Estadio Azteca in US Open Shocker   12/16/09 -  The Estadio Azteca All-Stars were supposed to be an easy first step for the PASL-Pro champion California Cougars in their opening game in the 2009-10 US Open Arena Soccer Championship.   PASL-Pro teams were 8-0 against PASL-Premier teams this year and California was coming off one of those games -- a 17-0 obliteration of the Wenatchee Fire -- just the night before.   But then here was Estadio Azteca clinging to a 2-1 lead at halftime.  The Cougars tied the game, but then the All-Stars got a huge break when Cougars goalkeeper Jesus Molina was ejected late in the third quarter.   Despite having to put midfielder Nelson Santana in goal, the Cougars seemed in control with Majell Aterado and Brian Farber scoring less than two minutes apart to give California a 4-2 lead.   Jose Martinez had other plans.  His goals at 2:05 and :54 remaining in regulation tied the game.  Clemente Fonseca scored 9:39 into sudden death to give the All-Stars a 5-4 win and the Cougars an early exit from the US Open. PASL-Pro Game Action   It was a weekend of fireworks punctuated by Louisville’s 22-1 win over the West Virginia Quantum Force and California’s 17-0 win over the Wenatchee Fire...Goals were also plentiful in St. Louis where the Illusion got a much-needed 11-10 win over the Texas Outlaws...The Outlaws in turn rallied to beat the Kansas City Kings 7-5...Two expansion teams going in opposite directions: San Diego beat Tijuana 5-4 to improve to 6-0 while Ohio fell 10-5 to Detroit to fall to 0-3.   KICK STARTERS - Conversations you should be having about the PASL-Pro   22-1 and 17-0 The Louisville Lightning and California Cougars played near perfect games this weekend against West Virginia and Wenatchee, respectively.   Louisville outshot West Virginia 51-13, committed no penalties and just 4 fouls.  They scored at least five goals in every quarter and built a 9-0 lead before West Virginia got their lone goal.  The Cougars outshot Wenatchee 54-8 and Jesus Molina recorded the first shutout in a PASL-Pro game, despite being required to make just four saves.   Glenn Volk, Louisville Lightning The 23-year old Lexington native scored seven goals against West Virginia, giving him 10 in his last two games.  Volk had a hat trick against the St. Louis Illusion that enabled the Lightning to win their first road game.   Lawrence Olum, St. Louis Illusion Olum has three goals and four assists through four games with the Illusion.  He scored the game-winning assist as part of a goal and three assist performance against Texas in the Illusion’s 11-10 win.  The 25-year old spent the last outdoor season with the Minnesota Thunder and has been discussed as a call-up for his native Kenya.   Kevin Leonard, Texas Outlaws The second year coach pulled off the biggest gamble of the season against the Kansas City Kings.  The Outlaws trailed 4-3 and decided to put Jamie Harrigan in as sixth attacker to start the fourth quarter and it paid off as the Outlaws tied the game.  The really daring move came about a minute and a half later when Harrigan was reinserted as the sixth attacker in a tie game.  The Outlaws controlled possession and scored twice to take a 6-4 lead and finally goalkeeper Adam Jochelson returned to close out the game.   Michael Archuleta, Denver Dynamite The colorful goalkeeper, who last year became the first PASL-Pro goalkeeper to score a goal, set what is believed to be an indoor soccer first: five assists in a game by a goalkeeper.  Archuleta looked like Drew Brees against the Ft. Collins Fury and "quarterbacked" the Dynamite to a 15-8 win.    The Week Ahead       Sat, December 19, 2009 7:00 pm Denver Dynamite  vs  Colorado Cavaliers  Bladium Denver  -- Postponed 7:00 pm California Cougars  vs  Tacoma Stars  Estadio Azteca Sports Arena  7:00 pm Ohio Vortex  vs  1790 Cincinnati Express  MultiPlex Ohio  7:00 pm Edmonton Drillers  vs  Calgary United  Edmonton Soccer Centre South 7:00 pm Texas Outlaws  vs  Springfield Demize (MO.)  TCG Arena at NYTEX Sports Centre  7:00 pm St. Louis Illusion  vs  Louisville Lightning  The Game Arena     Sun, December 20, 2009   4:30 pm Detroit Waza  vs  1790 Cincinnati Express  Total Soccer Royal Oak  5:00 pm Texas Outlaws  vs  Vitesse Dallas  TCG Arena at NYTEX Sports Centre

About Professional Arena Soccer League The PASL-Pro is a professional league which began play on October 25, 2008 when the Stockton Cougars defeated the Colorado Lightning 10-5 at Stockton Arena. The 2008-09 season concluded with the North American Championships March 13-15 at Stockton Arena.  The Stockton Cougars defeated 1790 Cincinnati 13-5 to win the inaugural PASL-Pro Championship.  The PASL-Pro consists of nine US teams, the CMISL (Canada), and LMFR (Mexico). The San Diego Sockers, Louisville Lightning, and Ohio Vortex have been added for the 2009/10 season. PASL-Premier is in its 12th season as the nation’s top amateur arena soccer league.  PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier are members of Federacion Internacional de Futbol Rapido (FIFRA).