The 2012–13 Rio Grande Valley Flash season was the first season of the

Rio Grande Valley Flash Hidalgo La Fiera (also known as "La Fiera FC") was an American professional indoor soccer team based in Hidalgo, Texas. They played in the Southern Division of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). The team was founded in 2012 as the Rio Grande Va ...

indoor soccer club. The Flash, a Central Division team in the

Professional Arena Soccer League A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

, played their home games in the

State Farm Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Leag ...

Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,198 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 14,183. History The area that is now Hidalgo was first settled by Spanish colonists led by José d ...

. The team was led by owner Gerardo Guerra Lozano and head coach Mariano Bollella.

Season summary

The Flash were successful in the regular season, compiling a 12–4 record and placing second in the competitive Central Division. The team split the first half of the season with four wins and four losses before winning the final regular season matches. The team also fared well at the box office, drawing the fourth-highest average attendance for home games this season. The Flash qualified for the postseason and earned the right to play for the Ron Newman Cup in the PASL National Championship. They defeated Central Division regular season champion Dallas Sidekicks in consecutive games and advanced to the PASL Semi-finals in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

where they fell to the

Detroit Waza The Waza FC (also known as Detroit Waza) is an American professional arena soccer team based in Metro Detroit competing as a charter member of the Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS). The team's nickname, "Waza", is both a Japanese word that mean ...

in overtime. The Flash did not participate in the

2012–13 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer The 2012–13 US Open Arena Soccer Championship is the fifth edition of an open knockout style tournament for arena/indoor soccer. In this edition, teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League, Premier Arena Soccer League, and other independen ...

Off-field moves

The team was originally organized in 2011 as the Monterrey Flash in the Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rápido Profesional (LMFR). Although successful (they won the league championship and finished second in the

2012 FIFRA Club Championship The 2012 FIFRA Club Championship is an indoor soccer tournament that included teams from four countries and four professional leagues. Teams from United States, Canada, Mexico and Ecuador compete for FIFRA Club Championship. Standings ''Blue ...

) owner Gerardo Guerra Lozano moved the team across the border to Texas and joined the PASL in September 2012. In mid-October 2012, the Flash announced that they had rejoined the LMFR and would participate in both leagues. Rio Grande Valley Flash at Dallas Sidekicks B - 30 November 2012

Rio Grande Valley Flash at Dallas Sidekicks B - 30 November 2012

The team's initial logo matched the one used in Monterrey, with only the location named updated. On January 9, 2013, the Flash unveiled a new, sleeker logo during a press conference at

Ford Arena The Ford Arena is a 9,737-seat multi-purpose arena in Beaumont, Texas, USA. The arena has 34,000 sq ft of exhibit space available for conventions and exhibitions. It also includes 7 production offices, 3 dressing rooms, a 2,448 sq ft VIP Club, a ...

Rio Grande Valley Flash warm-ups - 28 February 2013

The Flash held several pre-season promotion events including a friendly match against local media on November 14 and a "Student's Day" for local area schools during their November 15 match against the Texas South Devils of the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...

Roster moves

On January 9, 2013, the team announced that it had signed a number of "soccer stars from Mexico" to play for the Flash during home games. The first such announced signing was Claudio "Diablo" Nuñez, formerly of the Tigres UANL. At the same press conference, the Flash announced the signing of goalkeeper Juan Gamboa, a

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...

, native who played for The University of Texas at Brownsville. On January 31, 2013, the team announced the signing of Hector Nicanor. The veteran defender played for

C.F. Monterrey Club de Fútbol Monterrey, often known simply as Monterrey or their nickname Rayados, is a Mexican professional association football, football club based in Monterrey, Nuevo León which currently plays in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican footba ...

and Monarcas Morelia in the

Mexican Primera División The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year. The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in al ...

Liga MX The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year. The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...

in the mid-1990s.

Awards and honors

In postseason honors, defender Damian Garcia was named to the 2012-13 PASL All-League Second Team.

Schedule

Pre-season

Regular season

♥ Replacement squad after Phoenix franchise revoked by league.

Postseason

References

External links

*rgvflash.com Rio Grande Valley Flash official website {{DEFAULTSORT:2012-13 Rio Grande Valley Flash season

Sports in the Rio Grande Valley Rio Grande Valley Flash 2012 Rio Grande Valley Flash 2012 Hidalgo La Fiera