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Austin Aztex FC vs. Charleston Battery This Friday, June 5 @ 7:00 pm

June 4, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Austin Aztex News Release


AUSTIN, Texas - This weekend the Aztex begin a stretch of the season that looked daunting when the schedule first came out. Now that it's here, the next four weeks will be a true test of endurance for the expansion franchise with an additional game now added as a part of U.S. Open Cup action, coupled with the fact that all but one of the upcoming USL-1 opponents sits in the top four of the table.

It all starts on Friday when the Aztex (2-2-3, 9 points) face the league's last undefeated team, the Charleston Battery (5-0-4, 19 points). Following Friday's matchup, which will be Austin's second nationally televised home broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel (Time Warner Cable Ch. 440), the two teams battle again on Sunday.

Then the games begin to add up as Austin returns to action two days later on Tuesday, June 9 hosting the PDL's Mississippi Brilla for a U.S. Open Cup first-round match. After the mid-week match, the team hits the road for another two-game weekend. The Aztex travel to Puerto Rico to face the Islanders on Friday then follow that up with a quick trip to Miami to take on the Blues on Sunday.

If the Aztex advance in the Open Cup, the following Tuesday, June 16 will be the second-round match at a yet-to-be-determined location. Then, on Friday June 19, the Aztex host league-leading Carolina and follow it up on Sunday, June 21 playing host to Rochester, which currently sits fourth in the standings. When all is said and done, the Aztex could play eight games in just 17 days.

With the schedule packed, head coach Adrian Heath is expecting to reach deep into his roster.

"That's the nature of it," Heath said. "Everybody's going to get an opportunity and some will take it more than others."

Those opportunities have already started to materialize for the Aztex roster.

Injuries to Gifton Noel-Williams (hamstring) and Sullivan Silva (ankle) have forced Heath to patch up his lineup. Ciaran O'Brien was acquired earlier in the week on loan from the Colorado Rapids while the U23 squad has produced Kyle Helton and Jerry Harwell, both now with the pro team.

Harwell in particular has shined when given his chance on the field. In his USL-1 debut last Friday, Harwell tallied an assist to Yordany Alvarez and proved effective in the midfield, impressing the coaches.

"That's what people have got to do," Heath said. "Jeff Harwell will play on Friday and his performance [last Friday] got him that position. That is the same for everybody else. This is where everybody who probably thought they were on the outside a little bit, now this is their opportunity and they have to come in and show what they can do."

The Aztex roster will see some familiar faces return to help with the upcoming schedule. Eddie Johnson and Gareth Evans have both returned from England after getting their respective work permits approved. Both will be available to play in Friday's game against Charleston.

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