Soccer Watch

Just a couple of weeks after their inaugural USL-1 season ended, the Austin Aztex are already building for next year – and building a win streak. With a number of new players on their roster (at least one reportedly already signed for next year), the Aztex beat Monterrey, 1-0, in Round Rock last Wednesday and started an England tour by beating a Stoke City Reserves squad this Wednesday, also 1-0. New recruits include two former Haitian national teamers and a Scots central midfielder. The Aztex's Sullivan Silva has been named one of three USL-1 Rookie of the Year finalists.

The UT Longhorns lost their first Big 12 game Sunday, 1-0, at Oklahoma State. This week they host Nebraska, 7pm, Friday, Oct. 16, then play at Iowa State on Sunday. After this, the Horns have just one more pair of home games this season, hosting Texas Tech and Colorado, Oct. 23 & 25 respectively.

St. Edward's women rose to No. 10 in the country after beating Texas A&M-International, 9-0, and 19th-ranked Incarnate Word, 2-1. This week they host Dallas Baptist, 4pm Thursday, and UT-Permian Basin, 1pm Satur­day. The St. Ed's men won their first two games of the season last week; fortunately, those were their first two conference games, as well. They host St. Mary's, 4pm Friday, and Texas A&M-International, 1pm Sunday.

With World Cup Qualifying group play finished in Europe and the Amer­icas, 23 nations are now qualified for South Africa 2010, with the last nine spots to be decided Nov. 14. The U.S. made it through with a hard-fought 3-2 win in Honduras. Some of the notables who have come up short: Sweden, Croatia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Scotland, and Norway.

It'll be Ghana vs. Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup Friday, Oct. 16, in Cairo (12:45pm on ESPN)... The Montreal Impact beat host Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-2, in the first leg of the USL-1 final. The second leg in Montreal is at 1:30pm, Saturday, Oct. 17, live on Fox Soccer Channel... European Champions League play continues Oct. 20-21, with five games shown live on Fox networks: Tuesday & Wednesday, 1:30pm. CONCACAF Champions League group play finishes Oct. 20-22, with all three MLS teams having a shot at advancing to the final eight; Houston Dynamo is at Metapán (El Salvador), live on FSC, 9pm, Wednesday, Oct 21.