Following a successful homestand with two victories a week apart, the Laredo Heat are shifting gears and hitting the road for a pair of crucial matchups in a span of just three days as they attempt to stay atop the table starting Thursday against the Fort Worth Vaqueros.
After a thrilling 4-3 victory over CF10 Houston FC in the debut of PEG Energy Stadium on June 1 in Laredo, the Heat got back to their defensive dominance last Saturday beating West Texas FC 2-0 to stay unbeaten improving to 3-0-1. Laredo’s 10 points put it one behind the Denton Diablos FC (3-0-2), but the Heat have one fewer game played to put them atop the standings in the NPSL’s Lone Star Conference.
The top spot in the table will be on the line Saturday when the Heat and Diablos square off in Denton, but Laredo is staying focused on taking care of business in Fort Worth on Thursday. The matchup with the Vaqueros kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at W.O. Barnes Stadium.
Heat head coach John Powell believes the depth the team has already showcased this season gives it the chance to chase six points in a span of three days on this road trip.
“It is something we have been prepared for. We knew it was coming. That’s why we recruited so intentionally,” Powell said. “It is going to be a real test of our depth, but we feel really confident that we are going to be able to put out a good team on both days. Obviously we’re focusing right now on Fort Worth on Thursday. We’re in a good position to go on the road.”
Another boost to Laredo’s chances is that it is beginning to get healthy at the right time. Saturday’s win over West Texas came with multiple players battling through illness or injuries, but the team utilized the homestand to recover as much as possible.
“We seem to be turning a corner. A big advantage to being part of the Laredo Heat is you have a fantastic support staff in all areas including the training room,” Powell said. “When you have a training room with trainers like Sarai Costa and Estevan Barrientos, we feel like we’re just about as healthy as we could possibly be at this point.”
That health and depth will be put to the test this week. Fort Worth is still seeking its first victory at 0-3-2, but it has proven to be a tougher out at home early in the season. The Vaqueros have had a pair of home-and-away series already this year. Against Denton, they drew 1-1 at home and fell 3-1 on the road. And against Lubbock, they were blown out 4-0 on the road but drew 2-2 at home.
The Heat are coming off their second clean sheet in four games. Dating back to his last season with the club in 2022, Laredo has recorded 11 shutouts in the past 19 games under Powell with only 13 goals allowed. With Fort Worth being limited to four goals in five matches this year, the Heat will attempt to continue building on last week’s strong defensive performance. Another clean sheet would lower Laredo’s goals against average to 1 for the season.
“Fort Worth is a tough place to go play. They have a lot of good players and a good coaching staff,” Powell said. “They are quick and they are pretty dangerous. We just have to prepare and focus on us but also be aware of the fact that, just like we said the other day, they are going to have spells. They are good players and a good team. We just have to be disciplined, stay focused on our game plan and execute it.”
Even while emphasizing the defense last week and having the forwards sit back much of the match, the Heat still maintained their season-long stretch of scoring multiple goals. They have 10 goals through four matches led by Manuel Ponce Casas who has scored half those goals. Ponce Casas also has assists on two of the other goals including the opening score against West Texas as midfielder Oscar Govea got his first goal in a storied history with the club. Govea also picked up an assist in the second half as forward Jonathan Cardona earned his first goal of the campaign. Laredo has also picked up goals from midfielder Jordan Mase, defender Gabriel Claudio and defender Filippo Della Pasqua.
A win Thursday would give the Heat a two-point advantage atop the table as they reach the midpoint of the regular season, while a draw would put them dead even with Denton heading into their showdown and a loss would leave them a point behind. Regardless, Saturday’s match will determine who leads the Lone Star Conference as the second half of the season gets underway. The Heat and Diablos kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Texas Women’s University.
“You have to take points early. Obviously the best way to do that is winning games,” Powell said. “Even the draw in Austin, you have to make sure you are taking points from every game early. We have done that, and now we know we have two really tough opponents after a long road trip. We have to make sure we continue this momentum, keep focusing on the simple things and execute the simple things.”
Visit youtube.com/@LaredoHeatSC for live streams of the Heat’s matches. The team will next be home at PEG Energy Stadium on Wednesday, June 19 in a rematch against Austin.
For ticket information and to stay up to date on all things Laredo Heat, visit laredheatsc.com, follow @laredoheatsc on all major social media platforms or email Vaswanifamily@about-time.com.
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