Austin readies for Stoke friendly

October 13, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


STOKE-on-TRENT, ENGLAND - The Austin Aztex arrived in England Tuesday morning and will play the first of three games Wednesday when they face English Premier League side Stoke City, an affiliate of the USL First Division club.

A roster of 18 is set for the three-game tour, which includes a match the following day against Accrington Stanley of League Two and another fixture with Sheffield Wednesday of the Championship. Thirteen players are members of the USL-1 team with five guests joining the group. Among the guests are Victoria Highlanders (USL Premier Development League) midfielder Tynan Diaz, Nicholas Patterson of the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Second Division) and the Haitian international duo of Ednerson Raymond and Vaniel Sirin. Rounding out the 18 is midfielder Salif Diao-Jimenez, whose cousin of the same name recently signed a 12-month extension this summer. Full squad list below.

Aztex owner Phil Rawlins will be wearing two hats when Stoke City entertain their sister club for the friendly at Nantwich Town's Weaver Stadium on Wednesday evening. As well as being a director of the Potters, he is the proud President of the USL-1 team that is embarking upon a tour of England in a 10-day visit.

As well as playing that match, the Aztex will train with City at the Clayton Wood Training Ground either side of that fixture and will also watch the Potters take on West Ham United.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the Aztex players and for many of them this is the trip of a lifetime," said Rawlins. "Many of them have never even been to England, let alone been exposed to the English game which they have seen and heard so much about. They will be able to experience football in a different environment, play against some top Premier League players and also have the opportunity to benefit from their training methods."

He added: "We hope in the long run that this will be the first of regular visits to England which will certainly boost the development of the squad and raise the profile of the Aztex. It will also be good from Stoke City's point of view to take a look at how things are developing with Aztex as we look to develop that relationship for the long term future."

Aztex head coach Adrian Heath is relishing the prospect of a reunion with his "best mate in football" when Austin Aztex takes on Stoke City Wednesday evening. The Aztex coach will meet up again with his former Everton teammate Peter Reid.

Although City's recently-appointed assistant manager and Heath keep in regular touch by phone, it is some time since they last saw each other due to footballing commitments.

Heath said: "It will be great to see Reidy again. I know he is quite excited about us going head-to-head in this match and it certainly adds a bit of interest to the match.

"He is my best mate in football, without a doubt. We shared six wonderful years at Everton and roomed together throughout that glorious period in the Club's history."

Heath also played for Reid when he was manager of Manchester City, spending two years at Maine Road in which he made 75 appearances and scored four goals in that time. And then they worked together again when Heath began his coaching career in roles under the management of Reid at Sunderland, Leeds United and Coventry City.

"I am also grateful for the fact that Reidy gave me the chance to develop my coaching career and we have kept in close touch more recently. Indeed, when he was in Thailand working as their National Coach we would communicate on Skype each day," added Heath. "Even now, since he has come back to England and got this excellent chance with Stoke we are on the phone to each other on a regular basis, but it will be nice to see him."

Stoke City will be making the match available with live commentary via the audio player on their official website, www.stokecityfc.com, for the friendly Wednesday. The player is available on a 14-day trial for fans wishing to listen to the match.

Thursday's friendly against Accrington Stanley may be more meaningful off the pitch. The Lancashire club has struggled financially in recent years and is facing bankruptcy. In an attempt to raise sufficient funds to stay afloat, all gate receipts from the match will go to the Save Our Stanley (S.O.S.) fund.

Aztex England Tour Squad

Miguell Gallardo, Nick Noble, Kevin Sakuda, Kieron Bernard, Salif Diao-Jimenez, Ednerson Raymond, Sullivan Silva, Mike Callahan, Ryan McMahen, Vaniel Sirin, Tynan Diaz, Jarius Holmes, Nicholas Patterson, Michael Dello-Russo, Jamie Watson, Jean Alexandre, Eddie Johnson, Gareth Evans



USL First Division Stories from October 13, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central