Soccer Watch
By Nick Barbaro, Fri., Sept. 18, 2015
The UT Longhorns battled Oregon State to a 1-1 draw late Thursday night after a two-hour rain delay, then dominated play against Abilene Christian on Sunday, winning 2-1. Senior Lindsey Meyer scored in each game, and the team is playing well, but coach Angela Kelly can't be happy about either of the goals her charges gave up: Oregon State's came on a clear breakaway with just three seconds left in the first half, and Abilene's came from a turnover deep in the defense. The Horns host Arkansas-Little Rock at 1pm this Sunday, Sept. 20, before opening Big 12 play with three road games in a row.
The Austin Aztex were finally eliminated from the USL West playoff hunt by a dismal 3-0 loss in Colorado Springs last Wednesday, but their game at Seattle this Thursday at 9:30pm has stark playoff implications nonetheless: The Sounders 2 need a win or draw to take the sixth and last playoff spot; an Aztex win puts Tulsa through instead. The Aztex finish up their inaugural season at Vancouver at 5pm Sunday, Sept. 20. Watch either game live at www.austinaztex.com or at Haymaker, 2310 Manor Rd.
St. Edward's women jumped all the way to No. 6 in the nation after a pair of wins in Colorado last week; the men are at No. 15 after a draw at nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines. The men host Huston-Tillotson at 4pm Friday, Sept. 18, and there's a doubleheader Sunday, Sept. 20: The women host the University of Bridgeport at 1pm and the men play Ouachita Baptist at 3:30pm.
DC United became the first team to clinch a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, winning its group by beating Panama's Arabe Unido, 2-0 Tuesday night. The group stage wraps up with games Sept. 22-24 and Oct. 20-22; only Costa Rica's Saprissa looks able to crack the MLS/Mexico lock on the final eight.
Surprises in the first gameday of the European Champions League group stage: Both Manchester teams lost on Tuesday – United at Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven, City at home to Italian champ Juventus. And Arsenal lost 2-1 on Wednesday to upstart Dinamo Zagreb. The Europa League kicks off this Thursday, with some 10 different games on various Fox channels at 1pm and 3pm.
