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.”
Thursday, July 30, 2009
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.
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