The 1st Aztec Alumni game took place this past Saturday! It's one thing for high schools and colleges to have their annual alumni game for a sport. But for a youth soccer program where the oldes player was born in 2004 to have an alumni game at age 13 is pretty special!
I've been a coach at Mustang Soccer since I signed my oldest son to play rec soccer in 2010. The name of that first team... you guessed it: Mustang Aztecs. Since that year I've continued to coach the Aztecs through the different levels of soccer offered at Mustang.
Starting at the rec level in 2010, I then took the Aztecs to the White Plus level in 2013. In 2014, my son John made a bronze (D3) Mustang team which is the only season I didn't coach an Aztecs team. Instead, I was an assistant coach for the Mustang Strikers that year. The following year I took over the Strikers as coach and re-named the team the Aztecs and the bronze level Mustang Aztecs was born again!
That 2015 season was a very special season with a Hollywood ending. Despite a rough 0-5-2 start to the season, the 2015 Aztecs would go on to win 20+ games finishing 1st in the BUSC Harvest Festival and eventually a gold bracket State Cup title with an incredible 2-1 come from behind victory of Sacramento Union.
In the offseason, U.S. Soccer would initiate the change to birth years separating players on the 2015 roster from 2004 and 2005 birth years. This change coupled with 7 players getting promoted to D1 rosters (including 2 players promoted to Mustang's gold team) would leave only 3 returning players for the 2016 team.
So the 2016 Aztecs brought on 11 new players and the result was an even more remarkable season which I didn't think could be possible. The 2016 Aztecs finished 3rd place or better in all 4 tournaments, 2nd in a bronze/silver league, and ultimately repeated as State Cup champions! 3 more players would get promoted to the D1 program following the season.
So the alumni squad consisted of mostly players from the 2015 and 2016 State Cup champion teams. Calvin W from the 2013 white plus Aztecs team also would join the alumni squad.
The 2017 Aztecs squad which featured 9 returning players on a 17 player roster would have another successful season placing 3rd in the Walnut Creek Halloween tournament, 2nd place in league (highest finish for any Aztec team), and another deep run during State Cup where we ultimately lost in a PK shootout in the semifinal game.
So this game pitted two deeply talented teams.
The alumni squad in white scored twice early but the 2017 Aztecs showed their resilience scoring 2 goals a minute part to draw even before halftime.
Game would end in a 2-2 draw as both sides battled to the final minute.
Amazing turnout for this event which was a reunion for parents as much as it was for the players.
Calvin W (2013 Aztecs) was the player of the match as he turned away shot after shot in goal during the 2nd half to keep the 2017 Aztecs from completing the comeback.
Thank you all for the incredible support in making this event happen! It was an absolute thrill!!
