2014 Preview - First Kick

Alamo City 2014 Season Preview

It starts where it ended.  Alamo City will be in the First Kick featured match against defending BSL Championship side Burud Town.  The Stags ended the 2013 BSL campaign for Alamo City last year and has owned the historical match up.  That's just the way it seems to go for the Battle.

With a bucketful of records set last season, and a trophy case full of accomplishments, the Battle will look to capture the one thing that they didn't last season.  The aim for 2014 is quite simple.  Win the BSL Cup.  Win the league.  Leave no doubt.  The roster assembled for the 2014 season reflects the club's ambition to do just that.  Led by the talisman Theirry Henry there is a slew of playmakers, difference makers, and potential superstars ready to defend the legacy of the 2013 Battle.  It is a lofty perch but the club is more than up to the task.  The season ahead promises to be unforgettable.

The BSL

First and foremost the club will attack the Bigtime Soccer League.  This is the point.  This is the goal.  Bringing home the BSL Cup and claiming the league championship is the ultimate prize and it's the reason this club exists.  It won't be easy as the league has proven to be as competitive as any league in the world.  From the savvy group of original members (Union, Gateway, Capital District, Alamo City), to the new blood that has proven to be every bit worthy of the title (Rose City, Orange County), to the clubs that have staked a claim in the league (Burud Town, Second City, Gold Coast), to the clubs searching for a league identity (Spartans, Pennsylvania), and on down to the expansion franchise (Ohio) the entirety of the league is looking to make a name at the expense of everyone else.  

Alamo City management was polled after the draft and felt the top title contending clubs (not allowed to name themselves in any voting) were: Capital District, Gateway, and Rose City.

The Honors Trophy

It is the reward for being the best club through the season and gives you the top seed in the playoffs.  Alamo City captured it last season before being upset by eventual champion Burud Town.  The season is a grind and it takes a bucketful of variables falling perfectly to finish at the top of the table.

Alamo City feels the clubs most likely to take the trophy are: Gateway, Capital District, and Second City.

The Majors Cup

Two time defending champion Alamo City has no intention of letting this cup find a new home.  The BSL clubs have made this their own by winning all but the inaugural event.  Strong play throughout the season is crucial but it is especially important to finish strong as the second half of the season qualifies you for the competition.  Every season someone you wouldn't figure would, makes a run and gets in.  It is great incentive to clubs to keep fighting and play spoiler along the way.

Alamo City management feels the clubs that are geared for second half runs to the Majors Cup are:  Ohio, Second City, and Burud Town.

The Founder's Cup

It's the cup for the remaining founding members of the BSL.  All four clubs have massive amounts of respect for each other as they laid the foundation and built the league together.  

Alamo City thinks that the favorite to win it this season is: Capital District

The BSL Classic and Brass Cannon

The Classic is contested with Capital District and for the first time Alamo City claimed it last season.  Last season the Battle also claimed the Brass Cannon (2nd consecutive) by beating out fellow Texas clubs FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.

As these are rivalry competitions there is no prediction.

The Freedom Cup

This season's iteration sees the inclusion of Lanus from Argentina, Flamengo from Brazil, and Club Leon of Liga MX (Alamo City's official partner club).  This competition has seen Liga MX clubs, Russian Premier clubs, and Allsvenskan clubs in the past.  For the first time the competition will have multiple leagues represented and Alamo City is hoping that this season will set the format going forward.

2014 BSL First Kick

As was stated earlier, Alamo City will kick off the 2014 season in the BSL Match of the Week.  The Battle will start their quest to claim another Honors Trophy along the way to a BSL Cup by trying to get three points from the defending champions.  Burud Town is a hot button around San Antonio right now and kicking the season off with a win would really improve the mood.  

"Of course we took time during the off-season to appreciate and enjoy what we were able to accomplish," said club mainstay Theirry Henry.  "What this does though, is remind us that for all we were able to do ... there is still something left undone.  It is the greatest motivation.  The one that got away last season was the one that matters most.  We have some key players back and we've added some significant talent.  Now we need to finish what we started."

There would be no better way to do that than to make a statement against the defending BSL champions.

Week 1 Lineup:

Theirry Henry
Obafemi Martins (C)
Gaston Fernandez (VC)
Mauro Diaz
Jairo Arrieta
Benny Feilhaber
Kekuta Manneh
Dilly Duka
Tony Cascio
Christian Fernandez

Luis Robles

Olmes Garcia
Vicente Sanchez
Alvaro Rey


David Ousted