Soccer preview
Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Austin Aztex
WHEN: 7: 30 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Reeves Athletic Complex RECORDS: Austin, 8-13-3, 27 pts.; Seattle, 12-10-3, 39 pts. TICKETS: $ 10 to $25
PROMOTION: Youth sports appreciation night, with any athlete 18 or younger who wears a jersey receiving a free ticket.
GETTINGTHERE: Reeves has ample parking, but Cap Metro offers free rides on all its city lines to Aztex ticket holders.
LASTHURRAH: This is the fifinal home match for the Aztex, who fifinish with three road games. Austin is 5-5-3 at home.
ABOUTAUSTIN: A solid defense hasn’t been able to overcome a low-scoring offense for the 11th-place team in the USL’s Western Conference. The Aztex allow 1.33 goals per game, ninth in the 24-team league, but despite outshooting their opponents 289-280, they have been outscored 32-25. ... Kris Tyrpak and Trevin Caesar are the two threats with eight goals apiece. ... Romain Gall, on loan from MLS Columbus, has just one assist and no goals in eight games. He’s taken 15 shots.
ABOUTSEATTLE: A win clinches a playoffff spot for the Sounders, the No. 5 team in the West, but they are a poor road team (2-8-3), losing their past three and 0-4-1 in their past fifive. Their defense can be breached, as they have allowed nearly 1.5 goals per game, but Seattle has a balanced, formidable offffffffffffense, topped by Pablo Rossi (8 goals, 18 points) and Andy Craven (5 goals, 5 assists).