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Meet the USASA: Azzurri
Dallas club making 3rd appearance in the last 4 years
Azzurri are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, and what better way to mark the occasion than to make a run at the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Founded in 1982 by the Italian Club of Dallas, Azzurri qualified out of Region III for the third time in the last four years. The club currently has four teams and has enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years. Last year they won the National Amateur Cup, and to go along with the Over-30 national championship in 2003 and 2005. Azzurri also boasts having won more state championships than any other club from North Texas.
 They are made up of local players, many of who have played Division I NCAA soccer. Some of the schools represented on the Azzurri roster include Southern Methodist, North Texas, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Creighton, Georgetown, Memphis State and Richland Junior College.
"Our club has a very good local reputation so we tend to attract good people and good players," said Azzurri head coach Anthony Mungioli. "The first quality we look at is character and how he will fit into the system we have in place. This has taken us to the next level of competition many times before."
Still looking for their first win
While Azzurri has enjoyed a great deal of success in the Amateur Cup, the U.S. Open Cup has not been as kind. In 2004, they were eliminated in the first round by the PDL’s Cocoa Expos 3-2 after Fred Moojen scored the game-winner in extra time. The following year was their best chance of advancing when they were matched up with local rival Dallas Roma FC. Unfortunately, Roma dismissed them 5-2, leaving Azzurri winless in back-to-back trips to the tournament.
"It is definitely a rivalry," said Coach Mungioli about Azzurri’s relationship with Dallas Roma FC. "But it’s definitely a friendly one. They are a very talented team, and have been successful the last two years."
In 2006, Azzurri fell short of qualification, and it was Dallas Roma who stole all the headlines, making their cinderella run through the Open Cup. In 2007, Roma and Azzurri were the two representatives from North Texas. In the state final, Roma actually defeated Azzurri on penalty kicks 4-3, after the game finished in a 2-2 draw. (Roma also bested Azzurri 1-0 in the league championship as well)
In the Region III finals, despite the losses to Roma, it was Azzurri that would qualify for the Open Cup. They had little trouble winning their group, defeating the Death Penguins (South Carolina) and the Lake Charles Sting (Louisiana) by a combined score of 10-2. However, it was not so easy for Dallas Roma as their bid to revive their role as cinderella was ended by Lynch’s Irish Pub from Florida. Lynch’s qualified for the tournament by eliminating Roma 4-0.
In the Region III championship game, Azzurri flexed their muscles with a 7-0 thrashing of Lynch’s to book their ticket to the National Cup finals in Seattle later this year.
Azzurri’s first round opponent is the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division. The ’Backs enjoyed a resurgence in the early part of the league season, only losing one of their first six games. However, they’ve hit a rough patch recently as they are winless (0-3-1) in their last four matches. The Silverbacks have not enjoyed much Open Cup success in their team history, having only won two games in the last five years.
Satisfied customer
Fans of the United Soccer Leagues have rejoiced with the unveiling of "USL Live", an online broadcasting service that allows people to watch USL First Division games on-demand. You can add Coach Mungioli to the list of satisfied customers.
"I have watched [the Atlanta Silverbacks] on the Internet.They seem to have a very disciplined team and very direct. We definitely have our work cut out for us and will need an exceptional performance from our club."
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