The Austin Aztex play their last home game of 2009 this Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, 6pm at Nelson Field, hosting the first-place Portland Timbers, who are riding an eye-popping 24-game unbeaten streak. With the Aztex finally rounding into their best form of the season, it’s a great chance to give the 2009 team a rousing send-off. The Aztex had a great week last week, with an Eddie Johnson goal giving them their first win since July 3, capping a couple of big signings, and official confirmation of next year’s move to House Park. This week is brutal, though: They are playing in Vancouver Wednesday as we go to press, go all the way across the continent to Miami FC Saturday night before coming home for the Labor Day game, and then will finish the season with a return trip to the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Sept. 11 and Vancouver again, Sept. 13). If you’re counting, that’s five games in 11 days, coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Elsewhere in the USL, action on the field has been overshadowed by Friday’s announcement that Nike sold the league to Atlanta-based NuRock Soccer Holdings, after turning down a bid by a consortium of team owners. The Team Owners Association – made up of current USL-1 teams (which have not recommitted for 2010) Montreal Impact, Carolina RailHawks, Vancouver Whitecaps, Minnesota Thunder, and Miami FC, plus the Tampa Bay Rowdies (due to join in 2010), former USL-1 team the Atlanta Silverbacks, and St. Louis Soccer United – announced “that it has accelerated its pursuit of all league options for the 2010 season and beyond.”

The Aztex, unfazed, continue to plan their future course; today they’ll announce a plum postseason exhibition game, hosting Rayados of Monterrey, Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Palace on Parmer; details to follow.

World Cup qualifying resumes this week, with games around the world Saturday, Sept. 5, and Wednesday, Sept. 9. The U.S. hosts El Salvador in Salt Lake City at 7pm, live on ESPN Classic (there will be a watching party Saturday at Mister Tramps Sports Pub, 8565 Research, with simultaneous viewing of both this and the Aztex-Miami FC games). Meanwhile, Mexico, despite their come-from-behind win over the U.S. last month, needs a result at continental front-runner Costa Rica to avoid falling four points out of the final qualifying spot with just three games to play. And at 6pm Wednes­day, Sept. 9, the U.S. is at Trinidad & Tobago; that one’s also live on ESPN Classic.

The UT Longhorns are in Berkeley, Calif., this weekend against Saint Mary’s and the Cal Bears. They’re back home next weekend, hosting Louisville and Kentucky, Sept. 11 & 13.

This article appears in September 4 • 2009.

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