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Austin surrenders late lead again, salvages 2-2 tie against Minnesota

August 16, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Austin Aztex News Release


AUSTIN, TX - Sunday night's matchup between the Austin Aztex and Minnesota Thunder was a game with huge implications as both teams looked to earn a victory and a crucial three points in the chase for the final playoff spot in the USL-1 post-season. Neither team got what it wanted, however, and settled for a point each with a 2-2 tie in front of 3,470 fans at Nelson Field.

In the first half the Aztex came out the attacking team. In the first 15 minutes alone, the Aztex had multiple solid chances, the best coming in the 14th minute when Yordany Alvarez, who started the game for his first action since mid June, delivered a sharp pass up the right side to Eddie Johnson. Johnson made a run at Minnesota goalkeeper Nic Platter before delivering a low shot that Platter deflected before it caromed off the post in front of the goal where it was cleared away.

The only other scoring chance by either team in the first half came in the 41st minute. This time Sullivan Silva delivered a pass to Johnson who was making a diagonal run up the right side. Johnson gathered the pass, then delivered a cross to Jean Alexandre, who slid and put the ball in the net for a 1-0 Aztex lead.

After the break Minnesota came out a different team and answered in the 53rd minute with a quality cross-goal combination of its own. Leonel St. Preux made a run similar to Johnson's in the first half, before skipping a cross to Thunder teammate Melvin Tarley. Tarley, with very little space to work with, one-timed the shot past the Aztex defender and between Aztex keeper Nick Noble and the near post to equalize the match.

Following the equalizer, the game opened up for both sides and the Aztex managed to make it pay off in the 74th minute. It was a familiar trio involved.

On a deep ball sent up from right back Gareth evans, Johnson flicked the ball ahead to Alexandre and Silva, who were all alone with a pair of Minnesota defenders. Alexandre dropped off the ball to Silva on the left side. After Silva did a couple of his trademark step-over moves, he slid to his right with the ball before firing just outside of the 18-yard box. Platter dove to his left, managed to get a hand on the ball, but it still found its way into the side netting for a 2-1 Austin lead.

As time ran off the clock the Aztex appeared to be in line for the victory and the ever-important three points. Unfortunately, as has happened on more than a few occasions in recent home games, the defense gave up a late goal, this time on a corner kick in the 89th minute.

However, it's what happened a minute before that had Aztex fans thinking the recent run of bad luck might have changed.

With the Aztex clinging to the one-goal lead and less than two minutes of regulation time remaining, Austin defender Kieron Bernard cleared a ball that landed at Alexandre's feet at midfield. Almost immediately Alexandre had his feet taken out from him by a Minnesota player, but the referee let play continue. After a couple quick Minnesota passes, the ball bounced off the heel of an Aztex defender straight to Minnesota's Ricardo Sanchez, who delivered a looping shot from 25 yards out over Noble's hands and just off the inside of the far post before it was cleared away.

Disaster averted, or so Aztex fans thought.

On the ensuing corner kick Tarley took the ball at the far post and headed it past Noble to tie up the score at two apiece.

Aztex head coach Adrian Heath was disappointed by the result and a pair of non-calls that happened at the end of the game. "It's very frustrating. I have to say, I thought those two fouls leading up to the goal-a terrible tackle on Jean Alexandre and the guy pushed Kevin Sakuda to get the free header on the goal. At times, I thought the officiating was comical so that didn't really surprise me."

"It was bad for both teams by the way," he added.

While Heath readily admitted his frustration with the officials, in the end, he acknowledged his team didn't finish. "We make individual errors that cost us. I thought at times our football was good and we looked dangerous. I'm disappointed because I think we had enough chances to have won the game tonight. To be in the lead twice and to have the chances that we had to finish the game and we don't do that. Then it comes back to haunt us."

The Aztex next play on the road in Montreal on Sunday, August 23, in a nationally televised game on Fox Soccer Channel. Kickoff is set for 2:45PM, CDT.



USL First Division Stories from August 16, 2009


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