Heat at El Paso; eyes Cup
By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Only five games into their first Premier Development League season, the Laredo Heat has put itself in a favorable position.
The Heat can not only take control of the Mid South Division, but has a chance to qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Heat are in a first place tie with the El Paso Patriots, whom the Heat take on today and Saturday at Patriot Stadium. The games are at 8:30 p.m. Laredo time.
Laredo (4-1) has played one more game than El Paso (4-0), but share the top spot with 12 points apiece.
"We just have to keep our concentration and our discipline. We are playing for a spot in the U.S. Open Cup, we know why we came here for and it being the last qualifying game we are going to do everything we can to win," Heat Coach Eleazar Jepsen said.
Today's game is the last of four qualifying matches for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Heat defeated Austin, Dallas and New Orleans in the three previous qualifiers.
"Right now, for us to be a good team and have three wins in cup qualifying, no one expected this from us," Jepsen said.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is among the oldest in the world, dating back to 1914.
It is open to all affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States. The annual U.S. Open Cup is a 90-year-old single-elimination tournament.
It's the U.S. version of the domestic cup competitions that you see throughout Europe, South America and the rest of the world.
The qualifying round begins in the league's opening stages. It gives teams such as the Laredo Heat a chance to compete against the best teams in the United States.
Major League Soccer joined the cup competition in 1996, further establishing its legitimacy in the soccer world.
The top two PDL teams advance. The Patriots and the Florida Cocoa Expos of the Southeast Division complete the teams in the running with identical 3-0 qualifying records.
Thus, it adds a bit more spice for today's game versus the Patriots.
"If we happen to go great, but where we stand right now and what we have accomplished, it's something that no one thought we could accomplish. The team is very excited about the opportunity," Jepsen said.
The tournament takes place June through July.
First things first, the Heat have to figure out a way to return home with six more points added to their total.
Laredo didn't give up a goal until their first meeting against El Paso, in which Laredo lost 2-1 in overtime.
But the Heat has yet to surrender a goal as a visitor. In their first two road games the Heat outscored opponents 3-0.
El Paso has played one game at its home field, defeating the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados 2-1.
"Both our teams are going to try to dictate the pace. We are going to do what we have to do in order to force our pace. You have to dictate the pace; you just can't sit back and wait. Our mentality is to go out there and assert our game." Jepsen said.
