rest of the division.
The Heat also has the fortune to play their next three games at home.
Where they have yet to lose a game in three tries and has knocked in five goals, while allowing only one.
Up first are back-to-back games, beginning on Thursday against Dallas and concluding on Friday against Rio Grande.
Heat Youth Soccer Club
The Laredo Heat Soccer Club has announced their 2009 Summer Soccer Camp Dates.
Kids, this is your opportunity to improve your soccer skills, develop new techniques, make new friends and meet the Laredo Heat soccer players up close and personal.
Camp Details:
- Session Two: Monday, June 22, to Thursday, June 25, from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Both sessions will take place at the St. Patrick’s Church soccer field and covered gym area. St. Patrick’s Church is located at 555 East Del Mar Blvd.
The cost for each session is $75.00 per camper and it will include soccer training sessions, a water bottle, a soccer ball and a camp T-shirt.
The soccer camp will be available to boys and girls who have reached the age of five prior to the start of the camps and not older than 12 years of age at the time of registration
For additional information on the Laredo Heat Soccer Club, please visit our website at www.laredoheatsc.com or call the Heat office at 723 – 4700.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Heat headed to Houston to take on the MLS Dynamo
Via Laredo Heat press release:
The Laredo Heat will be concluding its preparation for the 2009 Premier Development League season with a visit to the Bayou City.
The Houston Dynamo organization will be providing the Heat with its toughest challenge of the preseason by giving the Heat a game on Saturday.
Kick-off is slated for 10 a.m. at Robertson Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Houston.
Since the game will be treated as a scrimmage for both teams, admission to the stadium will be free of charge.
The match, taking place just a week before the Heat’s regular season opener versus the expansion Rio Grande Valley Bravos, should give the players a great opportunity to play in a Major League Soccer stadium and should give them a great incentive to play well.
Additionally, for the younger players that have never had the opportunity to play against some of the best players in the United States, the game should give them a real test of how hard they need to train in order to reach the highest level of soccer in our country.
“This is very unique opportunity for our club,” Heat owner and president Shashi Vaswani said. “An opportunity that I hope will give our players and coaching staff an idea of what we are trying to strive for here in Laredo.
“We were able to form a working relationship with the Dynamo when we were both dealing with Felix Garcia’s transfer and future allocation to their organization. Since then, we have had open lines of communications with several key members of the Dynamo administration.
“I am just happy that the Dynamo accepted our request to play in Houston on one of their free weekends and that the game was a good fit for us. I think the players are really looking forward to the challenge and are looking forward to seeing how they stack up against one of the successful soccer organization in the United States.”
The Houston Dynamo is a two time Major League Soccer Champion, winning consecutive MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007.
The Dynamo play in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer are currently in sixth place behind Chivas USA, the Seattle Sounders, the Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake and the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Dynamo has only played five games this season and is under the direction of Coach Dominic Kinnear.
The Laredo Heat will be concluding its preparation for the 2009 Premier Development League season with a visit to the Bayou City.
The Houston Dynamo organization will be providing the Heat with its toughest challenge of the preseason by giving the Heat a game on Saturday.
Kick-off is slated for 10 a.m. at Robertson Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Houston.
Since the game will be treated as a scrimmage for both teams, admission to the stadium will be free of charge.
The match, taking place just a week before the Heat’s regular season opener versus the expansion Rio Grande Valley Bravos, should give the players a great opportunity to play in a Major League Soccer stadium and should give them a great incentive to play well.
Additionally, for the younger players that have never had the opportunity to play against some of the best players in the United States, the game should give them a real test of how hard they need to train in order to reach the highest level of soccer in our country.
“This is very unique opportunity for our club,” Heat owner and president Shashi Vaswani said. “An opportunity that I hope will give our players and coaching staff an idea of what we are trying to strive for here in Laredo.
“We were able to form a working relationship with the Dynamo when we were both dealing with Felix Garcia’s transfer and future allocation to their organization. Since then, we have had open lines of communications with several key members of the Dynamo administration.
“I am just happy that the Dynamo accepted our request to play in Houston on one of their free weekends and that the game was a good fit for us. I think the players are really looking forward to the challenge and are looking forward to seeing how they stack up against one of the successful soccer organization in the United States.”
The Houston Dynamo is a two time Major League Soccer Champion, winning consecutive MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007.
The Dynamo play in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer are currently in sixth place behind Chivas USA, the Seattle Sounders, the Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake and the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Dynamo has only played five games this season and is under the direction of Coach Dominic Kinnear.
Bravos drop Heat on penalty kicks
The opening round of the LareDOS Cup Tournament went to the Nuevo Laredo Bravos as they defeated the Laredo Heat 5-2 in penalty kicks on Wednesday night.
The game finished in a 1-1 stalemate in regulation, and the Bravos capitalized on their penalty kicks to take home the cup.
The tournament drew a large number of fans from both clubs at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.
Bravos goalkeeper Roman Lozano figured big in his team's win, stopping a Daniel Galvan penalty kick.
Heat goalie Ryan Cooper missed his kick, hitting the left post and setting up the game-winner, knocked in by Carlos Garcia.
The penalty kick goals from the Bravos were from Joel Lopez, Mario Aceves and Raul Rodriguez.
The only Heat player to knock in his shot was Joel Perez.
The Bravos knocked in the opening score in the first half on a Benjamin Patiño goal.
They failed to hold onto the lead, as the Heat's Albert Escobar knocked in the equalizer in the 77th minute.
The goal was the final straw for Nuevo Laredo coach Ricardo Lopez Estrada, who got sent to the showers for arguing with the official.
"The important thing is that the fans were happy," Bravos president Cesar Valdez said.
"Soccer is something that unites us both.
Somebody had to win and obviously we are happy we won, but more importantly that the fans were satisfied,"
Things were heating up early as the referee was quite liberal with the colored cardboard.
Not helping the physical nature of the contest was the pre-arranged rule that both teams would stick with 11 players on the field no matter if they were shown a red card.
"What happened is that it's normal when a team that has been playing for a while and a team that is just beginning for the match to turn into a tough played contest," Valdez said.
"In the end, though, it helps everybody out."
Added Heat coach Israel Collazo, "It's better for me to be able to see all eleven players on the field.
The Bravos are a physical team, well coached and we just have to keep on working."
The Bravos had two red cards, and both teams were littered with yellow cards.
The game finished in a 1-1 stalemate in regulation, and the Bravos capitalized on their penalty kicks to take home the cup.
The tournament drew a large number of fans from both clubs at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.
Bravos goalkeeper Roman Lozano figured big in his team's win, stopping a Daniel Galvan penalty kick.
Heat goalie Ryan Cooper missed his kick, hitting the left post and setting up the game-winner, knocked in by Carlos Garcia.
The penalty kick goals from the Bravos were from Joel Lopez, Mario Aceves and Raul Rodriguez.
The only Heat player to knock in his shot was Joel Perez.
The Bravos knocked in the opening score in the first half on a Benjamin Patiño goal.
They failed to hold onto the lead, as the Heat's Albert Escobar knocked in the equalizer in the 77th minute.
The goal was the final straw for Nuevo Laredo coach Ricardo Lopez Estrada, who got sent to the showers for arguing with the official.
"The important thing is that the fans were happy," Bravos president Cesar Valdez said.
"Soccer is something that unites us both.
Somebody had to win and obviously we are happy we won, but more importantly that the fans were satisfied,"
Things were heating up early as the referee was quite liberal with the colored cardboard.
Not helping the physical nature of the contest was the pre-arranged rule that both teams would stick with 11 players on the field no matter if they were shown a red card.
"What happened is that it's normal when a team that has been playing for a while and a team that is just beginning for the match to turn into a tough played contest," Valdez said.
"In the end, though, it helps everybody out."
Added Heat coach Israel Collazo, "It's better for me to be able to see all eleven players on the field.
The Bravos are a physical team, well coached and we just have to keep on working."
The Bravos had two red cards, and both teams were littered with yellow cards.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Heat ready for Bravos exhibition game
By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Coach Israel Collazo is able to take a look at how his Laredo Heat players react in an in-game situation, ultimately, means little.
Coach Ricardo Lopez of the Nuevo Laredo Bravos, on the other hand, needs to leave something in the tank as his team prepares to wrap up its 2009 campaign.
More importantly, the Gateway City fans in attendance tonight (8 p.m.) for the showdown between the two clubs get to witness what they have to offer as they take part in their first LareDOS cup at the Texas A&M International soccer grounds.
“We are going to see two teams which feature a lot of youth; teams that are going to give it their all. Both teams have excellent coaches on their benches,” Bravos president Cesar Valdez said.
The ticket prices are $5 for adults and children 12-and-under get in free.
The fact that the Bravos are coming into the game with the majority of the season already played should give them the slight edge.
Leveling the playing field for the Heat is that the Bravos players are all 21 years old or younger.
Also, the core of the team, depending on how much it plays, shouldn’t need much time getting back into the flow of things.
The Heat has 11 players already signed. Those players are going to be joined by potential teammates who will try and make a case to earn their spot on the roster.
“This will be an entertaining game with a lot of goal opportunities,” Collazo said. “The pace should be up and down, with both teams being more aggressive than usual.
“We’ll put on a great show and hope to see the fans come out and support us.”
The Heat are hoping to get a scrimmage in Houston over the weekend before the Premier Development League season begins on May 2 on the road against the expansion Rio Grande Valley Dorados.
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Coach Israel Collazo is able to take a look at how his Laredo Heat players react in an in-game situation, ultimately, means little.
Coach Ricardo Lopez of the Nuevo Laredo Bravos, on the other hand, needs to leave something in the tank as his team prepares to wrap up its 2009 campaign.
More importantly, the Gateway City fans in attendance tonight (8 p.m.) for the showdown between the two clubs get to witness what they have to offer as they take part in their first LareDOS cup at the Texas A&M International soccer grounds.
“We are going to see two teams which feature a lot of youth; teams that are going to give it their all. Both teams have excellent coaches on their benches,” Bravos president Cesar Valdez said.
The ticket prices are $5 for adults and children 12-and-under get in free.
The fact that the Bravos are coming into the game with the majority of the season already played should give them the slight edge.
Leveling the playing field for the Heat is that the Bravos players are all 21 years old or younger.
Also, the core of the team, depending on how much it plays, shouldn’t need much time getting back into the flow of things.
The Heat has 11 players already signed. Those players are going to be joined by potential teammates who will try and make a case to earn their spot on the roster.
“This will be an entertaining game with a lot of goal opportunities,” Collazo said. “The pace should be up and down, with both teams being more aggressive than usual.
“We’ll put on a great show and hope to see the fans come out and support us.”
The Heat are hoping to get a scrimmage in Houston over the weekend before the Premier Development League season begins on May 2 on the road against the expansion Rio Grande Valley Dorados.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Heat organize yearly matchup with Nuevo Laredo Bravos
It was in the works for quite some time and today it’s official: the Laredo Heat and the Nuevo Laredo Bravos are organizing a yearly contest.
“After several attempts over the past few years to have the Nuevo Laredo Bravos visit Laredo for a game against us, we were finally able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the Bravos administration,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said via press release.
The Bravos play in the second division of the Mexican Soccer Federation and are currently in the tail end of their season.
The Heat is on the opposite side of the spectrum, finalizing its roster as its Premier Development League season closes in.
“Our players, coaches and administration are truly looking forward to this event, and I say event, not game, because our cities are so intertwined in their day to day activities,” Vela said. “Citizens are one with each other, and we are excited to finally showcase both teams to soccer fans of the two Laredos.”
One of the obstacles for the team was getting the Bravos players’ visas to come into the United States.
All was cleared once the green light was given to give the players a one-day pass into the country in order to dispute the self-titled LareDos Cup.
The first match takes place on April 22 at the TAMIU soccer field.
Kick-off is set for 8 p.m.
Tickets are set at $5 for general admission and $30 for VIP seats. Children 12-and-under get in free.
The winner of the game takes home a trophy, which is to be provided by the home team on a yearly basis.
“When we initiated the discussions about the possibility of the match, one of the first things we talked about was making sure the game between the two teams would not be the only one ever scheduled, and that so long as the teams were competing in their respective leagues, there should be a home-and-away series established,” Vela said.
“With that being said, we agreed to establish a name for the annual game; something to give it a competitive feeling, something for the players to play for and we immediately agreed on giving the winner of the match a cup name La Copa LareDOS (LareDOS Cup).”
“After several attempts over the past few years to have the Nuevo Laredo Bravos visit Laredo for a game against us, we were finally able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the Bravos administration,” Heat General Manager J.J. Vela said via press release.
The Bravos play in the second division of the Mexican Soccer Federation and are currently in the tail end of their season.
The Heat is on the opposite side of the spectrum, finalizing its roster as its Premier Development League season closes in.
“Our players, coaches and administration are truly looking forward to this event, and I say event, not game, because our cities are so intertwined in their day to day activities,” Vela said. “Citizens are one with each other, and we are excited to finally showcase both teams to soccer fans of the two Laredos.”
One of the obstacles for the team was getting the Bravos players’ visas to come into the United States.
All was cleared once the green light was given to give the players a one-day pass into the country in order to dispute the self-titled LareDos Cup.
The first match takes place on April 22 at the TAMIU soccer field.
Kick-off is set for 8 p.m.
Tickets are set at $5 for general admission and $30 for VIP seats. Children 12-and-under get in free.
The winner of the game takes home a trophy, which is to be provided by the home team on a yearly basis.
“When we initiated the discussions about the possibility of the match, one of the first things we talked about was making sure the game between the two teams would not be the only one ever scheduled, and that so long as the teams were competing in their respective leagues, there should be a home-and-away series established,” Vela said.
“With that being said, we agreed to establish a name for the annual game; something to give it a competitive feeling, something for the players to play for and we immediately agreed on giving the winner of the match a cup name La Copa LareDOS (LareDOS Cup).”
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Heat to hold tryouts
With one goal in mind for the upcoming 2009 United Soccer Leagues (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) Season, that of winning the division and conference titles and making it to the USL PDL Championship for an unprecedented fourth time in a row, the Laredo Heat Soccer Club started preseason training earlier this month with their core group of players.
This coming weekend, in anticipation of finding replacements for players not returning, the team will be conducting its annual Invitational Try Outs at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.With over a hundred "soccer resumes" looked over and phone calls made to coaching references by the Heat Administration and Coaching Staff over the past two months, participation in the tryouts has already beenclosed out and hopefully with this due diligence, the best players have been asked to participate over the weekend."
Due to hard work and the fortunate success, not to mention luck that we have had over the past three seasons, we (as an organization) have come a long way in recruiting quality players to come play in Laredo," Heat general manager J.J. Vela said."With combining local talent with out of town quality players, we have been able to put an excellent product on the field."Back in 2004, I still remember explaining to players where exactly Laredo was and that it was not close to El Paso.This still remains my favorite story that shows how far we have come along in terms of getting players to the Gateway City to play".
"The players we have coming back understand the importance of the try-outs because some of them have been in that position themselves and each year have participated in making players welcomed to theorganization and making them understand that if they make the team, they will need to work hard, participate with the Heat's commitment to the community and more importantly, make them aware of our successful history and that 100% participation in all endeavors, from practice to games, is expected from each of them."
With the regular season opening on May 1 on the road versus the expansion Rio Grande Valley Bravos, the Laredo Heat Soccer Club is aiming at having a complete roster by the middle of April, after several preseason games that will be played in Austin and San Antonio.For additional information on the Laredo Heat Soccer Club, visit their Web site at www.laredoheatsc.com or call the Heat office at 723-4700.
This coming weekend, in anticipation of finding replacements for players not returning, the team will be conducting its annual Invitational Try Outs at the Texas A&M International University Soccer Complex.With over a hundred "soccer resumes" looked over and phone calls made to coaching references by the Heat Administration and Coaching Staff over the past two months, participation in the tryouts has already beenclosed out and hopefully with this due diligence, the best players have been asked to participate over the weekend."
Due to hard work and the fortunate success, not to mention luck that we have had over the past three seasons, we (as an organization) have come a long way in recruiting quality players to come play in Laredo," Heat general manager J.J. Vela said."With combining local talent with out of town quality players, we have been able to put an excellent product on the field."Back in 2004, I still remember explaining to players where exactly Laredo was and that it was not close to El Paso.This still remains my favorite story that shows how far we have come along in terms of getting players to the Gateway City to play".
"The players we have coming back understand the importance of the try-outs because some of them have been in that position themselves and each year have participated in making players welcomed to theorganization and making them understand that if they make the team, they will need to work hard, participate with the Heat's commitment to the community and more importantly, make them aware of our successful history and that 100% participation in all endeavors, from practice to games, is expected from each of them."
With the regular season opening on May 1 on the road versus the expansion Rio Grande Valley Bravos, the Laredo Heat Soccer Club is aiming at having a complete roster by the middle of April, after several preseason games that will be played in Austin and San Antonio.For additional information on the Laredo Heat Soccer Club, visit their Web site at www.laredoheatsc.com or call the Heat office at 723-4700.
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