Austin Gets Soccer, a new soccer supporters group “using the principles of” Dan Wiersema’s Free Beer Movement (www.thefreebeermovement.com), invites you to St. Elmo Brewing Co. for “a special community session of sharing and listening on how Austin can get AND keep professional soccer in the city” – whether it’s the relocated Columbus Crew (see “Courtship, by Precourt,” Mar. 23), or the reactivated USL franchise that’ll start play at COTA in 2019. It’s this Sat., March 24, 4-8pm at St. Elmo Brewing, 440 E. St. Elmo Rd.
Kekuta Manneh, the Gambian-born attacker who started his pro career with the late lamented Austin Aztex, became eligible to play for the U.S. when he turned 23 in December, and has been added to the U.S. national team roster in advance of its friendly against Paraguay on Tue., March 27 (6pm on FS1). He’s one of eight players who’ll be hoping for his first national team action.
There are more international friendlies this week all around the world; three of the more interesting will be on FS1: Mexico-Iceland (9pm Fri., March 23) and as part of a tripleheader with the U.S. game Tuesday: England-Italy (2pm) and Mexico-Croatia (10:30pm).
San Antonio FC plays their first home game this Sat., March 24, hosting Saint Louis at 7:30pm at Toyota Field. Is it too early to scout them for our 2019 USL rivalry? www.sanantoniofc.com.
High school playoffs start next Thu.-Fri., March 29-30. The bracket’s not yet set at press time, but locally, Austin and McCallum highs qualified first and second in District 25, both boys and girls, with Lanier and Travis boys, and LBJ and Crockett girls in as well.
This article appears in March 23 • 2018.