Soccer Watch

History in the making? Barcelona will be going after an unprecedented sixth major trophy of the year Saturday, when they take on Argentina's Estudiantes in the Club World Cup final. Barca has already won the 2009 Spanish League, Champ­ions League, Copa del Rey, and Spanish and European supercups. Saturday, Dec. 19, 10am, on Fox Sports en Español.

The Europa League group stage finishes up this Thursday, and the European Champions League round of 16 draw is Friday.

Virginia won the NCAA Division I men's championship Sunday, ending Akron's perfect season in a penalty shoot-out after a lively, but scoreless, regulation and overtime. It was the Cavaliers' sixth men's soccer title; the Zips have never won an NCAA championship in any team sport.

St. Edward's senior Kim Abbott is a first team All-American in the NCAA Division II. She led the Hilltoppers in shots and points despite splitting time between defender and forward. In Division 1, not a single Big 12 player made the three-deep All-America team, but one Austinite did: Kaley Fountain, a senior at Wake Forest out of Westwood High.

The Austin Aztex will hold their second annual open try­outs in Austin Feb. 13-14. This is the only open tryout for the Aztex 2010 USL-1 season; see www.austinaztex.com for more info. The Aztex are also offering a holiday gift package: four tickets to any 2010 game, plus a scarf or backpack, for $49. Order by Dec. 18, and they'll deliver to your door by Christmas.

Speaking of the USL-1 and 2010, no news is ... well, no news, as everyone waits for the U.S. Soccer Federation to decree, perhaps as soon as this week, what's going to happen with the currently fractured league(s?). I remain optimistic: Whatever the USSF decides, it's only going to sanction one second-division league, and in the end every team on both sides of the current schism is going to join it, and those are some pretty good teams. And as long as the Aztex stay friendly with all parties, they're in great shape to be a force in that league.