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.