Austin scores early goal and holds on to defeat Club de Futbol Monterrey 1-0

October 7, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Austin Aztex News Release


AUSTIN - It didn't take long. Just seven minutes into Wednesday night's exhibition match against Club de Futbol Monterrey and Austin Aztex midfielder Jean Alexandre found the back of the net. Despite numerous opportunities in both halves, Monterrey never countered with a goal of its own and the Aztex held on for a hard-earned 1-0 victory.

Many of the partisan Monterrey crowd of 1,930 hadn't found time to settle in their seats when Austin's Yordany Alvarez received the ball 22 yards out, quickly changed direction and sent a chip over the unsuspecting Monterrey backline to an attacking Jean Alexandre who settled the ball before firing a left-footed rocket past Monterrey goalkeeper Omar Ortiz for the early Austin advantage.

For most of the rest of the first half neither team's offense managed to threaten the opposing goal. The best chance for Monterrey came in the 40th minute. After an Aztex defender missed on a clearance near the penalty spot, Austin goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo charged off his line but was unable to secure the ball before Monterrey's Manuel Perez deftly chipped the ball over Gallardo toward the empty net. Austin defender Kevin Sakuda retreated quickly toward the goal and managed to head the ball just over the crossbar to end the threat.

Down 1-0, Monterrey was clearly the more aggressive team in the second half spending a large portion of the half in the Aztex end. With less than 20 minutes to play, Monterrey forced the action deep in Aztex territory that resulted in multiple corner kicks within a matter of minutes. In the 79th minute, one of those Monterrey corners was sent on high on goal with a sharp header, but backup keeper Nick Noble, who came on for Gallardo in the 55th minute, deflected the ball off the crossbar to keep Rayados scoreless.

Four minutes later Monterrey again threatened to tie up the match when Eliot Hurtion sent a blast at the far post from 30 yards out but Noble managed to extend his body and make the diving save. Noble's best save came just two minutes later when a Monterrey player got in behind the Aztex backline for a one-on-one chance with the Austin keeper. Noble charged hard before dropping his 6'5" frame to the ground and making the tough save to preserve the clean sheet and secure the 1-0 victory for the Aztex.

With the victory, the Aztex season on U.S. soil is over, but the team isn't done yet. Next week the team travels to England for three exhibition matches, the first time a USL-1 team has ever played in Europe. On October 14 the Aztex will take on Stoke City, the English Premier League side that is the official affiliate of the Aztex. On Thursday, October 15 the Aztex take on League Two side Accrington Stanley and then conclude the three-game English tour with a match on Tuesday, October 20 against Sheffield Wednesday.



USL First Division Stories from October 7, 2009


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