A Deadly Combination

The Alamo City Battle have officially signed Theirry Henry and Kenny Cooper as the club's two designated players for the 2013 BSL season.  Both men are coming off of outstanding years and are aiming to have an even more successful 2013 campaign.  For Henry, he'll be trying to return the Battle to the BSL Cup Final in hopes of capturing the league championship.  Cooper finally returns to the club after having been all over the world the last few years.

"It was tough, but I had to do what I thought was best for my career at the time," said Cooper.  "Going to Germany taught be quite a bit about the game and myself.  When I came back, of course I wanted to come back to AC but we just couldn't work it and Gateway was the best option I had.  If I were able to come back here initially, I would have.  This is my home here in the BSL and I can't wait to get this season started. Alamo City showed their confidence in Mr Cooper by trading their first round pick to Gateway for Cooper's rights.  "It was a no brainer, seriously.  Cooper is a first class striker.  18 goals last season and before that when he was last here, with us, he was on a pace for even more than that.  Cooper is an Alamo City player and we're going to have a hell of a lot of fun this year," stated Battle management.

A hell of a year is what Thierry Henry is coming off of.  A 27 point season certainly qualifies Henry as an elite player.  15 goals and 12 assists being the split pretty much ensures him being the most dangerous player.  "He's the guy on the pitch that makes your entire team better.  There's no secret, Henry is the best overall player in the league.  There's no way he's not with us," said Alamo City management.  At the start of the off-season that didn't seem to be the case.  The club opened up its entire roster for negotiation, including Henry. "Yes, we all sat and decided that it was best for all of the players and for the club to weigh every option available," said Henry.  "We couldn't do that unless every option was truly available."  Through the course of negotiations no deal was found suitable for both Henry and the club.

Now Alamo City has Henry back in the fold, and Cooper is back home as well.  That's 33 goals coming back for the Battle.  Nobody has that kind of firepower already lined up.  Alamo City is also hoping to swing a few more deals before the deadlines hit, and the draft begins.  

Long and Winding Ride has Alamo City in Top Form

Battle Lead BSL With Two Matches Remaining

The season has been a long and trying one, but the Alamo City Battle find themselves in great position to close out the season. The playoffs have been clinched, the Major's Cup has been qualified for, and the Honors Trophy is within reach. All that remains is to close the deal. "We're in a position that we always figured we'd be in but haven't yet had the opportunity to experience. Yes, we've taken home the biggest prize but we've built this franchise to be among the best in the world. Taking home the Honors Trophy would be a giant step in making that a reality."

The 4-1 dominance of previous league leading Pennsylvania to give Alamo City a 3 point lead with 2 matches remaining sent a message on the heals of two very poignant matches prior. Gateway humbled Alamo two weeks ago with an 8 point outburst but the Battle showed their resiliency by bouncing back to take a 7-5 decision against Burud Town. The win against Pennsylvania followed to give Alamo an impressive 9 wins out of their last 10 matches. "Several things are within striking distance, and we're going to go full throttle here at the end. Plenty of hardware is there for the taking, but we've got to finish."

Second Half Opens With Win

Battle Take Charge as Second Half of Season Starts

4-1 was the score line against the KC Quest this past weekend as the Alamo City Battle opened the second half of the BSL season with a win. No Henry yet again but it was no problem as the GAM himself, Eddie Johnson, led the charge for the Battle. This means that the Battle have started Major's Cup Qualifying with the maximum 6 points and are looking to make a serious run in the 2nd half of the season after opening the campaign on a tear. The additions of Branko Boskovic and Felipe Martins are looking to be master strokes as both men contributed to the score sheet again this week (the Gunners must be fuming about Branko). Kevin Hartman wasn't able to overcome shoddy defending in front of him but showed his ability by getting 5 saves to add to the total. All in all the club is showing its depth right now and that could be the key for the 2nd half of the season.

The club will have to go at least one more match without talisman Thierry Henry. The striker will be out this week again as they club makes sure he's rested and ready when he does hit the field. It will be a quick turnaround for the club as they take on Alliance FC who is fresh off a good win against Gold Coast. The club needs to keep the momentum going and the pressure on the other BSL clubs.

WEEK 14 ROSTER:

Eddie Johnson

Eric Hassli

Felipe Martins

Miller Bolanos

Blas Perez

Branko Boskovic

Nick DeLeon

Kris Boyd

Kevin Hartman

Thierry Henry

Kelyn Rowe

Kamani Hill

Break Over - Lucky 13 Sees KC Quest Come to Town

BSL Season Gets Going After Two Week Break - Battle Still Face Issues

Usually a two week break is welcome when a team is facing big issues. For the Alamo City Battle the International Break in the BSL Season has been both a blessing and just more of the same. The biggest issue for the Battle was the absence of Theirry Henry. While the club's talisman got back on the field over the break the time off was more harmful than good. Henry will face another two matches on the sideline as a calf injury was aggravated while training during the extended time off. One of the club's other main targets, Eric Hassli, is facing serious issues with keeping his starting place in Vancouver. With the big turnover at the club before the break the team hasn't had much time to gel and get used to the new faces. Will the club be able to work through it and keep moving forward ?

In player movement news, the Battle have released Justin Meram and once again added Kelyn Rowe to the roster.

Week 13 Roster:

Kris Boyd

Blas Perez
Eddie Johnson
Kelyn Rowe
Nick DeLeon

Branko Boskovic

Felip Martins

Miller Bolanos

Kevin Hartman

Eric Hassli

Kamani Hill

Thierry Henry

Back to Back Into the Break

Boyd Leads Triple Threat as Alamo City Takes Second Straight Match

Thierry Henry got back on the field and almost put three balls into the back of the net in his first match in a month as the superstar came back from a hamstring injury.  Frustratingly, he couldn't get on the score sheet.  That number three though, proved a bit prophetic as the three 'other' big guns for Alamo City provided the scoring to give the Battle a second straight victory after losing four straight previously.  "It absolutely feels good," said Boyd.  "For a few matches myself, and the rest of the team simply didn't step up.  Eddie [Johnson] was the only guy getting off the bus.  Yeah, we had some injuries and one hell of an unfortunate scheduling quirk ... but bottom line was that we simply weren't doing enough.  We'd all gotten used to the weekly Thierry Henry show.  It felt good the last two weeks to step up for the team and for him."

It couldn't have come at a better time for the Battle.  After losing four straight the team was starting to look inward to try and find what the problem could be.  Sure, Thierry Henry went down with an injury but that didn't explain how the rest of the lineup couldn't find a way to get on the score sheet.  Last week the club looked to find themselves a bit and this week the rest of the big guns got on the board for Alamo City.  Despite having a PK attempt saved Blas Perez put one in the net along with Boyd.  Hassli notched another assist while new addition Branko Boskovic added an assist to round out the scoring.  Week 12 proved to be one heck of a lift to the team spirits rather than hammering home what was almost becoming a sobering truth.

The club started Major's Cup Qualifying this week and got off on the right foot.  More importantly, the Battle secured the 2012 Freedom Cup by beating Malmo FF 4-1.  No matter the outcome of the AIK-Malmo FF match up neither club can match Alamo City's 6pts in the competition.  "Getting that Silverware was a nice reminder of what we're capable of and what we're trying to accomplish here at Alamo City," said Hassli after the club found out that Malmo couldn't match their efforts.  "It's a good way to regain some confidence going forward."

---- In player movement news, the Battle have released Milovan Mirosevic and Michael Gspurning and brought in Justin Meram and Felipe Martins.

Four for the Door

Grown Ass Man Stands Up and Delivers

Eddie Johnson led the way with a goal and an assist as Alamo City stopped their losing streak by beating the previously table topping Pennsylvania Stoners 4-2 this weekend.  The streak had been very ugly for the Battle as a vast array of issues plagued the club the last few weeks.  "It was horrible.  We lost Henry to injury, we had a match where only half of our roster was even available to be selected, DeLeon and Gspurning went down with injuries, Blas was suspended, we caught Second City on the day they put out there best performance of the season, and we couldn't put points on the board to save our lives.  It was just ugly ..."

The one silver lining in all of it was that Alamo City got a leg up in the Freedom Cup by beating AIK 3-0 in the first match of the competition.  This is a new week though, and the Battle must look forward.  Second City is already up again and this week's match triples for the Battle.  Major's Cup Qualifying begins and it is also Leg 2 of the Freedom Cup as Malmo FF is on the dockett as well.  There's plenty more to talk about as teh Battle have made a couple of roster moves over the course of the week.  Branko Boskovic and Miller Bolanos were added in lew of Reggie Lambe and Kelyn Rowe being released.  "Bolanos is a guy we wanted in the draft.  He's started the season slow but we feel that is more a product of the team than of his play.  He's been a force on the field and makes things happen.  Fortunately for us his previous owner wasn't patient enough to wait it out.  We feel his stat lines are going to improve greatly as the season progresses.  That's the same situation with Boskovic.  Obviously we've liked him since he came to the league as we originally brought him in.  Injuries and uncertainty with the line up in DC have led to him just now finding his stride.  Again, a lack of patience has led to a great player landing in our lap."

Week 12 Line Up:

Eddie Johnson
Blas Perez
Miller Bolanos
Kris Boyd
Eric Hassli
Branko Boskovic
Theirry Henry
Kamani Hill

Kevin Hartman

Nick DeLeon
Milovan Mirosevic
Michael Gspurning

The Golden Sombrero

Scheduling - Suspensions - Injuries Leave Battle Short Handed and Outgunned


The stars officially aligned to ensure that the Alamo City Battle Soccer Club would lose their fourth straight BSL match this past weekend.  Between the players suspended, injured, and without a match the Battle were forced to field a short handed lineup against Gold Coast.  The outcome ?  An abysmal output on the scorecard (1pt) and yet another loss.  Nobody at Alamo City spoke to the media this past week and things are rumored to be very, very ugly behind the scenes.  All we can do here at the official website is move forward and hope that the news reports get better as the season goes along.  After a short turn around the Battle have to jump right back into the mix in Week 11 as they face Pennsylvania, the team atop the BSL table at the moment.

Week 11 Squad:


Kris Boyd
Eric Hassli
Eddie Johnson
Nick DeLeon
Blas Perez
Kamani Hill
Reggie Lambe
Milovan Mirosevic

Kevin Hartman

Kelyn Rowe
Thierry Henry
Michael Gspurning

Back to Back Losses and a Gut Punch

Who Will Step Up and Take the Throne in Henry's Absence ?

It wasn't just a second straight loss for Alamo City this past weekend.  The 4-2 score line against CD Gunners represented everything that the Battle had hoped to move past this season.  Instead it was another spirited effort for naught.  The bane of Alamo City's existence once again reared its ugly head.  The Gunners tightened up the race for the Founder's Cup while taking the early lead in the BSL Classic.  The biggest blow from the match though, was to captain Thierry Henry.  A hamstring injury will see the ACSC scoring leader out for 3-4 weeks.  That's just a tough pill to swallow.

The club can't get down on itself though.  Staring the Battle in the face is a date with the very steady Rose City Flyers FC, and the BSL Game of the Week.  Nothing like adding a little grease to the fire for Alamo City.  "That seems to be our M.O. around here.  When it's good, it's damn good but when it's bad .... yeah"  There was little comment from ACSC management as the club has closed doors for all but the mandatory media briefings and contractual obligations to appearances.  It's quiet around San Antonio, but not because the club is worried.  The club is simply focusing on the next several matches as the players and management have to be at their best in order to get through the absence of Henry.  A positive from the weekend is that Eddie Johnson netted his first and was credited with an assist before MLS scoring changed the 2nd Seattle goal to an own goal.

One move was to swap Colorado teammates Jaime Castrillon and Kamani Hill.  While Castrillon has played well he simply hasn't been able to figure in the scoring.  It's a shame because the Alamo City management love the play they've gotten so far.  That doesn't get results in the BSL though and Kamani Hill has shown he's worthy of a roster slot.  Even as a bench option for Colorado he's found the score sheet more times than many starters across the league.   

As if the two straight losses, continued failings against CD, and the Henry injury weren't enough ... this match also markes the opening of the Freedom Cup for 2012.  ACSC will be taking on not only Rose City, but AIK as well.  "Rains ... pours ... etc"

Week 9 Roster:

Kris Boyd
Blas Perez
Nick DeLeon
Eddie Johnson
Kamani Hill
Kelyn Rowe
Milovan Mirosevic
Reggie Lambe

Michael Gspurning

Eric Hassli
Kevin Hartman
Thierry Henry

Week 7 - Second to None

Battle Host Second City in Week 7

The Alamo City Battle will look to continue their league best start as Second City comes calling this weekend. Stone Oak Park will be the venue and the match will be seen LIVE on DirecTV HD. "We're very glad to have finalized the television deals so that we can showcase to the entire country just what we're doing here in San Antonio. Sure, through our website and other delayed syndication outlets the matches are out there but nothing beats seeing it live. DirecTV has stepped up big with this production package and we know that the fans will be thrilled."

If the fans are half as thrilled with the presentation as they have been with the Battle's play so far, then DirecTV will have a monster hit on their hands. Hits, are what the ACSC roster is hoping to continue to supply as the weeks start moving on in the Bigtime Soccer League. Overall the lineup has done a very good job of providing points from top to bottom. Only one Alamo City player has failed to get on the board so far this year, but he hasn't been seeing regular playing time. "No, we're not worried about EJ. We knew he was going to be brought in slowly to ensure his fitness. He's looked great in his limited minutes and we stand by the selection. It won't be long now before he features regularly." If Eddie Johnson even comes close to his expected production, what does that spell for the rest of the league when Alamo City has already started like this ?

Week 7 Lineup:

Thierry Henry

Blas Perez

Kris Boyd

Eric Hassli

Nick DeLeon

Jaime Castrillon

Milovan Mirosevic

Kelyn Rowe

Kevin Hartman

Marcelo Sarvas

Eddie Johnson

Michael Gspurning

Mission Impossible : Accomplished

Rookie Continues Torrid Start - Paces Another Alamo City Win

The young man out of Louisville University set the pace for the Alamo City Battle this weekend as the club finally exorcised it's demons against Burud Town. Previously win-less against their weekend's opponent, Alamo City put up another 6 spot as they surprisingly cruised to a 6-2 victory.

"It certainly feels good to get this monkey off of our back. They had completely dominated the series before this weekend. These are the kinds of things we need to do in order to continue to pile on the pressure this season. There's another club out there that has us by the tail like Burud Town does. We need to continue these performances."

This weekend it wasn't Thierry Henry. It was Nick DeLeon and his two assists that paved the way for ACSC to notch another win. Henry got on the score sheet with an assist of his own and was joined in the scoring by Kris Boyd (G) and Blas Perez (G,A). The depth of this roster showed up again to show that the Battle will always be a threat to light up the scoreboard.

And Now The Immovable Object

Week 6 of BSL Play Brings With it an Impossible Task

It's never fun to have to deal with players being absent from the squad. It's even worse when they're absent for a match that needs every gun available to fire. This week though, Eric Hassli is off and Alamo City is facing a club they've never beaten. That's not a misprint. The week 6 opponent for the Battle, simply put, owns them. "Oh, it's ugly. I mean, we don't even get off the bus. Five matches against them and we've only managed a single point, and have a -10 goal differential. They most certainly have our number."

ACSC will be looking to continue their run of hot form that has seen them climb to the top of the BSL table and knock the equally hot starting Gateway United out of the way in doing so. Thierry Henry has been on a tear and different members of lineup have stepped up each week to compliment his performances. Alamo City is going to need everyone this week if they're going to do something they've never done before.

Week 6 Lineup:

Thierry Henry

Kris Boyd

Blas Perez

Milovan Mirosevic

Jaime Castrillon

Eddie Johnson

Kelyn Rowe

Nick DeLeon

Kevin Hartman

Marcelo Sarvas

Michael Gspurning

Eric Hassli

Breaching the Gate

King Henry Leads Battle to Victory

"Come and take it."

That was the sentiment coming out of the locker room of the Alamo City Battle after this weekend's 7-4 victory against Gateway United. The Founder's Cup match up held all of the scoring, excitement, and drama that was expected. Superstar performances from both clubs made this one an instant classic. This match also illustrated why these two clubs had raced to the top of the BSL table early in the season. The offenses were on display once again, but it was the defense and coaching of Alamo City that made all the difference in this one.

"As well as we've been playing so far this season, the credit for this win goes right to the staff. They mulled over the game plan and went back and forth over the player selection. They got it right and we went out and did our jobs. The staff put the right lineup out to maximize the points this week. This is how you build a great club. Players and staff working together fluidly and making all the right moves at the right time. Tonight you saw the staff at their best." Those were the words of team captain Thierry Henry in regards to the player selection for this weeks match up. Specifically he was referring to the choice of keepers. While he hadn't recorded a save point or clean sheet so far, Kevin Hartman had been playing extremely well. That's not to say that Michael Gspurning hadn't. He'd actually gotten on the board with a clean sheet already. "You go with momentum, with form. So we did. Michael was facing a club very much in form. Kevin was as well, however they were at home and were due to break the unlucky streak and secure a shutout. He did that for us by putting in a superb performance." Indeed it was and it was that performance that provided the difference in the game despite being the first points on the board for Alamo City. His clean sheet and save point gave Alamo City a very tough to come by double score from their net minder. Gspurning did do his part as well recording a clean sheet, but the point will not go down on record.

The tactics though, weren't all from Alamo City. In the first match of the week Gateway looked as though they might have managed to sneak in a point that could decide the game. Paulo Jr took a PK for RSL and got Gateway on the board. "Completely out of the blue. Sure, we knew he'd be laying in the woods but when he took the ball from Beckerman and lined up from the spot ... we simply couldn't believe it. We were 1-0 down and a bit shocked to be honest." Immediately, Kevin Hartman stepped up and put Alamo City in position to grab hold of the match. Try as they might, Gateway couldn't bet past the Battle goalkeeper. Hartman held them at bay and grabbed two crucial points to put Alamo in the lead. "Yeah, I did my part but for a minute it looked like it wouldn't be enough," said Hartman. "Cooper came up to the plate right after me and returned the favor. He slotted two home and put Gateway right back in the lead." At that moment, the best player in the BSL this season took his turn and took control of the match for good. Thierry Henry not only answered his MLS teammate by matching his two goals, but he provided the assist for one of Cooper's goal to give the edge to Alamo City. From there, Hassli and Boyd added an assist and goal respectively to render Neilsen's clean sheet a moot point.

It was the biggest stage so far this season in the Bigtime Soccer League. The two hottest, highest scoring clubs went toe to toe. Both clubs had star players come up big. Both clubs had multiple players put points on the board. Only Alamo City though came out on top. Putting up the highest point total so far for any club this season, the Battle have firmly placed themselves at the top of the table in the early going. Now it's time to push. Now it is time for the rest of the league to "come and take it."

Match Week 5 - Founder's Cup a Gateway to Early Dominance

WEEK 5 Win Would Put Alamo City in Early Driver's Seat for League and Founder's Cup

Being able to kill two birds with one stone is always a welcome thing. This weekend the Battle aim to do just that. In a match up that pits the two early season leaders against one another, both Gateway and Alamo City will be looking to take an early advantage in both the League and Founder's Cup standing.

"Huge. No other word to describe it. It's a huge match up. You want name value ? After reading over our roster you get to Gateway and you see Donovan, Beckham, and Cooper. There's a reason they've started white hot. It's not just these first four games this year. They've been building momentum for a while now. Very dangerous .... this is going to get ugly."

It may do just that, but not out of bad blood. The competition between these two clubs is fierce and both owners know that this is the type of match that can set you up for the rest of the season ... both good and bad.

WEEK 5 LINEUP:

Thierry Henry

Kris Boyd

Blaz Perez

Milovan Mirosevic

Jaime Castrillon

Kelyn Rowe

Nick DeLeon

Eric Hassli

Kevin Hartman

Marcelo Sarvas

Eddie Johnson

Michael Gspurning

Alamo City Announces 2012 Exclusive TV Partners

If you want to catch the Alamo City Battle on TV the rest of the 2012 season, you'll have to tune in to ESPN, Telefutura, or be subscribed to DirecTV. The Battle have announced that the cable network exclusives belong to ESPN for the English broadcasts and Telefutura for the Spanish broadcasts. DirecTV is the satellite provider for this season's matches. ALL of the Alamo City Battle matches will be televised this season through one of the outlets with most matches being shown live.

Due to scheduling and the late announcement of the deals, a few select matches will be aired on delay either later in the evening or the next day. At the moment only a couple of matches are affected and all parties involved are working to get those matches aired live. All matches though, will be aired on 24 and 48 hour delay on ESPNDeportes.

The Magnificent One Strikes

Henry Shows World Class Ability in 6-2 Romp Over Quest

He's the talisman, the king, and the magnificent one all at the same time. In week 4 of the 2012 BSL campaign, Thierry Henry left no doubt that he is rightfully considered 'world class.' It was his assist that truly showcased that ability. A back flick that 99% of players in the world couldn't get right if they tried seemed effortless to Henry. Oh by the way, he netted a hat trick as well. His four points paced the Alamo City Battle as they reeled off their third win of the season to remain unbeaten in the early going. With Gateway United drawing on the day, week 5 is an early season 'must win' that sets the Bigtime Soccer League apart from the rest. "It's huge. Two undefeated clubs that are rolling right now. Both are in form and both are looking to take the early stranglehold on the table. It's as important of a game as there is, week 5 be damned. These are the matches that set clubs above others. Simply put, we need to keep rolling."

That's the goal for Alamo City and that's the reasoning behind their first player transaction of the season. While the Battle had high hopes for Josue Martinez, the early season issues with Philadelphia have kept Alamo City from being able to properly gauge the youngster's ability. He hasn't even had a chance to make an impact yet. Not able to wait around as in years past, the Battle moved on and added a different youngster to the roster. Nick DeLeon has been a sweet surprise for DCU and Alamo City hopes to cash in on that joyride as well. He'll be ready for selection in week 5 should Alamo City management deem him ready to start.

Week 4 Preview - The "Quest" for More Points

Can Olympic Frustrations Lead Quest to Win ?

"It's definitely tricky, facing a club with players fresh of a stunning set of results. Shea and Bunbury are in one of two states of mind right now. They're either devastated to the point they'll be ineffective ... OR, they'll tear us a new one. That's the danger this week."

Of course, the Battle management is referring to the shock exit of the United States squad from the Olympic Qualifying tournament. Teal Bunbury and Brek Shea are the returning members of that squad that potentially create a bad situation for Alamo City. It's a tough spot as the American members of the Battle squad certainly feel for the fellow countrymen, but business is business. Right now, it's good for the Battle and they have every intention on keeping the pressure on Gateway United.

Week 4 Lineup:

Henry

Perez

Hassli

Boyd

Mirosevic

Castrillon

Rowe

Sarvas

Gspurning

Johnson

Martinez

Hartman

Opening Round of Founder's Cup a Success for Alamo City

Dominance of Union Continues

First match of the Founder's Cup, first match at home this season, and the Battle delivered in a big way. The pressure that the fans and the management have put on the team to perform weighs heavy, but the pressure is welcome because that's how superstar's perform. In week 3 of the BSL season, the biggest superstar of them all did just that.

"Oh he was brilliant. He was a hair away from taking Clint Mathis out of the record books. He was unlucky to only walk away with 2. He easily could have had 5 or more. Oh, and he still managed to set up another for someone else. He was simply phenomenal. This is why he's here, this is why he's the talisman, and this is why he's Theirry Henry and everyone else isn't."

Simply put, his performance on Sunday afternoon secured Alamo City yet another win over Union SC. The Battle have had their number historically. For some reason, the club out in California brings out the best in Alamo City. It isn't ever easy though. Michael Gspurning got things going with his first ever clean sheet in the league. That lead was short lived though as Wondolowski provided Union with a brace to snatch the lead. Putting his first goal onto the score sheet this season, Milovan Mirosevic evened things up only to see Marco Pappa take it right back for Union. That's when Henry took over. His two goals and assist put a choke hold on the match before Castrillon tacked on the insurance. As has been the case so far this season, the Battle are getting scoring from all over the lineup. That's the key, and that's what is going to make or break Alamo City this season.

Week 3 - Founder's Cup Match Up

Home Opener Features Old Foe

The hits keep on coming in the Bigtime Soccer League. Fresh off a heart pounding draw against the expansion Spartans side last week, Alamo City has to turn around and open up the Founder's Cup competition against old foe Union SC. While the Battle have control of the historical score line, Alamo City is well aware of what Union SC has been able to do in the past.

"The loss they handed us and the draws they've taken away have been very important to our seasons in the past. The points they've taken have cost us dearly in the playoff race before. We're not about to fall into the trap of thinking we can get by these boys. They've played extremely well in the first two weeks and are just unlucky to not have won either of those match ups. This isn't lip service either, they come to play. If we're flat, they'll shoot our momentum dead in its tracks. We need to take the win and keep this thing rolling early on."

It should help the club that they'll be opening their home schedule with this match up. The first time that a club plays before its own fans this season should provide the boost Alamo City needs to keep the early season push going. The players, management, and fans all know that Gateway won their first two match ups and are expected to show well in week three. Keeping the pressure on the rest of the league early will only help Alamo City in the long run.

Week 3 Lineup:

Thierry Henry

Kris Boyd

Eric Hassli

Blas Perez

Jaime Castrillon

Milovan Mirosevic

Kelyn Rowe

Josue Martinez

Michael Gspurning

Eddie Johnson

Kevin Hartman

Marcelo Sarvas

Depth Saves Point for Battle

Marcelo Sarvas Saves the Day

During First Kick it was the "name" brand that took center stage for the Alamo City Battle Soccer Club. "The big guns took care of business for us," stated Alamo city management in regards to the first match of the year. "But this week, we showed what a club has to do in order to win in this league. You've got to play to the final whistle, and you've got to have players capable of producing slotted in every position in your lineup. Marcelo came in very late into the game and stole a point for us. That's how you separate yourself in this league."

Fresh of the warnings earlier in the week that facing an expansion club presented a very unique set of challenges, the ACSC brass was delighted to see their club pull something from an otherwise weak performance overall. Blas Perez netted his first goal of the season, as did Jaime Castrillon. No one else even sniffed the scoreboard until Sarvas put in a beautiful header from the center of the box. The point lands Alamo City in a four way tie for second place after the first two weeks of the season.

Week 2 Presents Unique Challenge

Expansion Spartans Won't Allow Let Down

"It's never easy going up against expansion squads. New management, new player development, and a fresh approach to the matches are never easy to deal with. Spartans showed during First Kick that they won't be rolled over."

And so it goes each week in the Bigtime Soccer League. Despite posting the league high point total for week one, Alamo City faces a fresh set of challenges in the second week of action. While the big names stepped up and showcased the ability that this club possesses, it will take an entire team effort week in and week out. Spartans worked a draw in their week one match and appear to be a very methodical attacking club. Alamo City will need to keep up the tempo of the match to get another win to start the season.

Week 2 Lineup:

Thierry Henry

Eric Hassli

Kris Boyd

Blas Perez

Jaime Castrillon

Josue Martinez

Kelyn Rowe

Eddie Johnson

Kevin Hartman

Marcelo Sarvas

Milovan Mirosevic

Michael Gspurning

Battle Claim Opening Match

Stars Pave Way for Opening Win of 2012 Season

It was a display that was expected if you ask the Alamo City management and players. The squad has plenty of name value which has bred plenty of expectation from the players themselves, the management, and the fans. These expectations were met, if only for a day, during the 2012 BSL First Kick match up against Alliance FC. Headlining the day was Panamanian International Blas Perez. His effort didn't net him a goal but the hard work didn't go unfulfilled. He got on the sheet with two assists that were indicative of the work he put in. If not for a fantastic day from rookie netminder Ryan Meara, he'd have had a goal or two as well. In that same game, Thierry Henry displayed his new found role in the NYRB offense. Now more of a CF/CAM, the talisman distributed well but couldn't get things going with Agudelo. Once Kenny Cooper entered though, his service started bearing fruit. A fantastic overhead through-ball landed perfectly for Cooper who netted it home giving Henry the assist. Hassli did much of the same hard work as Perez and also was awarded an assist for his time. It was Boyd though, that found the back of the net on a class header that perfectly displayed his skill. Boyd was denied, at the very least, one other goal as MacMath had a great save on a close attempt in the box.

"Surely we're pleased, and we're even more pleased that there were several opportunities that were denied only by fantastic plays by the keepers this weekend. It was only the first match and our players looked as though this were mid-season form. While we're happy we understand this is merely the first match. Given our start the last two seasons though, I think a bigger than normal smile can be excused this once."