PDL Game Report
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
LAREDO, Texas – The Austin Aztex took a 2-1 victory against the Laredo Heat on Tuesday night at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex in a key Mid South Division clash that saw the Aztex extend their lead at the top of the division to five points. Laredo had earned a 1-0 victory against Austin in the opening game of the home-and-home series on Saturday night at House Park, but goals by Andrew Fox and Adam Black earned Austin some revenge for their only defeat of the season so far.
Laredo (4-3-3, 15 points) pushed natural outside fullback Salvador “Chava” Luna into a more positive position, hoping to ride his recent goal-scoring form to a crucial three points. Luna scored his fourth goal in as many matches, coming in the 45th minute, but it fell short of a result despite Laredo’s dominating possession-based offense.
An eventful first half crowded the scoresheet, with all three goals and five of the seven bookings coming in the first 45 minutes. Laredo sent 12 shots in the direction of Austin goalkeeper Devin Perales – four in the first half and eight more in the second – as Laredo held Austin without a shot in the second half that saw the normally fluid and ever-dangerous Aztex silenced while sitting 10 men behind the ball. Perales finished six saves while Austin took only five shots in the match, of which none resulted in a save by Laredo goalkeeper Jorge Ortega.
The Aztex seized the lead in the 33rd minute, however, when Fox cruised unassisted to the back of the net. Their lead was doubled early in first-half stoppage time as Black’s deft header found the back of the net after a long clearance from Perales’ booming boot.
Seconds later, Heat left back Frank Lara pinpointed a pass to the full-stride Luna, who beat the Aztex for the second time this season. Luna scored the only goal in Saturday’s 1-0 victory, sealing the Aztex’s second loss since the 2013 season kicked off.
Since Austin joined the league in 2012, the Aztex and Heat have traded division crowns and second place finishes while Austin eliminated Laredo in last year’s Southern Conference final. Head-to-head, the Heat stand 4-0-6 against the Aztex, who will begin play in USL PRO in 2015.
Laredo now trails the Midland-Odessa Sockers (6-3-2, 20 points) by five points with one game in hand. Only the Mid South’s top two finishers qualify for the Southern Conference playoffs – a qualification the Heat have never failed to achieve.
The Heat will next travel to Jackson, Miss., to face the Mississippi Brilla (2-5-2, 8 points) on Saturday night. The Brilla will then visit Laredo for a pair of matches in Laredo on July 10 and 12.
Each home game will see the Heat offer four fans a chance at winning $500. If the randomly selected fans can bury an undefended penalty kick at halftime, they will win $400 for themselves and $100 to the evening’s selected benefactor.