A Conversation with Adrian Heath of the Austin Aztex

First and foremost, the Austin Aztex are truly lucky to have someone the caliber of Adrian Heath leading their organization on the field.

The Austin Aztex made news worldwide when they released the bulk of their squad, a total of 14 players.  The most notable was Gifton Noel-Williams, who was the franchise’s first major signing.  It was a grueling and difficult decision for Heath, but one that should make the club more competitive. 

Heath believes they can build around midfielder Yordany Alvarez, described as “one of the best players outside of MLS.” The Aztex currently show only 8 players on their roster, so quite an influx of talent is expected.

The scouting process has made Heath quite the globetrotter, sending him to places like Costa Rica, Columbia, Paraguay, and Haiti.  It has been a grounding experience for the head coach as this statement suggests: “it reinforced the reason why the sport is played everywhere.” He recalled seeing barefoot kids playing soccer in the streets, an image that is good to see after you have been in the game so long.  This is why it is called “the beautiful game.”

Heath mentioned that they have made serious inquiries into two or three players and offers to one or two.  Many are still playing in their respective countries, but would be made available for the upcoming USL season.  Adrian hopes to bring in an additional 1 or 2 players through their tryout process.

The uncertainty of the USL/NASL situation has caused some discomfort for coaches and technical directors as the “Where are you going to play?” question always seems to come up.  His point of view is one shared by many in the business.  He hoped common sense would prevail, sending everyone back into the same division. One good, strong league is clearly better than several weak splinters.