In this week’s Fox Soccer Channel USL game of the week, the Islanders visit the Austin Aztex for their first away game of the season.
The first meeting for these teams during the regular season, both clubs come into the game still undefeated. The Islanders visited the Aztex earlier this year as part of their preparation for the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League semi-final. Colin Clarke used that match to test his defensive tactics with the Cruz Azul match in mind. Clarke’s technique proved to be somewhat effective with the match ending in a scoreless draw. The Aztex and Islanders then went into a pre-agreed penalty shootout round, which ominously they lost – just as they would later in Mexico City.
Even though Austin is an expansion team, they have proven to be serious opponents on the field (even though they have yet to be tested on the road), with one win and two draws in 3 games this season. Clarke, the Islanders manager, recognized that regardless of the opponent, road games are always a challenge. He was quoted as saying: “We have to keep in mind that this year will be very difficult for us. Everyone knows Puerto Rico is the team to beat.”
Expect this to be a very offensive minded match; the Aztex will be hoping to send a message to the rest of the league by defeating last year’s regular season champions, while the Islanders want to continue their current success by winning on the road.
Roster wise, last season’s MVP, Jonathan Steele is still out with an injury so Andres Cabrero will likely continue as starter. Also, because the Islanders will be visiting the Whitecaps in Vancouver on Sunday, we will probably see some players like Veris, Fraser, and Villaroel play more minutes than usual.
Prediction: Islanders win (2-1 or 3-1)
*Remember you can watch the game live on FSC at 8:00pm EST.
