The Aztexan

The Aztex have returned from their tour of England, victorious in all 3 of their exhibitions there. They also trained at top-flight facilities, attended a couple of Premier League matches, and even left a player behind for a trial in the big league.

• Game 1, Oct. 14 — Austin Aztex 1-0 Stoke City FC Academy
  
  This game was a bit of disappointment to some fans, as we had assumed that Stoke would field their first team, or at least some level of it, rather than the U18 academy squad. But given that they played the day after their transatlantic flight, a 1-0 win isn't bad, even against teenagers.
  
  Stoke's match report gives lots of love to Eddie Johnson:
  

  The inexperienced Potters side had to defend for long periods of the match as former Manchester United apprentice Eddie Johnson caused them particular problems throughout an encounter watched by City boss Tony Pulis.
  
  And it was indeed livewire Johnson who set up the 85th minute winner for the Aztecs [sic] by flicking the ball across goal for central defender [Gareth] Evans to plant a close range header past City goalkeeper Dave Parton.
  
  After a fairly uneventful first half hour to the friendly match, the arrival of Pulis seemed to spark a lively end to the first half in which Johnson went close to scoring on three occasions for the USL-1 team.
  
  He had a goal disallowed in the 35th minute for a foul in the area, forced Alexander Hedley into a last-ditch clearance at the far post and brought the best out of Parton with a curling shot just before the break.



• Game 2, Oct. 15 — Austin Aztex 2-1 Accrington Stanley
  
  
  • Heath leads Aztex on their longest trip yet — The Independent
    

    Around 5,000 miles, not to mention a chasm in history, separates Accrington Stanley and Austin Aztex. To the relief of the American club's coach, Adrian Heath, tonight's journey up to Lancashire from their Staffordshire base is almost like nipping out to the shopping mall in Texas.

  • FULL-TIME: Accrington Stanley 1 Austin Aztex 2 — Lancashire Telegraph
    

    Stanley fielded a number of trialists, including former loan striker Craig Lindfield, but went behind when Nicky Patterson found the net just after the half-hour mark.
    
    Substitute Viniel Sirin volleyed home a second for the touring Aztex, who are managed by former Burnley boss Adrian Heath, on the hour before Gary King pulled a goal back by finding the empty net after Lindfield had beaten the visiting keeper to a loose ball.

  • Another day, another win — The Aztex Blog
    

    We put on a great show, looking more confident and clearly enjoying the playing surface. The fans showed some great British humour when our first goal went in, chanting "USA, USA" and then 'touchdown'!!!

  • Match Photo Gallery — Accrington Stanley
  
  


• Game 3, Oct. 20 — Austin Aztex 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday FC
  
  Other than text messages from the team back to stateside Aztex fans, and subsequent posts to BigSoccer, I could find no record of this game anywhere on the Intarwebs.
  

  Goals by Michael Callahan (1st half) and Jarius Holmes (2nd half) were enough to put the match away. Last I heard was that the guys are in the locker room, trying to warm up by having some pies.

In addition to playing, our American team also attended 2 Premier League matches. They saw Stoke City beat West Ham 2-1 at Stoke's Britannia Stadium on Saturday, the 17th, and Wigan draw 1-1 with Manchester City at Wigan's DW Stadium the next day.

And of course, this wasn't all just for the fun of the experience. These guys weren't just playing; they were auditioning.

In general Heath said the scouts from throughout England and those based in England representing clubs abroad were impressed with the quality of the Aztex. “They were quite surprised at how competitive we were,” he said about the scouts’ reactions. “We enjoyed the trip, and it gave the players a very good idea of the professional game at that level.”

And according to that article, this trip might even pay off for some of our boys:

• Keiron Bernard — "In addition to having an extended visit with the English Premier League side Stoke City, an affiliate club of the Aztex, the defender has sparked interest from unidentified La Liga, Serie A and top Dutch sides as well as Spanish second division club Real Murcia."


• Miguel Gallardo — "also garnered some attention from Real Murcia"


• Eddie Johnson — "may be seeing a move back home with interest coming from a pair of League One clubs and a third from League Two", and is "staying back in England at home there since our season is done and weighing the different opportunities."


• another, unidentified player — "has garnered significant interest from a team in Mexico, something that could see movement over the next few weeks"

So concludes the 2009 post-season; done & dusted. Stay tuned in the off-season for news of how Austin is ramping up for a stronger 2010 showing (and in what league).

Labels: exhibition, gameday, internacional, Stoke City, USL-1