The Crew has signed a partnership with a new United Soccer Leagues Pro division team, the Austin Aztex, ending its affiliation with the Dayton Dutch Lions after one season.

The Crew has signed a partnership with a new United Soccer Leagues Pro division team, the Austin Aztex, ending its affiliation with the Dayton Dutch Lions after one season.

The deal was unveiled tonight in Texas, where the Aztex are joining the USL Pro after spending three seasons as part of the Premier Development League.

Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said the switch is more about what Austin can offer rather than being displeased with Dayton.

�It�s more a positive for Austin for what they offer and the energy there and the ownership and the technical staff and the competitive nature of their team,� Berhalter said. �We�re excited about it. For us, it made a little more sense in the terms of the philosophies aligning a little better."

Those pros outweigh the logistics of no longer having a partner just down the road, he said. The Crew�s deal with Dayton was year-by-year, but Berhalter said a multi-year deal was agreed to with Austin after ownership and the technical staffs of both sides met.

�I think the proximity (of Dayton) gave us a good feel for how the partnership could work and see what they could offer,� he said. �In the end, we felt it�s about getting the best for our players, and Austin can offer a little bit more in their regard.�

The Aztex play in a downtown stadium shared by several high-school soccer and football teams that is considered the soccer hub of the city. Dayton spent last season at West Carrollton High School.

No determination has been made on how many players the Crew will loan to the Aztex, and Berhalter said the contract does not specify a number.

Major League Soccer is requiring all teams to partner with a USL Pro team or form their own this season. Berhalter said the Crew remains committed to partnering rather than funding a team.

�For certain markets and teams, it�s reasonable,� he said. �For us, it�s not reasonable. We feel like if you take the money, we could invest in having �Columbus 2,� we want to invest that in our younger players. We want to get that right first before we start with a second team. I think we�ll be able to affect the guys we want to affect with the arrangement we have now.�

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy