The Austin Aztex FC today announced its roster for its U23 team which begins play on May 3, 2008.
2008 U23 Initial Roster
| 1. |
Miguel Gallardo |
Goalkeeper |
| 2. |
Andy Taylor |
Defender |
| 3. |
Zack Pope |
Defender |
| 4. |
Kieron Bernard |
Defender |
| 5. |
Beto Papandrea |
Defender |
| 6. |
Ezual Lewis |
Midfield |
| 7. |
Jorge Vega |
Midfield |
| 8. |
Marcel Uriarte |
Midfield |
| 9. |
Edgar Alvarez |
Forward |
| 10. |
AJ Godbolt |
Midfield |
| 11. |
Andres Cuero |
Forward |
| 12. |
Craig Hill |
Goalkeeper |
| 13. |
Joshua Alcala |
Defender |
| 14. |
Carlos Vicens |
Midfield |
| 15. |
Westley Allen |
Midfield |
| 16. |
BJ Olonilua |
Forward |
| 17. |
Abdiel Amador |
Midfield |
| 18. |
Chris Spendlove |
Defender |
| 19. |
Jamie Scope |
Defender |
| 21. |
Austin Da Luz |
Midfield |
The U23 team will participate in the USL’s Premier Development League (“PDL”), an elite amateur league of 67 teams, in which players participate in a professional training environment as they seek to move into the professional ranks. The Aztex will be playing in the PDL’s Midsouth division which includes the league champion from last year, the Laredo Heat.
The current Austin Aztex roster consists of 21 players, several of whom are attending or have graduated from the University of Texas. Many on the roster are local Austin players who learned their soccer here and will be returning to play for their local club, Austin Aztex, this summer. In addition to the local talent on show, there are 2 players who have played for NCAA National Championship clubs. There are another two players who have played for National Teams in Jamaica. Three players are natives of the United Kingdom and one player from Spain, who has played in La Liga. In short, the team has a strong international character, close ties to the Austin community and a wealth of soccer experience both here and abroad.
Aztex U23 Head Coach Wolfgang Suhnholz comments, “While it was not our objective to field a team with this much international variety, it’s not surprising that we’ve ended up here given the global appeal of soccer. We think these players have a great deal of potential, and it should be fun for the fans in Austin to watch them develop and possibly move into professional ranks next year.”
The Austin Aztex U23 team will play its first league game on May 3 in El Paso, with its home opener at Dragon Stadium in Round Rock on May 10 at 7:30PM against the Houston Leones. The 2008 campaign will total 16 games of which 8 will be at the Aztex’s home.
Phil Rawlins, President of the Aztex, says, “I am truly excited about the quality of the first players we will have out on the field wearing the Aztex colors and representing the Austin community. The coaching staff has done a great job of identifying a group of young players who have real potential; we think they will make a big impact in the league in their first season.”
The Austin Aztex will be expanding into the USL First Division in the 2009 season. It has a unique affiliation with Stoke City FC, an English soccer club which is vying for a spot in the prestigious English Premier League. The Austin Aztex and Stoke City FC have plans to work together on a variety of projects, including having Austin host a summer training camp for the English club.
(See more pictures from the event)
4/24/08
