Week 4 - Maintain Momentum and Get Some Back

With Start of Majors Cup Qualifying, Battle Get Early Shot at Revenge

- San Antonio

Fresh off a potentially season saving week 3 win over their biggest rivals, Alamo City heads into a 'major' showdown in week 4 with some positive momentum.  On tap are both Gateway United and new foe Cumberland.  Just a short while ago it was Cumberland that got their very first BSL victory at the expense of the Battle ... and the first match of Major's Cup Qualification will see the two face of again already.  A shot at a bit of redemption for the Battle is also a shot to gain an early leg up on the Founder's Cup should the result also be favorable against Gateway United.  It's a bit odd, the back and forth with fellow original BSL member GU.  While the Battle have historically been outscored they've managed to win.


Week 4 Lineup:

Obafemi Martins (C)
Mauro Diaz
Tesho Akindele
Krisztian Nemeth
Sebastian Jaime
Andrew Wenger
Diego Fagundez
Robbie Findley
Dairon Asprilla
Leonel Miranda

Luis Marin

Robert Earnshaw
Dilly Duka
Adam Kwarasey

Frank Lampard   

Battle Add Earnshaw

With Vancouver signing Robert Earnshaw after trialing with the team in the pre-season, Alamo City has decided to make the jump with the Whitecaps.  Vicente Sanchez has been released to make room.

Deuces Wild in San Antonio

Alamo City Scores 2 in Third Straight Match to Start Season

- San Antonio

Same song, same verse, different weekend, and a different result.  In what has been a very odd, and quite frankly crappy start to the 2015 season the Alamo City Battle notched a rare result.  "It's only fitting," stated second year star Tesho Akindele, "seeing as how we started the season on an historic for the wrong reasons note.  The trend so far had been territory this club has never or rarely been in ... so a shutout victory over CD ?  Makes perfect sense."  Fittingly it was Akindele who scored what would be the game winner while wearing the Captain's armband for the match.  The kid has been one of only two Alamo City players to have shown up more than once for the Battle this season so far.  His reward was to lead the club against their biggest rival in an all too important for this stage of the season match.  The kid did well and led the club to a massive victory.  

The BSL Classic

After falling flat again in week two, Alamo City will see their first true test of the team's mettle in week three as long time nemesis Capital District comes calling.  The time to get things straight is now as the Battle have opened the season with two consecutive losses for the first time in club history.  A third would set a tone for the season that even they may not be able to recover from.  To make matters worse, Alamo City will have to do it without Obafemi Martins.  Someone else needs to wake up an perform, now.


Week 3 Lineup VS Capital District:

Mauro Diaz
Tesho Akindele (C)
Krisztian Nemeth
Dilly Duka
Diego Fagundez
Vicente Sanchez
Sebastian Jaime
Andrew Wenger
Leonel Miranda
Dairon Asprilla

Adam Kwarasey

Robbie Findley
Obafemi Martins
Luis Marin

Frank Lampard

2015 Home Opener

- San Antonio

With the uninspired effort from First Kick over and done with the Alamo City Battle will look to jump start their season for real this weekend as the club hosts Gold Coast.  Historically this has been an even match up with Alamo City holding a slight scoring edge.  Both of the clubs showed some flashes last week as Obafemi Martins hit a brace for the Battle and Jozy Altidore did the same for Gold Coast.  So which club will have the rest of their lineup show up this week ?  The Battle are hoping that many of those close calls were just the final pre-season rust getting out of the way and that the scoring will open up this week.  


Week 2 Lineup

Obafemi Martins (c)
Leonel Miranda
Mauro Diaz
Tesho Akindele
Krisztian Nemeth
Sebastian Jaime
Andrew Wenger
Diego Fagundez
Dairon Asprilla
Robbie Findley

Adam Kwarasey

Dilly Duka
Vicente Sanchez
Luis Marin

Frank Lampard 

Flat Out of the Gate

Slow Start Dooms Alamo City in Season Opener

- San Antonio

You just kind of had that feeling as the match kicked off.  It was the inaugural match for Cumberland and their stands were packed.  That certain 'something' filled the air and one couldn't help but think that the outcome had already been determined.  Right from the opening whistle it was all but confirmed.  Omar Gonzalez put a ball forward that saw Baggio Husidic send a header right into the path of Robbie Keane.  Just like that Cumberland was up 2-0 and the match was done.  It wasn't for a lack of fight from Alamo City, however, as Krisztian Nemeth showed why he was the club's first round pick with two narrow misses.  Luis Marin showed extremely well but was beaten by what will end up going on a GOTY list when it's all said and done.  Andrew Wenger and Tesho Akindele were agonizingly close.  Mauro Diaz was a fantastic David Bingham save away from an assist.  It just wasn't in the cards .... though Obafemi Martins made sure that there was a silver lining to the opening week for the Battle.  Picking up right where he left off the superstar hit a brace (G/A) to give Alamo City two valuable goals.

It's over and done though and it's best to have the flat performances early.  This week the BSL clubs look to be shorthanded (Alamo City will have three players unavailable) as CCL play and the adjusted schedule for the MLS already make their first impact on things.  Time to move on and get some inspired play as Gold Coast comes to town for the Battle's first home match of 2015.

TRANSACTION

Alamo City releases Luke Moore and signs Robbie Findley (TFC).

2015 FIRST KICK

- San Antonio

With Major League Soccer getting its act together the BSL can breathe a sigh of relief as there will be no delay to the start of the season.  Preparations went on as normal but the looking cloud of uncertainty clearly kept the mood a bit damper than it otherwise would have been as the clubs geared up for the opening weekend of action.  No worries anymore though and we can look forward to kicking off another top notch season here in the Alamo City.

First up in 2015 is expansion side Cumberland SC.  The newcomers will immediately get to test their mettle as they begin their foray into the BSL by facing what is arguably the best club in the league's history.  Of course, this is also the perfect situation for the Battle to fall flat on their face right out of the gate.  It's hard to preview newcomers but the history of the league has shown that regularly, new clubs fare very well early on.  This time around Alamo City will look to reverse that trend and set a tone that Cumberland will be hard pressed to match.  That isn't to say that the Wildmary's won't be taking aim themselves.  Led by Irish Superman Robbie Keane, the expansion side boasts a lineup full of familiar names.  Nguyen, Bradley, Davies, Hamid, and the list goes on.  The passion will be high and the atmosphere will surely be electric as the club debuts on its home turf ... but this is the Alamo City Battle that is coming to town.

Captaining the Battle this season will be Mauro Diaz.  It has been stated that Obafemi Martins will likely get time wearing the arm band as well.  To get things going though the dynamic young playmaker will lead the squad.  The hardest choice for the starting lineup was who to put in net.  While both GKs are full internationals for their respective countries, the opposition they face makes it a toss up.  After much debating Luis Marin was chosen.  Outside of that it was only the 10th outfield slot that fielded serious questions for the FO.  It came down to two vets and an exciting young option.  It's always hard to catch lightning in a bottle and the long term outlook for Asprilla  has the club believing in him.  However, early points are key and tried and true earned the nod as Vicente Sanchez nabbed the final spot in the First Kick XI.

2015 First Kick Lineup VS Cumberland SC

Mauro Diaz - (C)
Obafemi Martins
Tesho Akindele
Krisztian Nemeth
Sebastian Jaime
Andrew Wenger
Dilly Duka
Diego Fagundez
Leonel Miranda
Vicente Sanchez

Luis Marin

Dairon Asprilla
Luke Moore
Adam Kwarasey

Frank Lampard 

TRANSACTION

In yet another roster move before the First Kick ... Alamo City SC releases Javier Calle and signs Vicente Sanchez (COL).

News - Notes - TRANSACTION

- San Antonio

The Alamo City Soccer Club unveiled their primary and secondary kits for the 2015 season at the annual season ticket holder meet and greet at the club's own Garrison 1836 bar located on the suite deck of Stone Oak Park.  With all in attendance eagerly awaiting any tidbit they could get for the upcoming season, club Captain Mauro Diaz entered the room wearing the Primary kit while from the other side of the room Obafemi Martins came in with the Secondary kit on his shoulders.  Throughout the night the rest of the club came and went wearing all sorts of training and casual wear aligned with this season's kit design.  "Oh, and we've already got a Major's Cup kit planned as well, so ... here's to a successful campaign," stated club owner David to those in attendance.

The club let out the schedule and opponents for the Freedom Cup and it was a doozy of an announcement.  The tournament has expanded and includes teams from FIVE countries on FOUR continents.  In total, six clubs will play a round robin single table tournament to crown the 2015 Freedom Cup Champion.  This season Alamo City will be joined by fellow Texan and partner club San Antonio Scorpions FC, FMF partner club Leon, returning participants Zenit St Petersburg from Russia and Lanus of Argentina (coached by club legend Guillermo Barros Schelotto), and finally new participant and winningest club in J-League history the Kashima Antlers.  Full schedule of matches:
  
(April 4/5)

Alamo City VS Zenit

SA Scorpions VS Lanus

Leon VS Kashima

 

(April 11/12)

Alamo City VS Leon

Kashima VS Lanus

SA Scorpions VS Zenit

(April 18/19)

Alamo City VS SA Scorpions

Kashima VS Zenit

Leon VS Lanus

(May 2/3)

Alamo City VS Kashima

Leon VS SA Scorpions

Lanus VS Zenit

(May 10)

Alamo City VS Lanus

SA Scorpions VS Kashima

Leon VS Zenit

Also of note, the club announced that during negotiations with Kwadwo Poku the two sides couldn't come to salary terms.  As a result Alamo City releases the rights of Kwadwo Poku and has signed Leonel Miranda (HOU) to fill the open roster spot.