Soccer Watch

The Austin Aztex have two home games this week – their only ones in the month of May. The Aztex stayed unbeaten on the road last week with a 2-2 draw in Tampa Bay in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,082 in the first game ever at the Rowdies' new stadium. For the second game in a row, the Aztex got goals from Eddie Johnson and Jamie Watson – the latter, and both the Rowdies' goals, coming on penalty kicks. At 3-1-1, the Aztex are one of the league's early success stories; if they're really contenders, this week's games (against the last-place teams in each division) are the kind they should win: Crystal Palace Balti­more on Sunday, May 16, 6pm, and their second game in 10 days against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Wednesday, May 19, 7:30pm; House Park, 13th & Lamar. www.austinaztex.com.

Boom Sumting! Sound System is back at the Nomad Bar this Saturday, May 15, 9pm-1am, featuring DJs spinning global beats and videos, raffle prizes, and more – a benefit for Soccer Shots Global Goals and kids in Khayelitsha, South Africa. www.boomsumting.com.

The European season comes to a close this weekend and next, with a few major titles still up for grabs. Inter Milan and Barcelona will try to wrap up Italy and Spain on Sunday (with Roma and Real Madrid in striking distance should the leaders falter). And two major Cup trophies will be decided this Saturday and next: The FA Cup Final pits the top and bottom teams in the Premier League, Chelsea and Portsmouth, Sat., May 15, 9am on FSC; and the Champions League final, Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan, is Sat., May 22, 1:45pm on Fox HD. Bayern wrapped up the Bundeslige this week and are in the German Cup final this Saturday, while Inter won the Coppa Italia last week, so both of those teams could be gunning for a triple. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid beat Fulham for the Europa Cup (née UEFA Cup).

And while players are still giving their all for their clubs, national team coaches are starting to panic because there are only four weeks until World Cup kickoff. All but one of the 32 finalists released their preliminary rosters of 30 players or less, to be cut to the final WC roster of 23, and there was woe and elation in every country around the world. Click the above link to see the full rosters; here are a few tidbits: New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi was the only foreign-based player picked by Italy coach Marcello Lippi; Brian Ching, at 32, is the oldest field player in the USA 30-man squad; Charlie Davies didn't make it; John Terry has joined the burgeoning injury list in England, with a possible broken foot; Brazil coach Dunga skipped the preliminaries and named his final 23; and North Korea made no announcement at all, except that no games will be broadcast live in that country.