Source: Daily_Mail
ADRIAN HEATH'S POSTCARD FROM TEXAS: It's a footballing hotbed here
Former Everton, Burnley, Stoke and Manchester City midfielder Adrian Heath is now manager of American team Austin Aztex, members of the USL First Division, the equivalent of Coca-Cola Championship. In the first of a regular series of postcards from across the water, pint-sized Heath - known as 'Inchy' to his mates - looks ahead to the inaugural season of second-tier US soccer and sounds pretty confident... [LNB]We are counting down the days here to the start of the new season and I can't wait.Like everyone in football, or soccer as I have to keep getting used to, I get a real buzz when it comes round to a new start and April 18 is the big kick-off here.[LNB]Austin Aztex are in the USL First Division, the tier beneath the MLS, and our first game is against Minnesota Thunder the butterflies are definitely there.[LNB]We are a new team, or an 'expansion club' as they call us, so people are expecting us to struggle but I like that. There is a sense of being the underdog and you always like to prove people wrong.[LNB] Flying the flag in the US: Aztex boss Adrian Heath [LNB] I'm delighted with our progress. Four or five weeks ago we barely had a team but we've put together a very young squad and look promising.[LNB]We've got a young Brazilian lad, Sullivan Silva, a Cuban boy, Yordany Alvarez, who defected last year and I've brought in Eddie Johnson who was at Coventry andManchester United and Gifton Noel-Williams who people back home will know from Stoke and Watford.[LNB] England captain Terry vows to focus on football after Chelsea star is left red-faced by his mum's caution for shopliftingArshavin plea to Russia: Don't allow Hiddink to become a Chelsea boy[LNB]I've also been surprised by the quality of the American kids. Without doubt I've already seen four or five who could hold their own in European leagues this summer and even those that may struggle technically make up for it with their athleticism.[LNB]We've had four friendlies so far. Lost two, drawn one and won one and the team we beat were MLS champions Columbus Crew! The others were all MLS sides too. New England Revolution beat us 2-0, we drew 2-2 with Houston Dynamo then lost 3-1 at Real Salt Lake.[LNB]Slowly but surely the side is coming together. MLS teams have been looking at our players and that's testament to their quality. The standard is certainly better than people in England or Europe may think and the lifestyle is just incredible. That is a big attraction.[LNB]The MLS squads can have 24 players on their roster and four must be US development players aged around 22 or 23. We can have 27 and seven can be foreign - so far we have 18.[LNB]Big dreams: Former Watford player Gifton Noel-Williams[LNB]It's certainly a game on the up and there are concerns among the basketball and hockey fraternities about the profile and spotlight the sport is receiving.[LNB]The Premier League coverage helps that. I can watch three games a day over here.[LNB]You ask any kid walking down the street in Austin and they will know who Tim Cahill is or Yakubu. They know Everton play at Goodison Park.[LNB]And despite the stick he may have had, or is still getting, David Beckham did make a difference.[LNB]Don't forget he was the first soccer player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He raised the game's profile again.[LNB]LA Galaxy aren't a particularly good side in my opinion but he still made a huge impact. Yes, his decision to stay in Milan is seen as a slap in the face by some but he has helped.[LNB]Years ago when Pele, Beckenbauer and Cruyff were here it wasn't unusual to get 70,000 people in a stadium to watch them but there was no base to the game.[LNB]Now stadiums are filling up again and there is a base. The league has a structure and the tiers below, such as ours, are of a decent standard.[LNB]The likes of Juan Pablo Angel and Freddie Ljungberg are getting big money, reputedly around $3m a year, and Raul and Thierry Henry have already had talks with investors over here so the plans are still grand. But it's not just restricted to one or two teams.[LNB]I was talking to Steve Guppy, the former Leicester winger who is out at Colorado, and we were saying those players who thought they could hit 32 then come over and wind down their days would be in for a big shock. You have to still want it because these guys are fit and competitive.[LNB]Everyone's heard of Brian McBride, Tim Howard or Clint Dempsey back home but soon there'll be a lot more names from over here to contend with. It's looking good.By the way, I can't quite say the same for my old mate Peter Reid.[LNB]One of the benefits of having Skype is that you can catch up with family and friends around the world. I'll have a natter with Graeme Sharp back at Everton or Andy Gray but I'll often switch on to see Reidy's ugly mug in Thailand of a morning and it can be scary.[LNB]He says he feels great and he's back to his old fighting weight but, to coin a phrase from City Slickers, he looks like 'a saddlebag with eyes'. Watch that sun Reidy!Anyway speak to you all soon,[LNB]Inchy[LNB][LNB] [LNB]
