Soccer Watch

Sadness, that at this time last year, this column was brimming with news of the Austin Aztex's first pro season: tryouts, signings, supporters' meetings, games scheduled ... and now, this: The team still known by the placeholder name USL San Antonio – which will compete in the same USL pro league the Aztex are currently on hiatus from – will hold open tryouts starting Feb. 5, for the season to start in March. That sounds kind of pathetic, but they've got Spurs Sports & Entertainment behind them, plus the city of San Antonio; managing director Tim Holt did a stint as USL president, and head coach Darren Powell was director of Orlando City's pro academy. See www.uslsanantonio.com for more info.

In something of a coup for MLS, one of the biggest bits of news so far in this transfer window is that U.S. phenom Jordan Morris will sign with MLS's Seattle Sounders (where he'll team with Clint Dempsey) rather than German giant Werder Bremen, who had expected to win his services. "The player has made it clear after intensive discussions that he currently sees his future in America," said Werder general manager Thomas Eichin, the wording perhaps betraying the Teutonic warmth that failed to win over the young Stanford grad.

It's not too late to sign up for the second annual Austin Classico soccer tournament, coming up Saturday, Jan. 30, as part of Soccer Resort's national 7v7 tournament series – sign up for coed, men's, women's, and over-30/40 divisions as a team, or a single player and they'll match you with a team, at www.soccerresort.com.