Aztex Add Two More

The Austin Aztex signed two players out of last weekend's open tryouts: striker Kyle Brown, the 2008 Houston Dynamo Reserve Player of the Year, and Welsh central defender Gareth Evans. The anticipated addition of English midfielder Eddie Johnson would round out a full 11-man lineup:

G Miguel Gallardo (U.S., Austin Aztex PDL)
D Wes Allen (U.S., Austin Aztex PDL)
D Kieron Bernard (Jamaica, Austin Aztex PDL))
D Gareth Evans (Wales, Wrexham)
M AJ Godbolt (U.S., Austin Aztex PDL)
M Jarius Holmes (U.S, St. Louis Lions PDL)
M Sullivan Silva (Brazil, Oklahoma Baptist U.)
M Alex Tapp (England, Milton Keynes Dons)
M Eddie Johnson (England, Chester City)*
F Gifton Noel Williams (England, Watford, Stoke, Millwall)
F Kyle Brown (U.S., Houston Dynamo)

That's six international players, but at least a couple are working on naturalization; USL-1 rules allow seven internationals on the roster, and just five on any given game day. More signings should be announced soon; the home opener against the New England Revolution is in a little over two weeks: 7:30pm Saturday, Feb. 28 at Nelson Field. Buy season tickets before Feb. 23 and get all three MLS exhibition games free.

The U.S. got two goals from Michael Bradley to beat Mexico 2-0 in the opener of World Cup Qualifying final round group play, extending their decade-long home unbeaten streak against El Tri.

Laredo phenom Felix Garcia, an Aztex nemesis last year in the PDL, has left the Houston Dynamo training camp under somewhat mysterious circumstances; could he be available for USL-1? ... See www.majorleaguesoccer.com and www.womensprosoccer.com for those leagues' 2009 schedules, just released. ... WPS has signed five English national team players, including Arsenal star striker Kelly Smith. ... Struggling Chelsea fired Brazilian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari Monday, after only six months at the helm, and named Dutchman Guus Hiddink as interim manager. … TV game of the weekend: The Milan derby – Inter vs. AC Milan – 1:30pm Sunday, Feb. 15, on Fox Soccer Channel.