Aztex Bid Farewell to Inaugural Campaign, and More

Stoke City signing Dave Kitson (by Reading FC)

And so we bid farewell to the inaugural edition of the U-23 Austin Aztex – done in, in the Premier Development League Southern Conference final, by the defending national champion Laredo Heat, and more specifically by a couple of untimely ejections. The Aztex beat the Bradenton Academics, 2-1, in Friday night's semifinal in Orlando, Fla., but two yellow cards to key central defender Beto Papandrea had them finishing the game with 10 men, and ruled him out of the next night's conference final. They could surely have used him against Laredo, because by halftime, the Aztex were up 1-0, due to a Jamie Watson penalty kick, but were again down a man, due to A.J. Godbolt's two yellow cards in a five-minute span of a very rough, ill-tempered game. The Heat got two goals in the first six minutes after halftime, and an insurance marker in the 68th, and that was pretty much it: 3-1. Disappointing, but still a great first season, both on and off the field. When next we see them, the Aztex will be fielding a full professional team in the 2009 United Soccer Leagues First Division, in addition to the U-23 squad in the PDL: 23 home games in all, compared to this season's eight. I can hardly wait.

Soccer at the Olympics kick off Wednesday, Aug. 6 for the women, and the next day for the men. I don't know just what NBC will be broadcasting, but here's the schedule for the U.S. teams: The U.S. Women play Norway (7:45am, Wednesday, Aug. 6), Japan (5am, Saturday, Aug. 9), and New Zealand (7:45am, Tuesday, Aug. 12); the U.S. Men play Japan (5am, Thursday, Aug. 7), Holland (7:45am, Sunday, Aug. 10), and Nigeria (5am, Wednesday, Aug. 13).

Meanwhile, most of the talk in the pro game centers around the transfer market, with just a couple of weeks to go until the European seasons start. "Austin's team" in the English Premier League, Aztex affiliate Stoke City, has announced three fairly major signings: Reading striker Dave Kitson, Nigerian international midfielder Seyi Olofinjana from Wolves, and Danish international goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen from Aston Villa. More news about the Stoke youth team's visit to Austin (Aug. 12-20), as it becomes available.

The Lady Longhorns season is just around the corner as well; they open play in California on Aug. 16, with the home opener Aug. 22 against Samford.