Soccer Watch
By Nick Barbaro, Fri., Jan. 27, 2017
San Antonio FC announced their six-game preseason schedule this week; it starts Feb. 11 and 18 with two very good college teams, Incarnate Word and St. Edward's, and includes a trip to Florida to face the newest MLS entrant, Minnesota United, in their first-ever preseason. SAFC will hold open tryouts for prospective players on Friday, Jan. 27, at STAR Soccer Complex in North San Antonio. More info at www.sanantoniofc.com.
The CONCACAF Awards honoring the region's top players and coaches were announced last week, and not a single American man was named to the top 11; the squad includes four Mexicans and four Costa Ricans. On the other hand, there are six Americans among the top 11 women, including the top three places in Female Player of the Year in Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, and Crystal Dunn.
The African Cup of Nations has grown its stature and quality over time, partly due to the South African World Cup, largely due to the growing number of African players making their marks in the top clubs in Europe and elsewhere. The tournament's group stage has just ended with a few surprises, as defending champ Ivory Coast, plus Algeria and host Gabon, were all first-round casualties. The quarterfinals are this weekend, 10am & 1pm both Sat. and Sun. for those of you who get beIN Sports or Fubo.
