Aztex Battle to Scoreless Draw

Published on June 9, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Austin Aztex News Release


The Austin Aztex were able to overcome a slow start and earn a 0-0 draw against a solid Portland side Wednesday night at House Park.

The Aztex (7-1-3) were sluggish early on but were able to bounce back and put pressure on the Portland defense in the second half.

Austin's best chances came off of set pieces where it was able to put the ball right on top of the six-yard box, but were unlucky not being able to come away with a goal.

The Timbers' (3-3-4) best chance was in the 79th minute off a terrific effort from forward George Josten from 30 yards out. The shot was going top shelf before Aztex goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo was able to get a hand to it and push up to the crossbar.

Moments of chaos ensued with the ball bobbling around the Aztex six-yard box. Austin was able to get the ball cleared away before any damage could be done.

Portland had another scoring opportunity as it sprung forward Bright Dike in on a one-on-one with Gallardo. Gallardo came up huge and was able to get down to his right quickly enough to push the ball away from the net and out of danger.

The Aztex started with a bang in the second half when Austin forward Maxwell Griffin was able to put pressure on a Timbers' defender and took the ball away and got a shot off, which was then saved by Portland's goalkeeper Steve Cronin. This was the first and only save Cronin was forced to make in the match.

Much of the early portion of the first half was controlled by Portland. The Timbers were able to keep possession of the ball in their own half, but seemed slow getting forward thanks to some quality defending from the Aztex backline.

Portland's best chances in the first half came midway off of a series of three corner kicks in the 25th minute. The third proved to be the best chance as a poorly cleared ball landed right at the feet of Portland midfielder Alex Nimo. Nimo took a touch to his left and rifled a shot straight into the steady hands of Aztex Gallardo.

The Timbers almost caught a break when Dike sprinted onto a ball that was lifted just over the head of Aztex centerback Yohance Marshall. Dike's shot was hard and low to the ground but it didn't seem to trouble Gallardo as he was able to cleanly collect the ball off the ground.

The Aztex showed a lot of poise and were able to defend well enough to overcome a slow start and keep the match knotted at zero. Austin will be back in action this Saturday when they take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at 7:30 p.m. at House Park.

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U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from June 9, 2010


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