The 2013–14 Hidalgo La Fiera season was the second
season for the professional
indoor soccer club but first under the
Hidalgo La Fiera branding. (The team is also known as La Fiera FC.) The franchise was founded in 2012 as the Rio Grande Valley Flash. La Fiera, a Central Division team in the
Professional Arena Soccer League, played their home games in the
State Farm Arena in
Hidalgo, Texas.
The team was led by president Joaquín García Fernández and head coach Mariano Bollella. La Fiera completed the regular season with a 14–2 record and the Central Division Championship. In the post-season, they won their way into the PASL Championship match but lost to the
Chicago Mustangs 15–4.
Season summary
The season started with an
overtime loss on the road versus the expansion
Monterrey Flash[2] but La Fiera won their next nine games, including the third
shootout in PASL history and two more overtime games. Another road loss (6–11) to Monterrey snapped that streak[3] but a 7–1 win at home over the Flash the next week gave La Fiera a split in the season series and a one-goal lead head-to-head, a critical advantage in determining postseason
seeding.[4] The team finished January with two more wins and finished the regular season with a 14–2 record and the top spot in the Central Division.[5]
In the post-season, Hidalgo defeated the
Monterrey Flash 9–8 in the Central Division Final at the
State Farm Arena. They advanced to the PASL Final Four at the
Sears Centre in
Chicago where they defeated the
Las Vegas Legends 6–5 in the Semi-final match. They faced the
Chicago Mustangs on March 16 in the Championship match but lost 15–4.
La Fiera also participated in the
2013–14 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer, starting with a bye in the Round of 32. Hidalgo's December 29, 2013, regular season 12–9 win over the
Dallas Sidekicks also counted as both teams' Round of 16 match, advancing La Fiera to a February 1 Quarter-finals match. Hidalgo defeated Austin FC of the
Premier Arena Soccer League 13–2 to advance to the Semi-finals. They defeated
Las Vegas Legends 6–5 in a game that doubled as the PASL Semi-final match. They faced the
Chicago Mustangs on March 16 in an Open Cup Final that doubled as the PASL championship match and lost 15–4.
History
The team was originally organized in 2011 as the "Monterrey Flash" in the Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rápido Profesional (LMFR).[6] Although successful, the team moved across the border to Texas and joined the PASL as the "Rio Grande Valley Flash" in September 2012.[7][8] In mid-October 2012, the Flash announced that they had rejoined the LMFR and would participate in both leagues.[9] This move prove short-lived and the team fell into disarray after the
2012–13 PASL season. In July 2013, Victor Fernandez assumed ownership of the team and reorganized it as "La Fiera FC" with a new logo and colors.[10][11] In late July, Joaquín García Fernández was announced as team president.[12]
On February 26, 2014, the PASL announced its "All-League" honors. Goalkeeper Juan Gamboa was one of six players named to the All-League First Team.[15][16]
^Tovar, Miguel Angel (November 15, 2013).
"Hará gira por Texas". El Diario de Coahuila.
Coahuila. Archived from
the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
^Carvajal, Jesus (January 18, 2014).
"Descuenta La Fiera al Flash". Periódico AM (in Spanish). Descuenta La Fiera al Flash: Compañía Periodística Meridiano. Archived from
the original on January 21, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
^Tovar, Miguel Ángel (February 14, 2014).
"Se despiden con derrota". El Diario de Coahuila (in Spanish).
Coahuila. Archived from
the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2014.