Soccer Watch

The Austin Aztex announced their 2012 season schedule last week: 16 games, running May 5-July 14, with the home opener Saturday, May 19. All home games are at House Park (15th & Lamar) with a 7:30pm kickoff, on Fridays and Saturdays, with one Thursday night game. The Aztex will compete in the Mid South Division of the USL Premier Development League against the El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, West Texas Sockers (Midland), Texas Dutch Lions (Hous­ton), and New Orleans Jesters. Tickets will be on sale soon for $10 (or eight for $50), with kids 10 and younger admitted free. More news to follow soon, including perhaps some roster announcements and preseason exhibition games. See the full schedule with this item online.

It's looking likely that there will be no English teams in the final eight of the European Champions League as Chel­sea fell heavily to Napoli, 3-1, in the first leg of their round of 16 matchups Tuesday, following Arsenal's 4-0 drubbing in Milan last week. Barring an unlikely comeback in one of the return legs (March 6-14), it'll be the first time with no English club in the quarterfinals since 1996, when just 24 teams participated, instead of the current 76 (from 52 nations).

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Austin Aztex 2012 Schedule

(home games in bold)

Sat., May 5, 7:30pm: Austin at Texas (Houston)

Fri., May 11, 7:30pm: Austin at West Texas (Midland)

Sat., May 12, 8:00pm: Austin at El Paso

Sat., May 19, 7:30pm: El Paso at Austin

Thu., May 24, 7:30pm: Texas at Austin

Fri., June 1, 7:30pm: New Orleans at Austin

Sat., June 2, 7:30pm: New Orleans at Austin

Sat., June 9, 7:30pm: Laredo at Austin

Sat., June 16, 7:30pm: El Paso at Austin

Tue., June 19, 8:15pm: Austin at Laredo

Fri., June 22, 7:30pm: Laredo at Austin

Wed., June 27, 8:15pm: Austin at Laredo

Sat., June 30, 7:00pm: Austin at New Orleans

Fri., July 6, 7:30pm: West Texas at Austin

Sun., July 8, 8:00pm: Austin at El Paso

Sat., July 14, 7:00pm: Austin at New Orleans