Soccer Watch

The Austin Lightning season seems to have taken a turn for the somewhat bizarre. The Lightning stunned the previously undefeated El Paso Patriots 4-2 last weekend as tempers flared in El Paso. The Patriots had three players red-carded, while Austin finished with top scorer Robert Descant playing in goal after the Lightning's starting keeper was sent off after a fistfight. When the Patriots visit Austin later this month, they'll no doubt be looking for revenge. But first comes this weekend's home-and-away matchup with archrival the DFW Tornados; their last meeting, a 2-2 tie in Dallas, was itself an ill-tempered affair, with four overtime goals and an ejection on each side. Saturday, June 18, 7:30pm at Noack Field, 5300 Crainway, just east of 183 and Springdale.