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Battle at Baylor: Austin Aztex FC U23 vs. DFW Tornados in Premier Development League match
Austin Aztex FC play host to DFW Tornados on Baylor University Campus

May 11, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas - Premier Development League (PDL) soccer is coming to Waco when the Austin Aztex Under 23 (U23) team and DFW Tornados square off at Baylor University on Wednesday, May 13th.

The Aztex U23, which are the United Soccer League's defending Mid-South Division champs in the PDL, serve as the developmental team for the Aztex USL-First Division professional team. Coach Wolfgang Suhnholz leads the PDL squad into the 2009 season after being recognized as the PDL Head Coach of the Year, adding to a long history of success that includes 18 years as a player in Europe and the U.S., and serving as head coach of the U.S. U20 National Team.

The rival Tornados enter the season as one of the oldest teams in the USL, having started 20 years ago.

Founded in 1986, the United Soccer Leagues is the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America with six leagues in more than 100 markets in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and is recognized for its production of stars such as Brian McBride, Marcelo Balboa, Pat Onstad, and Julie Foudy.

Seven members of last year's Aztex U23 squad signed professional contracts following the 2008 season including PDL Goalkeeper of the Year, Miguel Gallardo, who is the starting goalkeeper for the Aztex USL-1 team. This promotion of talent has opened the door for a new roster composed of local, collegiate, and foreign players from Mexico, England, Brazil, Jamaica, Colombia and the Bahamas.

"We are thrilled to play our first home game in Waco, because we know there are many talented young players in the area," said Assistant Coach Ron Dennie. "By partnering with Baylor University, we hope to inspire them to work hard both on the field and in school to take advantage of the many opportunities soccer provides for them."

The "Battle at Baylor" will kick off at 7:30 PM at Betty Lou Mays soccer field in the Turner Athletic Complex. For more information, visit www.austinaztex.com/u23.

 

USL
United Soccer Leagues (USL): Founded in 1986, United Soccer Leagues has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America. With six leagues in over 100 markets, USL continues to be a driving force in the growth of soccer in the United States, Canada, and Caribbean. USL provides a clearly defined path for the progression of male and female soccer players beginning at the youth level (USL Super Y-League/USL Super-20 League), continuing up through the amateur level (USL Premier Development League/USL W-League) and on up to the professional level (USL-First Division/USL- Second Division).

Premier Development League (PDL): The top U23 men's league in North America, the USL Premier Development League (PDL) features 68 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular-season matches for each team, eight home and eight away. The PDL provides elite collegiate players with an opportunity to face a higher level of competition while maintaining their college eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The USL Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing around the world.

Austin Aztex U23
2008 Season: In its inaugural season, the Austin Aztex U23 team won the PDL Mid-South Division with a record of 10-5-1, and advanced to the Southern Conference finals where the Aztex were eliminated by division rival, the Laredo Heat. The Aztex U23 team also tied the professional USL-1 Atlanta Silverbacks in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, before being eliminated on penalty kicks.

2008 Honors: Members of the Aztex U23 team won three of the five awards in the 68-team PDL. Miguel Gallardo, who recorded nine shutouts and led the league with a 0.615 GAA, was selected as the PDL Goalkeeper of the Year. Beto Papandrea anchored the no. 1 defense in the league, which allowed only eleven goals in sixteen games, and was recognized as PDL Defender of the Year. Head Coach Wolfgang Suhnholz was recognized as the PDL Coach of the Year for leading the expansion team.


 

 

PDL to USL-1: Six players that played on the Austin Aztex U23 team in 2008 signed professional contracts with the Austin Aztex USL-1 team for the 2009 season. These players include goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, the first player signed by the Aztex, defenders Kieron Bernard, Wes Allen, Zach Pope, and Josh Alcala, and midfielder A.J. Godbolt. Five of these players are Central Texas products, while Bernard hails from Jamaica.

Wolfgang Suhnholz (U23 Head Coach): Suhnholz played soccer professionally for 18 years in both Europe and the U.S. He was head coach for the U.S. U20 Men's National Team from 1999 to 2001. He went to two World Cups as a coach while working for the U.S. Soccer Federation. He holds a USSF "A" license.

Ron Dennie (U23 assistant coach): Dennie is formerly the Boys Academy Director at Austin United Soccer Club. He graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, and has lived in Austin for 10 years. He holds both a USSF "A" and "National Youth" Licenses.

Roster: The 2009 roster consists of 26 players, including eight players returning from the 2008 roster. The team has eight foreign players from countries including England, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Colombia and the Bahamas.

Dragon Stadium: The Aztex U23 home stadium will once again be Dragon Stadium on the campus of Round Rock High School. The stadium has a seating capacity of 8,800 and has a 120' x 75' AstroPlay artificial playing surface installed before the 2008 season.

Mid-South Division
The PDL Mid-South Division is part of the Southern Conference. Beginning with the 2009 season, all seven members of the Mid-South Division call the state of Texas home.

DFW Tornados: The DFW franchise first competed in the PDL in 1989, and is owned by Jim Mertz. The Tornados organization also fields an indoor team in the PASL. The team plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Pennington Field in Bedford, Texas.

El Paso Patriots: The Patriots are one of the oldest PDL franchises and was founded in 1991. Owned by Enrique Cervantes, the team has competed in the PDL, USL-2, and USL-1 (previously called the A League). The team is named in honor of the Gulf War Scud-busting missiles, which protected many of the El Paso-based soldiers overseas. Patriot Stadium has a seating capacity of 3,000.

Houston Leones: A 2008 expansion team, the Leones are an affiliate of the Mexican team Cruz Azul. The Soccer World Center in Richmond, Texas is a 17-acre complex with a 4,500-seat stadium built by team owner, Juan Carlos Hernandez.

Laredo Heat: One of the most successful PDL franchises since being founded in 2004, the Heat have competed in the PDL Finals the last three years, and won the 2007 PDL Championship. Owned by Shashi Vaswani, the Heat play at a 4,000-seat stadium on the campus of Texas A&M International University.

Rio Grande Valley Bravos: This 2009 expansion team based in McAllen, Texas, is owned by ARSA Soccer Adventures. The team will compete at Valley View High School's Tiger Stadium.

West Texas United Sockers: Another 2009 expansion team, the Sockers are based in Midland, Texas. The Sockers are under the ownership and management of the Midland RockHounds Professional Baseball Team (Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A's). The team will compete at the 7,500-seat Grande Communications Stadium.