Soccer Watch

The biggest soccer news of the week comes from Catalonia, where a Monday secession vote in the regional parliament appears to have set the semiautonomous region on to a path of total independence from Spain by 2017. In that event, the Spanish La Liga has announced, Catalan teams – notably Barcelona, possibly the best club team in the world – would no longer be welcome. France's Ligue 1 has already signaled their willingness to adopt Barca; they already include Monaco, based in the independent Principality, so why not? But we're still a good ways off from that. Apart from a murky legal situation, the independence vote depends on the two leading separatist parties – heretofore bitter enemies – making peace and forming a coalition government within the next 60 days. Stay tuned.

UT women's season ended with a first-round Big 12 Tournament loss to Kansas. Texas Tech won their first Big 12 title, and will represent the conference in the NCAA tourney, along with West Virginia.

St. Edward's men swept through the Heartland Conference tournament, but got a tough draw in the 38-team Div. II bracket, having to go through eighth-ranked Colorado School of Mines Saturday afternoon, and then second-ranked Midwestern State to get to the final eight. ... The Hilltopper women lost a heartbreaker to Dallas Baptist in the Heartland Conference tournament final, giving up the tying goal with about 10 minutes to play, then the game-winner in overtime. It was their third loss of the season to Dallas Baptist. They play Fort Lewis Friday in San Angelo in the NCAA first round.

Thursday through Tuesday, Nov. 12-17, is an international break, highlighted by the U.S. men opening their World Cup 2018 qualifying campaign Friday, Nov. 13, hosting St. Vincent and the Grenadines in St. Louis, and then traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, Tuesday at 5:30pm on BeIN Sports. There are also WC qualifiers in South America, Africa, and Asia, plus the home-and-away playoffs for the final four places at Euro 2016: Sweden-Denmark, Norway-Hungary, Ukraine-Slovenia, and Ireland-Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Some crackling competition and results in the MLS conference semifinals last week, as three goals in the last few minutes of regulation turned the Dallas-Seattle series back and forth three times, finally sending it to overtime and a PK shootout, where 20-year-old Dallas keeper Jesse Gonzalez had two saves to send FC Dallas into the Western final against the Portland Timbers. A similar back-and-forth scenario played out as the Columbus Crew outlasted Montreal in overtime, and will face New York Red Bulls in the Eastern finals.

U.S. Soccer this week announced a "Player Safety Campaign," which eliminates heading for children 10 and under, and limits the amount of heading in practice for children ages of 11 to 13.