Soccer Watch

With a 4-3 loss at Nebraska and a 1-1 tie at Colorado, the UT women dropped to 7-5-1 for the season, including just 1-4-1 on the road. Good thing their next four games are in the friendly confines of Mike Meyers Stadium – starting with BYU this Thursday night (Oct. 14, 7pm) and Missouri on Sunday at noon.

The St. Edward's men (1-9-1 for the year) close out their home schedule this weekend with two conference games, against West Texas A&M, Friday, Oct. 15, 4pm, and Eastern New Mexico, Sunday, Oct. 17, 1pm.

Shootout in the Cotton Bowl? You bet, as the Dallas Burn face off against Landon Donovan and the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night with the last playoff spot in the MLS West on the line. A win puts Dallas through; a loss or tie gives the 'Quakes the playoff spot, and sends the Burn to their second straight last-place finish.

By the time you read this, the U.S. men may well have clinched a spot in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. They're hosting Panama as we go to press and coming off an emotional 2-0 win in El Salvador on Saturday. Elsewhere, it was England 2-0 over Wales, and Italy losing 1-0 in Slovenia (their first loss in a WC qualifier since 1985), but the big news was the Revenge of the Minnows – as Andorra beat Macedonia for its first win ever in a competitive game, and Liechtenstein broke a 20-game losing streak by coming from two goals down to tie Euro finalist Portugal. See a full wrap-up of the week's action at "Soccer Watch Online."

Next week, attention shifts back to the European Champions League, with games Tue.-Wed., Oct. 19-20. ESPN2 will be showing their third straight Real Madrid game, as Los Galacticos host Dynamo Kiev, 1:30pm Tuesday afternoon, with David Beckham out for a month after breaking two ribs in England's win over Wales last weekend.