Soccer Watch

The deadline is approaching to register for the second annual Copa Esperanza 7x7 Coed Soccer Tournament, presented by the Austin Coed Soccer Association, Saturday, Feb. 16, at Northeast Metro Park in Pflugerville. Teams must register by Feb. 4; teams or players interested in playing should consult www.acsasoccer.org/copa.php. All proceeds benefit two excellent local nonprofits: Casa Marianella and Villa Esperanza.

The Austin Aztex achieved something of a coup in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft last Thursday, having three players selected among the first 11 picks, with the Vancouver Whitecaps trading up to get Kekuta Manneh with the No. 4 pick, the Montreal Impact taking Blake Smith at No. 8, and the Colorado Rapids getting Dillon Powers at No. 11. No other team at any level had three players taken in the first round... The Aztex announced their regular season schedule this week – 14 games (instead of last year's 16) against the other five teams of the USL PDL Mid South Division. The home games run between May 18 and July 13 – six Saturday nights and one Friday, all at 7:30pm at House Park. Can't wait... Too bad about the fewer regular season games, but the bonus is the Aztex will also compete this year in the U.S. Open Cup, a national, all-level tournament that promises some potentially juicy matchups; that schedule hasn't yet been announced.