the score

The Austin Aztex host the NTX Rayados of the U.S. Adult Soccer Assoc. in a first-round match in the centennial edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, tonight at 7:30pm at House Park. Pre- and post-game fan gatherings will be at the Tavern (12th & Lamar). Read More | Comment »

Three players off of last year's Austin Aztex roster were among the first 11 picks of today's MLS SuperDraft. Gambian native Kekuta Manneh (Lake Travis High) was taken by the Vancouver Whitecaps with the fourth pick. Midfielder Blake Smith (Boerne, U. of New Mexico) went eighth to Montreal, and Dillon Powers (Plano, Notre Dame) went 11th to Columbus. Read More | Comment »

I missed the first half of today's Olympics semifinal between the USA and Canada, but what I did catch was one of the most amazing halves of soccer I've ever seen, and more. If by chance you recorded it this afternoon to watch later: good choice. Enjoy. Read no further.
Otherwise …
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Tonight's World Cup Qualifier – U.S. Men taking on Guatemala in Guatemala City, 9pm – is being shown pay-per-view only. But you can watch it for free at Cuatros (1004 W. 24th), where the Austin Aztex will pick up the cover charge for all Aztex fans and the Austin chapter of the American Outlaws. And Cuatros is offering a $2 beer special, as well. Read More | Comment »

In the world of U.S. soccer, the United Soccer Leagues’ USL Pro is considered the third division league, though USL doesn’t really accept that view. So it’s kind of a big deal that the league advanced three teams into the final eight of the U.S. Open Cup. Read More | Comment »

The United Soccer Leagues First Division, jolted Monday by the Rochester Rhinos' defection to the fledgling North American Soccer League, was further hit Wednesday by a report on internationalsoccernetwork.com that the Cleveland City Stars have ceased operations. Read More | Comment »

This news just came in, as a press release from NuRock Soccer Holdings, LLC. The USL, of course, is the league in which the Austin Aztex play.

NUROCK SOCCER HOLDINGS LLC ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES FROM NIKE, INC.

Atlanta, Georgia (Aug 27th, 2009) – NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC (“NuRock Soccer Holdings”) today announced that it has acquired United Soccer Leagues (“USL”) from NIKE.

NuRock Soccer Holdings, based in Atlanta, is led by Rob Hoskins and Alec Papadakis. NuRock Soccer Holdings is currently a USL franchisee with a Premier Development League operation in Atlanta [ed. note: the FC Atlanta Blackhawks] and rights to acquire two USL First Division teams in Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama marketplaces, respectively. Read More | Comment »

It's gotten dire for the Austin Aztex playoff hopes: They've earned just one point in their last seven games, and been shut out in their last three (all on the road). Now, of the eight games left in the season, they need to win six. They'll be looking to get on track at home this Sunday against fellow strugglers Minnesota Thunder. Strikers Gifton Noel-Williams and Kyle Brown are both out on red card suspensions, leaving Eddie Johnson and Sullivan Silva up front – but that's probably OK; those two have been their most productive attackers all year. 6pm Sunday, Aug. 16 at Nelson Field. Only two home games left after this one! The English Premier League kicks off this week; Aztex affiliate Stoke City hosts newly promoted Burnley on Saturday. It's on FSC tape-delayed at 1:30pm, and the Aztex are hosting a watch party at Cuatro's. Below: UT Longhorn preview, WCQ, WPS, and more . . . Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex dropped a pair of games in the Carolinas last week: 1-0 to Charleston and 3-0 to Carolina. No disgrace there – those are two of the top teams in the USL First Division – but their playoff chances are rapidly slipping away. Realistically, the Aztex need at least six wins in their last nine games to be in the hunt. The team plays at Rochester this Saturday, then returns home next weekend... In other USL news, the Puerto Rico Islanders advanced into the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League for a second straight year, ousting the MLS' Toronto FC Tuesday night. The group stage will run Aug. 18-Oct. 22. Below: WC qualifying, WPS finale, and more
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The Austin Aztex lost a golden chance to make up ground in the playoff chase Satur­day, giving up two goals to the Montreal Impact in the last 13 minutes and settling for a 2-2 draw that felt more like a loss by the end. The Aztex dominated early in the second half, and got a goal and an assist each from Gifton Noel-Williams and A.J. Godbolt, before the meltdown. Montreal actually put the ball in the net five times in a 12-minute span, but three strikes were ruled out for offsides. Then after all that, the Aztex appeared to have snatched back a win in extra time, but Ryan Caugherty was judged to have fouled the Montreal keeper before scoring. So begins a tough three-game road swing, starting with Charleston and Carolina this Thursday and Saturday. The good news: the Aztex will have striker Jean Alexandre back on loan from Real Salt Lake; he nailed the probable goal of the year last month in Puerto Rico. The Aztex U-23s bowed out of the PDL playoffs last Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to West Texas United. Throughout the Gold Cup tournament, folks were talking about how young and green the U.S. was. In Sunday's final, they showed just what can happen to such a team, as a troubled Mexico roared to life, and totally dismantled the Americans in front of 80,000 fans in Giants Stadium, with five second-half goals, and their first win on U.S. soil in over 10 years. Next: a key World Cup qualifier Aug. 12 at the Azteca in Mexico City, where no American team has never won. It'll be a whole different U.S. squad, but a stronger Mexico as well, and 5-0 is a powerful motivator, both ways. Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex have just four home games left in their inaugural season; the first of those is this Saturday, hosting the Montreal Impact, one of the teams they'll have to pass to get into the USL-1 playoffs. The Aztex have been playing well recently but not getting results; this is one they really need to win, against a team with a lot of talent but a toxic clubhouse chemistry at the moment (see Jeremy Olson's photo website to see what I mean). Bring a nonperishable food item to donate, and get in for just $15. Sat., July 25, 7:30pm. Nelson Field, 7400 Berkman, just north of U.S. 290. The Aztex U-23s backed into the Premier Development League playoffs on the last day of the regular season as the third-place team in their division. They're on the road at second-place West Texas as we go to press, and the winner is at Laredo on Saturday. Gold Cup on TV: The U.S. men host Honduras in the semifinals tonight (Thursday) at 6pm on Fox Soccer Channel, followed by Mexico-Costa Rica at 9pm on Univision; the final is Sunday, 2pm, also on Univision. Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex and the University of Texas present the first-ever Copa Aztex, featuring two of Mexico’s biggest professional men’s soccer clubs, Cruz Azul and Tigres, at UT’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, 7pm, Saturday, July 18. It’s the final preseason tune-up for the clubs, who open the 2009 Apertura season next week. Tickets are $30 and $50. Doors open at 4pm, with a pregame concert by Espinoza Paz. This could be a huge deal for soccer in Austin, not just because of the game itself but because it’s the first time UT has teamed with an outside entity to use its gorgeous Myers Stadium. (Another first for both the Aztex and Myers: “adult beverages” at the pregame beer garden!) This event is the beginning of a three-year agreement between UT and the Aztex. The Aztex lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to the league-leading Portland Timbers last Saturday, as an injury-time tying goal by Gifton Noel-Williams was negated by a defensive breakdown and a Timbers winner on the last touch of the game. “The Gift,” who’s been nursing a hamstring injury all season, had come on as a second-half sub – just his second appearance since May 8 and his first effective play since April. The Timbers ran their unbeaten streak to 14 games; the Aztex are at Minnesota this Saturday. The Aztex U23s host the El Paso Patriots in their last game of the regular season, this Friday, July 17, 7:30pm, needing a win to have a chance at first place in the PDL Mid South or at least a tie to have a shot at the playoffs as the second- or third-place team. Note the new venue: Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex, 10211 W. Parmer. Read More | Comment »

United Soccer League teams won four games out of six in their first day of competition against "Major League" Soccer in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In the biggest surprises on Tuesday night, the defending champion Columbus Crew lost at home to the Rochester Rhinos, and New England lost at home to Harrisburg City of the USL-2. In fact, the only MLS wins were by the Kansas City Wizards in penalty kicks, and D.C. United beating the amateur Ocean City Barons.

The Open Cup third round wraps up tonight, as the Austin Aztex host the Houston Dynamo at 7:30pm at Nelson Field. They're expecting a big crowd, with Houston supporters groups showing up in force, but tickets are still available (call 335-8881 until 3pm today to preorder). The winner of this game advances to the quarterfinals at Charleston next Tuesday, July 7.

Full results from Tuesday night below.
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The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is it Time to Care About Soccer? - Alexi Lalas
www.colbertnation.com

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A shocker in South Africa as we go to press with the print edition Wednesday: The U.S. advances to Sunday's Confederations Cup championship game with a 2-0 win over world No. 1 Spain, who had been sitting on a world-record streak of 15 wins in a row and 35 games unbeaten, dating back to 2006. The Associated Press play-by-play commentary started with: "Hello and welcome to Spain's thrashing of the U.S." But it didn't turn out that way, as the Americans came back from an atrocious opening two games in the prestigious tournament to score on their only two shots on goal in the entire game and pull one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history. The other semifinal, Brazil vs. South Africa, is 1:30pm Thursday, June 25; the final is 1:30pm Sunday, June 28, preceded by the third-place game at 8am. All games are live on ESPN or ESPN2. Read More | Comment »

Games every day this weekend for the Austin Aztex: the senior squad plays Friday and Sunday evenings, with the U-23s in action Saturday. The Aztex host two of the better teams in the USL – the Carolina RailHawks at 7:30pm Friday, and the Rochester Rhinos (no longer Raging Rhinos) at 6pm Sunday, July 21, both games at Nelson Field (Berkman, just north of 290) – with seven regulars currently out with injuries (see below), and needing some results to stay in the playoff picture. These are the last home games for a while; the next two weekends are in Cleveland and Rochester. The good news: The Aztex handled the El Paso Patriots pretty easily Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup second round, setting up a juicy final-16 match-up with downstate rival Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, July 1. The Dynamo's in top form right now, with the best record in Major League Soccer. They were here for a preseason exhibition – which the Aztex won on penalty kicks – it'll be fun to see them again with something on the line. More about that game next week. The bad news: read on below. Read More | Comment »

The Confederations Cup, the eighth quadrennial World Cup prelude, starts in South Africa this week – with the U.S. drawn into a very tough group with Brazil, Italy, and Egypt.

ESPN and ESPN2 are showing most of the games, including U.S.-Italy, 1:30pm Monday, June 15, U.S.-Brazil, 9am Thursday, June 18, and U.S.-Egypt, 1:30pm Sunday, June 21.

In World Cup Qualifying this week, the U.S. men lost 3-1 at Costa Rica, then fell behind early at home against Honduras, before coming back for a 2-1 win, and once again making qualification look relatively safe.
Elsewhere, Mexico stumbled to their third loss in four games, and Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Holland all qualified for the finals in South Africa, as Saturday and Wednesday were the last major game days until September. Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex, coming off a 3-1 win over Puerto Rico last Friday, have three home games this week: regularly-scheduled USL-1 tilts Friday and Sunday against the second-place Charleston Battery, plus a first-round game in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday evening, hosting the PDL Mississippi Brilla. June 5, 7, 9: Friday, 7pm; Sunday, 6pm; Tuesday, 7:30pm; Nelson Field, off Berkman, just north of U.S. 290. For more on the Aztex and the U.S. Open Cup, see "Crunch Time," Sports, June 5. The Aztex U-23 squad has a home game in Bastrop this Thursday, hosting the Houston Leones at Bastrop Soccer Stadium, June 4, 7:30pm. A rough, emotional 2-2 draw last week against Rio Grande Valley has the Azteclets right in the middle of the very tight PDL Mid South Division. Below: World Cup Qualifying, Cruz Azul-Tigres to play at UT Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex took a tough loss on Sunday, 1-0, to the first-place Carolina RailHawks, on a questionable 83rd-minute penalty in a game that was otherwise pretty even. The second straight loss dropped the Aztex to eighth in the USL First Division standings. Without their English striker pair of Gifton Noel-Williams (hamstring) and Eddie Johnson (work permit), the Aztex offense was short on ideas and execution and struggled to create real scoring opportunities. To make matters worse, Brazilian playmaker Sullivan Silva rolled his ankle in the game and again in practice, and now looks doubtful as the Aztex host the Puerto Rico Islanders this Friday, May 29, at 7:30pm. That leaves Kyle Brown as the only player listed as a forward on the roster, and Yordany Alvarez and defender Lyle Adams as the only players who've had even a shot on goal through six games. Where's Willy "Speed" Guadarrama when you need him? The next weekend the Aztex will be halfway through their home schedule, with a "doubleheader" (Friday and Sunday, June 5 & 7) against the Charleston Battery. As we go to press, the U.S. Open Cup draw has just been announced; the Aztex open at home June 9 against the PDL's Mississippi Brilla, with the winner playing either Arizona Sahuaros or El Paso Patriots on June 16; the winner of that one takes on an MLS team June 30, most likely Chivas USA or the Houston Dynamo. Below: Aztex U-23s, Euro champion Barcelona, and on tap: FA Cup Final and WC qualifying. Read More | Comment »

The Austin Aztex final preseason game is this Friday night, hosting the Puerto Rico Islanders in their lone preseason test against a team in their own division. April 3, 7:30pm, at Nelson Field. $18-22. The Islanders head from here to Mexico City, where they try to defend a 2-0 first-leg lead over Mexican giants Cruz Azul, in a CONCACAF Champions League semifinal (Tuesday, April 7, 9pm, live on FSC). The title winner goes to the Club World Cup to face the top teams from the other continents. In high school playoff action, three CenTex teams advanced to this weekend's regional finals. In 5A, the Bowie girls upset Westlake, 1-0, on Tuesday – the first goal Westlake had given up in 15 games – to advance to San Antonio. The Pflugerville Connally boys will be there as well; in each case, the competition is S.A. Reagan, and two schools from the Valley. In 4A, the Dripping Springs girls beat Lake Travis, 2-1, then edged Steele in a penalty-kick shootout; they're in Corpus Christi Friday. On the boys side, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, Elgin, and Del Valle all lost in the fourth round. Below: World Cup Qualifying results Read More | Comment »