Soccer Watch

Mackenzie McFarland was tabbed Big 12 Freshman of the Week, the fifth straight week a Longhorn has won an award. (Photo by Paul Bordovsky)

The Texas Longhorns are variously rated between sixth and 11th in the nation this week, after a 2-1 overtime win Friday night over Baylor. Now they take their 9-0-1 record on the road for the next four games.

MLS in Austin, founded to bring a Major League Soccer team to Austin, is rebranding now that the job is (all but) done, and will launch its new name – Austin Anthem – at a supporters' group celebration at Jack & Ginger's, 11500-B Rock Rose Ave. in the Domain, Sat., Sept. 29, from 4-6pm.

Austin's other pro soccer team, Austin Bold FC, announced they've signed Argentine midfielder Darío Conca, footballer of the year in Brazil in 2010, and once the third-most expensive player in the world... Their league, the United Soccer League, unveiled a new structure Monday: "One central brand, three leagues." In the USL Championship, the Bold will join the top teams from the current USL Pro; USL League One will be a new third-division pro league that has never really existed in the U.S. before; and USL League Two will be a reorganized version of the current amateur PDL.

The U.S. Women start play next week in the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Champion­ship, which also serves as qualifying for the 2019 Women's World Cup. The opener might be the best group stage game: USA-Mexico, 7:30pm, Thursday, Oct. 4... European Champions League games next week as well: Tue.-Wed., Oct. 2-3, noon & 2pm.

Luka Modric and Marta won the FIFA Best Player Awards this week; among other categories, Peru's World Cup fans and their delightful panpipes won the FIFA Fan Award.