Aztex Squander Multiple Chances, Falling 2-0 to Rochester

June 21, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Austin Aztex News Release


AUSTIN, Texas - Austin controlled the pace most of the game, but a porous defense once again proved to be costly as the Aztex suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Rochester Rhinos (5-5-2, 17 points) on Sunday.

"I thought we played quite well today," Aztex head coach Adrian Heath said. "We've had all the play, we've had all the chances and we got beat."

An early defensive lapse put Austin (2-6-5, 11 points) in chase mode. A cross from Rochester's John Ball in the 20th minute found a wide-open Kwame Sarkodie. With space and time, the unmarked Sarkodie easily placed the ball past Aztex goalkeeper Sam Reynolds to give the Rhinos the early lead. Rochester nearly doubled the lead less than three minutes later when Ball again put in a cross from the right side but the ball just sailed through the box.

The two chances would be the only highlights for the Rhinos in the half but were enough to keep a pressuring Aztex front line goalless. Austin would see its opportunities continue to result in close calls for the rest of the half. A Silva step-over created space for a shot that could only find the top crossbar and a similar move from Kyle Brown landed in the hands of Rhinos keeper Tim Melia.

"We've got to be more ruthless going toward the goal," Heath said. "We aren't scoring when we have the opportunities. ... Goals change games."

The second half would be more of the same, particularly in the game's closing moments. Desperate for an equalizing goal, Austin put pressure on Melia with several opportunities in their attacking third. But Eddie Johnson's blast from the top of the box was pulled in and Brown narrowly missed when another one of his shots inside the box sailed over the goal.

Rochester finally put all hopes of a draw away in the 87th minute when Brent Sancho capped off a Rhino counterattack with a shot from 20 yards out, capitalizing on a scrambling Austin defense that has allowed 21 goals in 13 games this season.

"I understand the second [goal]. We're pushing forward trying to get an equalizer," Heath said. "When you're a goal down and you're taking a few more risks than you would like to, you're always susceptible to the counterattack."

The loss concludes a weekend of two games in which the Aztex controlled much of the possession but failed to walk away with three points in either contests. Heath called Friday's 1-1 draw against Carolina one of the team's better outings despite the disappointing result.

Sunday proved to be more of the same.

"It's one of those games," said forward Gifton Noel-Williams, who returned to action from a hamstring injury for the first time in eight games. "We have to learn to win ugly."

The Aztex head off to Cleveland for a game on Saturday June 27, before returning to Austin for U.S. Open Cup third-round action on July 1 against the Houston Dynamo.



USL First Division Stories from June 21, 2009


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