The Austin Aztex were handed their first defeat of the season by the El Paso Patriots. The game was tightly contested throughout the chilly  and windy evening. Both teams fought hard to maintain possession in the first half, but the Patriots seemed to win out as they intercepted numerous passes. The Patriots scored the lone goal of the match when Naoyas Aizawa was fouled outside of the penalty box. Instead of allowing the Aztex to set up their defense, Aizawa quickly sent a through pass to Enrique Cervantez, who slipped the ball past Aztex goalkeeper Josh Mikulewicz. The Aztex tried to battle back in the second half, but were not able to capitalize on their chances. The game became a physical affair with many dangerous challenges.

Full Recap:
The Austin Aztex were handed their first defeat of the season by the El Paso Patriots. The game started with the Aztex taking an aggressive attack to the Patriots defense. Kekuta Manneh had two opportunities within the opening three minutes, but was not able to put his shots on target.

The Patriots would create chances on their end with the creative style of Villasenor, Cervantes, Salas and Aizawa. The personnel and formation for the Patriots (3-5-2) provided for a versatile array of attacking angles from the Patriots. The Aztex defense was able to hold tough with the Patriots attack until the 33rd minute.

Patriot forward Naoyas Aizawa was taken down just outside of the penalty area. Instead of allowing time to pass and allow both teams to set up their ideal set play formation, Aiwaza seized the opportunity and immediately put the ball in play to Enrique Cervantes. Cervantes snuck behind the Aztex defense and was able to collect the ball and shoot it past Aztex goalkeeper Josh Mikulewicz. The goal was the first allowed by the Aztex defense all season and provided the opportunity to see how the Aztex would respond to being on the losing side of the scoreboard.

The teams continued to spar with possession through the first half. Upon starting the second half, Manneh was tackled inside the penalty area and the Aztex were not granted a foul. Several other Aztex attacks were stifled with defensive challenges in the penalty area.

The Patriots frequently developed counter attacks, which kept the Aztex off balance and on the defensive. The game grew in physicality that culminated in a double-yellow on Zack Pope and Sergio Villasenor in the 81^st minute. Both players were wrestling for the ball when Pope took the inside position. Villasenor, refusing to give up on the play, appeared to wrap his arm around Pope’s head and pull him away from the ball and dropping the player to the ground. The aggressive maneuver and Pope’s frustrated reaction resulted in both players receiving a caution.

Pope said that playing two games in such a short amount of time is a way to test the mettle of the players.

“Our team is going to come together more,” Pope said. “This was a tough environment, and we were not getting calls. This will help us together as a team.”

Pope also mentioned the upcoming homestand will help the players.

“Going back at home will really help,” Pope said. “We get to have our home crowd come to the game to support us. This road trip will help us take the experience we got on the road and taking it home.”

For coach Paul Dalglish, the loss did not dampen the spirits of a strong start to the season.

“You have to be proud of the players and look at the bigger picture and see what they have been through in the last 48 hours,” Dalglish said. “Honestly we want to win every game, but sometimes there are many factors that make it difficult for you. Those factors were there tonight that made it difficult for us. They showed great character.”

The physical and close match against the El Paso Patriots sets the table for an interesting rematch on the Aztex home-opening match on May 19. The Aztex will have the week to recover. El Paso, on the other hand, will have a cup tie on Tuesday before facing back-to-back games against Laredo on May 18 and then a rematch against the Aztex on May 19.

The Austin Aztex won a physical match against the West Texas Sockers Friday night 2-0 at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, Texas. The Aztex made the most out of their early chances again, when Aztex midfielder Tony Rocha converted a penalty kick in the fifth minute after forward Callum Riley was taken down in the penalty area. The goal was Rocha’s second of the season. Aztex ring winger Kristopher Tyrpak set up the second goal for William Morse in the waning seconds of the first half. It appeared both teams were expecting a score of 1-0 heading into the halftime locker room. The Aztex goal changed the feel of the game for the second half. The physical play continued in the second half as five yellow cards were handed out, four of them to the Sockers. Aztex goalkeeper Josh Mikulewicz earned the clean sheet with as he commanded the area and suffocated the Sockers attack.

Scroll further for full recap:

Austin Aztex:                                  West Texas Sockers:
GK: Josh Mikulewicz                         GK: Alonso Jimenez
LB: J.J. Elder                                    CB: Mike Stewart
CB: Travis Golden                           CB: Raul Franco
CB: Ross Kelly                                 RB: David Kamali
RB: Matt Boultt                                 LB: Anders Moeller
CDM: Tony Rocha                           LM: Oswaldo Valdivia
CDM: James Martin                         CM: Shelby Sharp
RM: Kristopher Tyrpak                    RM: Sergio Rios
LM: Jesus ‘Chuy’ Cortes                 RW: Andrew Powers
CAM: William Morse                        F: Mariano Sapien
F: Callum Riley                               LW: Jose Munoz
Subs:                                             Subs:
GK: Devin Cook                             GK: Ray Clark
D: Josh Alcala                                D: Gabriel Mendoza
M: Pedro Pereira                            M: Joel Musambi
M: Justin Franz                               M: Lukas Garcia
M: Kendall Rockers                        F: David Freeland
F: Zack Pope                                 F: Sabas Ruiz
M: Kekuta Manneh                         F:Kal Herbert

Goals:
Rocha (pk 5’)
Morse (45’)

Penalties:
Martin (Yellow 14’)                     Kamali (Yellow 62’)
Elder (Yellow 29’)                       Willis (Yellow 68’)
Franz (Yellow 77’)                      Achondo (Yellow 70’)
Mendoza (Yellow 81’)

Full Recap:

The Aztex continued their early scoring when defensive midfielder Tony Rocha slotted home a penalty kick in the 5th minute. The play formed when right midfielder Kristopher Tyrpak settled a long pass and sent a perfectly placed through ball to forward Callum Riley in the penalty area. Riley was taken down by a Sockers defender, and Rocha stepped up to finish the opportunity.

Both squads spent a majority of the first half battling for ball in a physical contest.  The physical play led to two first-half yellow cards for the Aztex – James Martin (13’) and J.J. Elder (41’).  As the play grew more physical, the Aztex relied on long passing attacks which were broken apart by the Sockers defense.

“Tyrpak was excellent,” Dalglish said. “He has been excellent ever since he has come in. He was terrific in the first half and it was very pleasing to be able to get him off at half and get him ready for tomorrow night. He has not done the preseason training with us so I don’t want to ask too much.”

Tyrpak joined squad for training on Tuesday and made the transition to the PDL squad seem easy even though he had less than a week’s worth of practice with the squad.

“The transition was smooth because everyone here knows how to play the game,” Tyrpak said. “It was easy to blend in and know that you can play your game and that the other players will be at the right place.”

The Aztex finished the half on a high note, as Rocha sent a long through ball to Tyrpak who sent a precise pass across the front of the goal. Aztex midfielder William Morse hammered the ball into the back of the net at the 45^th minute mark.

Prior to the goal, it appeared both teams were ready to go to the locker room with the score 1-0. The Aztex carried the momentum into the half and changed feel of the game for the second half. The late first-half goal gave coach Dalglish the flexibility to rest some players earlier than anticipated given that the Aztex face the El Paso Patriots on Saturday.

“Once we went up 2-0 at half it gave me the opportunity to take an educated gamble to take some players off and get them some rest,” said Dalglish. “That gamble paid off and we will have some rested players for tomorrow.”

At the beginning of the second half, Dalglish substituted in Kekuta Manneh and Kendall Rockers to lead the Aztex attack. The fresh legs up front and the insurance goal helped calm the team’s nerves as they resumed their possession-heavy style of play.

“We have to be careful to use Kekuta the right way and protect him,” Dalglish said. “We want to make sure we are responsible with how we use him. Kendall has great pace and great energy and so does Kekuta as well. Kendall is only a little older than Kekuta. We have some top young players and it is exciting to have. ”

Manneh continued to show flashes of a goal scoring threat in the second half with two excellent opportunities. In his first chance, Manneh managed to navigate the slalom of defenders inside the box in a play that strongly resembled his goal from the Texas Dutch Lions game. However, Sockers goalkeeper Alonso Jimenez was able to jump on the ball at the end. The second chance came in stoppage time when Manneh beat the goalie to a loose ball and nearly thread the ball into a tight window from the goal line.

The second half was filled with fouls on both sides of the ball, as the West Texas Sockers tried to wrestle back into the match. However, the Aztex defense was able to keep the Sockers attack at bay and managed to keep the score at 2-0 through the end.

Aztex goalkeeper Josh Mikulewicz earned the clean sheet as he was aggressive and strong in his play to prevent the ball from slipping past him.

The game marked impressive Aztex debut performances from Kristopher Tyrpak and Pedro Pereira. Both college players were able to create opportunities in midfield and help the Aztex. The transition for these two players to join the rest of the squad will give Dalglish further depth against El Paso on Saturday night.

The Austin Aztex started their season strong with a 4-0 victory over the Texas Dutch Lions Saturday at WoodForest Stadium. Tony Rocha found the net early in the game when he buried a free kick into the upper left corner past Dutch Lions goalie Kurt Lange in the 6^th minute. Beto Papandrea used his body to muscle in a corner kick in the 55^th minute to add to the Aztex lead. Chuy Cortes scored the third goal in the 66^th minute when he sent in a cross that was mishandled by the Texas Dutch Lions goalkeeper. Kekuta Manneh, the latest addition to the Aztex, sealed the victory in the 81^st minute on a creative goal in which he juked several defenders and the goalkeeper to slot the ball home. The Aztex defense, led by Ross Kelly, stifled any attack from the opposing team and did not allow a shot on goal until the 84^th minute.

See below for the full recap.

Austin Aztex:                                            Texas Dutch Lions:
GK: Josh Mikulewicz                                   GK: Kurt Lange
LB: Josh Alcala                                            LB: Gio Andrade
CB: Beto Papandrea                                  CB: Austin Brown
CB: Ross Kelly                                            CB: Gavin Bruce
RB: Matt Boultt                                             RB: Matthew McLaughlin
LM: Tony Rocha                                          CM: Terri Schonk
MF: James Martin                                       CM: Noah Quintana
MF: William Morse                                      AM: Billy O’Dwyer
CM: Jesus ‘Chuy’ Cortes                           RW: Dionicio Corona Jr.
RM: Zack Pope                                           CA: Christopher Martinez
F: Callum Riley                                            LW: Raffi Gregorian
Subs:                                                         Subs:
GK: Devin Cook                                          GK: Blake Lander
D: Jordan Wright                                         A: Johannus Cuarezma
D: James Elder                                           A: Bryan Mann
D: Miguel Zapata                                        M: Christian Mejia
M: Kendall Rockers                                    A: Oliver Ortiz
M: Jacob Powell                                         CM: Roberto Vazquez
M: Kekuta Manneh                                     D: Ryan Spalding
Goals:
Rocha (6’)
Papandrea (55’)
Cortes (66’)
Manneh (81’)

Cards (Cautions):
Boultt (80′), Rockers (87’)                          Andrade (34’)

Full Recap:

The Austin Aztex started the season on the right note Saturday when they found the net four times while holding the Texas Dutch Lions scoreless. It was an impressive first-game performance for the Aztex, who revealed a knack for maintaining possession and frequent aggressive attacks.

The Aztex started the scoring  in the sixth minute when Callum Riley was taken down in the penalty area. The referee opted to give the Aztex a free kick, and Tony Rocha ripped his shot past the goalkeeper for the first goal of the season.

The Aztex did not let off of the accelerator, as Zack Pope led a relentless attack on the right flank. He led an attack that resulted with a shot hitting the crossbar in the 10th minute. Six minutes later, Pope received a pass that threaded through the defense, but was unable to push the ball in.

Rocha proved that the Aztex have quite the weapon on free kicks. In the 26^th minute, he drove a 30-yard shot  past the goalkeeper’s reach. However, the shot ricocheted off of the crossbar and the Aztex could not slot in the rebound.

The Aztex attack persisted, while another telling part of the game was the solid work of Ross Kelly and Beto Papandrea on defense. The two central defenders were able to stop and contain the Texas Dutch Lions attack throughout the entire first half.

”The team worked really hard and never gave the Texas Dutch Lions the opportunity to build their attacks,” said Aztex head coach Paul Dalglish.  “Defensively, it was an excellent start, but I think we could have been more clinical in the final third. Overall, all things considered for our first game it was a fantastic performance from the players.”

The second half started with aggressive attacking on both sides. The Aztex capitalized first in the 55^th minute when Papandrea forced in a corner kick from James Martin for the second Aztex goal. Cortes added to the score sheet when his cross slipped past the keeper in the 66^th minute.

“We’re lucky because we’ve got Tony’s left foot for delivery on free kicks and James deliveries were fantastic on corners,” said Dalglish. “Two goals from set plays is very pleasing. Credit to James and Tony for their deliveries.”

Kekuta Manneh, the latest addition to the team, sealed the victory in the 81^st minute with the fourth goal. Manneh, a halftime substitution, stole the ball from the Texas Dutch Lions defense,  juked three defenders and the goalie while on his path to goal.

“We all have to remember that Manneh is 17 and that he will be at Lake Travis High School on Monday morning,” Dalglish said. “We don’t want to get too carried away because he is young, but the goal he scored was incredible. He is a special talent and the scary thing is he is going to get even better playing in the PDL.”

The Aztex were able to use all seven of their substitutes, giving everyone on the team the opportunity to get into the game. Dalglish said the substitution strategy will have to change on a game-by-game basis.

“Today, because of the performance, the players that started gave us the luxury to get all of our substitutes into the game,” Dalglish said.

Next up for the Aztex is a road trip through west Texas. The Aztex will face the West Texas Sockers in Midland on May 11 and then travel to El Paso to face the Patriots on May 12. After their road trip, the Aztex will have a week to prepare for their home opener against the El Paso Patriots at House Park on May 19.

Goalkeepers: Michael Lisch (Wake Forest University), John Kaschak (St. Edward’s University), Devin Cook (Southern Methodist University), Josh Mikulewicz (Maryland/University of Texas Club Soccer).

Defense: Ross Kelly (Austin Aztex PDL/GBK-Finland), Beto Papandrea (Austin Aztex PDL), Michael Parrish (University of North Carolina-Wilmington), Josh Alcala (Austin Aztex), Nick Meile (University of New Mexico), Matt Boultt (Tulsa University), Lorne Cameron (Houston Baptist University), Walter Kromholz (Houston Baptist University), James Elder (Campbell University), Scott Luedtke (CSU Bakersfield), Travis Golden (Campbell University), Wesley Curtis (Michigan State University), Jordan Wright (Tyler Junior College).

Midfield: Dillon Powers (University of Notre Dame), Pedro Pereira (Austin Aztex PDL/Oklahoma Baptist University), Zack Pope (Austin Aztex), Jesus “Chuy” Sanchez (CSU Bakersfield),  Tanner Fyfe (Houston Baptist University),Tony Rocha (Tulsa University), Miguel Zapata (Tulsa University), James Martin (St. Edward’s University), Mark Gendi (Houston Baptist University), Jesus “Chuy” Cortes (University of the Incarnate Word/Laredo Heat), Alesi Osorio (East Tennessee State University), Michael Kafari (University of New Mexico), Blake Smith (University of New Mexico), Kendall Rockers (Concordia University), Jacob Powell (Forza FC Austin)

Forwards: Kristopher Tyrpak (Houston Baptist University), William Morse (Florida Gulf Coast), Kyle Emerson (Wake Forest University), Callum Riley (University of the Incarnate Word).

A dozen players are elible to play for the Aztex Super-20 squad. These players include: Cook, Parrish, Meile, Kromholz, Rockers, Golden, Rocha, Zapata, Gendi, Kafari, Powell, and Tyrpak.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. The Aztex will host the club’s home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots.

Tickets for the Aztex 2012 home season are now on sale and can be purchased online – here. The $50 adult season ticket option is a package of eight flex tickets ($80 value) which can be used for single admission to all eight home matches. Kids 10 and under are always admitted FREE to Aztex home matches.

Powers, 21, is a talented and experienced midfielder currently completing his junior year at the University of Notre Dame. He started all 18 matches during the 2011 campaign and registered six points on one goal and four assists. Powers was an all-BIG EAST second team selection, an all-Great Lakes Region second-team selection, and was an NSCAA Scholar All-American selection in 2011.

A native of Plano, Texas, Powers gained experience at the youth national team level with the U.S. U-20 squad at the 2010 Milk Cup where he was named tournament MVP helping lead the team to a 3-0-0 record. Powers played for the U.S. U-20 World Cup squad in 2009, and he was named 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

“We are excited to have a player of Dillon’s caliber join the squad,” Aztex head coach Paul Dalglish said. “He will help bring a strong leadership presence to the club.”

Curtis, 20, is a defender at Michigan State University and is originally from McKinney, Texas. Known for possessing great speed and quickness, Curtis trained in 2011 with the reserve squad for Los Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina.

Miele, 19, is a defender for the University of New Mexico. The 6-foot-4-inch Miele made seven appearances during his sophomore campaign and will join Ross Kelly in the middle of the Aztex defense.

Sanchez and Luedtke both join the Aztex from CSU Bakersfield. Sanchez, 21, is an attacking midfielder with one of the highest assists rates in Division-I NCAA soccer. Luedtke, 21, is from Dallas. He is a versatile player and will slot into a defensive or midfield role.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. The season kicks off on May 5 versus the Texas Dutch Lions at WoodForest Stadium in Woodlands, Texas. The Aztex will host the club’s home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots.

Tickets for the Aztex 2012 home season are now on sale and can be purchased online – here. The $50 adult season ticket option is a package of eight flex tickets ($80 value) which can be used for single admission to all eight home matches. Kids 10 and under are always admitted FREE to Aztex home matches.

Tony Rocha, Miguel Zapata, and Michael Parrish. Photo credit: www.tulsahurricane.com and http://www.uncwsports.com

Rocha, 18, is a midfielder who plays at Tulsa. He was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2011. Rocha graduated from Klein Oak High School where he was a three time all-district honoree, and played his club soccer with the Houston Texans.

Zapata, 18, is a fellow teammate with Rocha at Tulsa. Zapata gained experience as a midfielder in the Houston Dynamo Academy, where he was one of three players from the Houston Dynamo Academy U-18 team to compete at the Eurovoetball Tournament in the Netherlands.

Parrish, 19, is a defender for the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He graduated from Cypress Creek High School and played his club soccer with Dallas Texans Houston, where he helped the squad advance to the Dallas Cup Championships and win the Disney Soccer Showcase twice.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. Their season kicks off on May 5 versus the Texas Dutch Lions at WoodForest Stadium in Woodlands, Texas. The Aztex will host their home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots. Tickets are available online at www.austinaztex.com

About the Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex will compete in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) in 2012. The previous franchise, with the same name, was founded in 2008 and competed first in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) then moved to USL’s top professional league in 2009. The previous ownership group relocated the club to Orlando, Fla. following the 2010 season. The new franchise is owned and operated by ATX SOCCER LLC, chaired by David Markley, a founder and minority owner of the previous Aztex franchise. For more information, visit www.austinaztex.com.

Photo: Austin Aztex/Nikki Qiao

The new kit is part of the PDL side’s ambitious new plans to grow in the community and builds on the previous announcement of appointing Paul Dalglish, son of current Liverpool FC boss, as Head Coach in November 2011.

Speaking about Admiral, Dalglish said: “When I was growing up in the UK, Admiral supplied the uniforms for many of the largest clubs in the country including Manchester United, Spurs, Leeds, England and Glasgow Rangers. This kit feels and looks great.”

The home jersey features Admiral’s soft knit Vapor Draw fabric in navy with a drop needle construction giving the kit a faint pin stripe.  It has a V-neck with contrasting Vegas gold tipping and quick dry mesh inserts for added ventilation. The jersey bears the woven Aztex logo, embroidered Admiral logo, and the logo of the club’s new sponsor, Emergo Group. The PDL patch is on the left sleeve. The back features custom gold numbers with admiralsoccer.com, the website of the club’s kit partner. Admiral also developed new away and custom training kits for the team.

More event photos on Facebook

“This custom kit really captures our brand,” Aztex CEO David Markley stated. ”Admiral made this kit to the colors of our logo, and the fans loved it when we showed it to them prior to the official launch. Like the Aztex, Admiral is making a great comeback this year.”

Austin Aztex will begin their USL PDL campaign away to Texas Dutch Lions on May 5th and home fans will have to wait until May 19th at House Park for their match against El Paso Patriots to see their team wear the new home kit.

See the full schedule here, and more photos of the event on the Aztex Facebook page.

Mohamed Diallo

The Austin Aztex have announced Zack Pope, Ross Kelly, and Mohamed Diallo will join the USL PDL squad for the 2012 season. Pope and Kelly bring professional experience to the squad having played in USL previously, and Kelly having played abroad.

Pope, 26, attended Round Rock Stony Point High School and earned All-American and Nike All-Star honors before attending Duke University where he played from 2004 to 2007 and was named a freshman All-American as he helped the Blue Devils advance to the NCAA Final Four. Aztex head coach Paul Dalglish anticipates Pope will play outside midfield during the season.

Pope currently serves as assistant men’s soccer coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown. In 2009, Pope appeared in seven games for the Austin Aztex USL PRO team.

Kelly, 23, is a former Aztex PDL player who graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2011. The 6-foot, 3-inch defender spent the 2011 season abroad playing for GBK Kokkola in Finland.

Diallo, 22, is a player who impressed coaches during the first tryout held in March. Diallo, a 5-foot, 11-inch attacking player from Senegal, currently plays for Concordia University in Austin where he finished his sophomore campaign with 11 goals and four assists in 14 games played.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. The season kicks off on May 5 versus the Texas Dutch Lions at WoodForest Stadium in Woodlands, Texas. The Aztex will host their home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots.

About the Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex will compete in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) in 2012. The previous franchise, with the same name, was founded in 2008 and competed first in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) then moved to USL’s top professional league in 2009. The previous ownership group relocated the club to Orlando, Fla. following the 2010 season. The new franchise is owned and operated by ATX SOCCER LLC, chaired by David Markley, a founder and minority owner of the previous Aztex franchise. For more information, visit www.austinaztex.com.

Dozens of friends, family and supporters gathered at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex to watch the tryout players as they were sorted into eight teams. The teams started the day with possession games before playing two full-field scrimmages in the afternoon.

In addition, a ninth squad composed of players selected by PDL Coach Paul Dalglish played two scrimmages. This newly formed squad was composed of standouts from earlier scrimmages as well as players who will form a pool of candidates that will make the roster.

Notable names on Dalglish’s squad include former PDL player Ross Kelly, former PDL and USL PRO player Zack Pope. Other players include Mohammed Diallo, a standout from the invitation-only tryout in March and Jacob Powell, who is eligible as a U-20 player. These players among others in the selected player pool will begin training the week of April 8 for the upcoming PDL season.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. Their season kicks off on May 5 versus the Texas Dutch Lions at WoodForest Stadium in Woodlands, Texas. The Aztex will host their home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots.

“We are glad to have such highly regarded players returning home to play with the Aztex this summer,” said head coach Paul Dalglish. “I expect each of these players to play an integral part in our team, and we are glad their friends and family will be able to see them play locally again.”

The 21 year old Lisch was a standout goalkeeper for the Westlake High School soccer team, earning District MVP honors in 2008 before enrolling at NCAA Division-I soccer powerhouse Wake Forest. The 6-foot, 4-inch Lisch had a memorable debut in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, blocking three penalty kicks to help the Demon Deacons advance against the University of South Carolina.

Osorio, 20, a versatile attacking player for East Tennessee State University, is a graduate of Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Austin. Osorio helped lead LBJ High to a 45-14 record while earning First-Team All-District honors in 2008.

Pereira, 23, a native of Brazil, graduated from Leander High School and was a former player for the 2009 Austin Aztex PDL team. Pereira recently finished his junior season at midfield for Oklahoma Baptist University.

Tyrpak, 19 a sophomore midfielder at Houston Baptist University, graduated from Dripping Springs High School. As a freshman at HBU, Tyrpak led the team with eight goals and tied for the team lead with five assists. Tyrpak was named the Atlantic Soccer Conference Rookie of the Year in 2010, and received All-Conference honors his first two seasons.

In addition to recruiting collegiate players, the Aztex have been scouting players in local leagues and have hosted multiple tryouts including the Aztex Indoor Showcase on March 31. The final local tryout will be held on Saturday, April 7 at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex. Players can register online at www.austinaztex.com. The Aztex will maintain a 26 man roster in addition to fielding a Super-20 team which will provide reserve players for the top team. The remaining Aztex signings will be revealed over the coming weeks leading up to the season.

The Austin Aztex will play their 2012 season in the United Soccer League’s PDL Mid South Division. Their season kicks off on May 5 versus the Texas Dutch Lions at Wood Forest Stadium in Woodlands, Texas. The Aztex will host their home opener on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park against the El Paso Patriots.

About the Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex will compete in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) in 2012. The previous franchise, with the same name, was founded in 2008 and competed first in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) then moved to USL’s top professional league in 2009. The previous ownership group relocated the club to Orlando, Fla. following the 2010 season. The new franchise is owned and operated by ATX SOCCER LLC, chaired by David Markley, a founder and minority owner of the previous Aztex franchise. For more information, visit www.austinaztex.com.