Aztex Close out USL Road Trip at Portland on Sunday
June 12, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Austin Aztex News Release
AUSTIN, Texas (June 12, 2015) - The Austin Aztex (5-6-1) will travel to Oregon for a matchup with Portland Timbers II (4-6-2) on June 14th at Merlo Field in Portland.
The Aztex are in 7th place in the Western Conference and closing in on the playoff standings after earning a much-needed 3 points in their 1-0 victory over Sacramento Republic FC on June 6th. The game will be the fourth of a five game road trip for the team. Portland currently sits at 9th place in the midst of a two-game losing streak. The match will feature two teams whose backs are against the wall, looking from the edge of the outside in at the playoff race. With just three points separating 6th and 11th places in the conference, a win could thrust either team into playoff position. At the same time, if the Aztex secure three points they are in a virtual deadlock with reigning league champion Sacramento Republic FC, tied for third in the conference standings.
A game-winning 58th minute goal from Kris Tyrpak in the win over Sacramento broke a scoreless streak for the team that stretched over 300 minutes of USL action. The goal was Tyrpak's sixth on the season, which puts him 4th in the league. The return of forwards Sainey Touray and Drew Yates also gave the team a much-needed boost in the attack. With the attack back at full strength with Tyrpak, Yates, Touray and Trevin Caesar all at Paul Dalglish's disposal, the team hopes that its offensive woes are behind them as they move on to Portland.
In their last road match, the Aztex delivered Sacramento their first ever shutout home loss for the team, and showcased an improving defensive front. Defender Max Gunderson earned USL Team of the Week honors after he helped the team keep the shutout. Alongside him are captain Lance Rozeboom and rookie Travis Golden, who have established themselves as a formidable duo.
Goalkeeper Devin Perales was named an honorable mention for the USL Team of the Week. The shutout in Sacramento was his third of the season in league play and fifth overall, and he sits in the top three in the league in save percentage, goals-against-average and shutouts per game.
The Aztex are still alive in U.S. Open Cup play, and will have a short break before traveling to Houston to face off against the MLS's Houston Dynamo on June 17th. The U.S. Open Cup has been a source of momentum for the team, who has looked strong in 2-0 victories in the last two rounds.
Portland comes into the game with their backs against the wall after dropping their last two matches, a 2-0 loss to OKC Energy FC and a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Despite sitting at 9th place in the conference, Portland has shown a dangerous ability to strike at any time during the 2015 campaign, and will test the Aztex improving defense.
The Portland attack starts with forward Kharlton Belmar, who has netted six goals on the season. Forward Rundell Winchester of Trinidad and Tobago is another playmaker to look out for. Defender Andy Thoma, who is on loan from the Timbers first team, heads up the T2 defensive line, with over 1000 minutes played on 11 starts this season.
The game can be found live on www.austinaztex.com or Aztex fans can also follow live updates on Twitter at @Aztex_Matchcast.
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