Soccer Watch

The Texas Longhorns lost to Baylor, 2-1 in overtime, in the first round of the Big 12 Champ­ion­ships in Kansas City on Wednesday. They ended the regular season at 13-2-2 (5-2-2 Big 12), ranked 14th in the nation, and seemingly a lock for their second NCAA bid under Angela Kelly… Sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen and junior midfielder Katie Glenn were each selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, while midfielder Haley Berg was named Freshman of the Year (following Hintzen last season), and second team all-conference… Sunday's Big 12 Championship match is on FS1 at 3pm.

News of the Columbus Crew's possible move to Austin continues to reverberate around Major League Soccer, and the organization tries to walk the tightrope between honoring their fans in Columbus, who've been with the team since MLS started, and their obvious desire – seemingly backed by MLS itself – to find a home here instead. Some of that drama played out on and off the field Halloween night in Columbus, as the Crew dismantled NYCFC, 4-1, in a playoff quarterfinal. (The return leg at NYC will be part of an MLS tripleheader Sunday, 3, 5, & 7:30pm on ESPN and/or FS1.) Fan support was loud and enthusiastic, and while the 14,416 attendance was the lowest of the four games played over the weekend, it was also the only game played on Tuesday, Halloween night, up against game 6 of the riveting World Series. Still, that probably looks like a glass half empty for Crew owner Anthony Precourt.

In other news, Item 46 on the Nov. 9 Austin City Council agenda is a resolution asking the city manager to identify city-owned sites that could be used for an MLS stadium, as well as quantifying the benefits thereof… Meanwhile, Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood has agreed to look into whether the Crew's proposed move would violate an MLS agreement with San Antonio. Allegedly, the county's 2015 purchase of Toyota Field was contingent on a promise from MLS that San Antonio would get a legitimate shot at an expansion franchise – which would be precluded by a team relocating to Austin… The current tenants of Toyota Park, San Antonio FC, bowed out of the USL playoffs with a heartbreaking loss to OKC Energy in a PK shootout. Tough way to end a really good season.