The Austin Aztex will announce today that they’ve signed three more players for their PDL squad: Tony Rocha and Miguel Zapata from the University of Tulsa, and Michael Parrish from UNC-Wilmington. All three are from the Houston area and are still in their teens. With the opening game just nine days away, the Aztex promise more signings will be announced soon, but Head Coach Paul Dalglish didn’t seem concerned when discussing his lineup at the team’s preseason kickoff party on Sunday at the Lion & Rose Pub. He noted that, among other complications, college players are still in school when the season starts, and he said he might juggle as many as 50 players through his roster during the 16-game season, with some of those presumably spending time as well with the Super-20 Aztex youth team (which plays its own eight-game schedule, May 30-July 8). Also unveiled at the event: the new Aztex uniforms, which look sharp (see a preview here). The Aztex open play May 5 at the Texas Dutch Lions in the Woodlands, Texas; the home opener is 7:30pm, Saturday, May 19, at House Park against the El Paso Patriots. Season flex tickets are now available at www.austinaztex.com: $50 for eight tickets, good for any home game.
Ex-Austin Aztex fan favorite Eddie Johnson, who moved up to the MLS Portland Timbers before last year, announced his retirement this week in the wake of repeated concussions… The expansion San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL drew more than 10,000 fans for their second straight home game Saturday… Two stunners in the European Champions League semifinals this week: Chelsea, down 2-0 and down a man after 45 minutes in Barcelona, came back to tie, 2-2, and knock out the heavily favored Catalans; a day later, Real Madrid choked in a penalty shoot-out at home, losing to Bayern Munich, which hosts the final May 19.
This article appears in April 27 • 2012.