Austin participated in two new competitions in 2023, their first regional competition (the 2023 Leagues Cup) and continental competitions (the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League), but did not advance in either competition.
Austin FC started playing in the MLS Western Conference in 2021, finishing in 12th place with a record of 9W-4D-21L.[2]2022 brought many new experiences to Austin FC. They lost their first ever U.S. Open Cup match against San Antonio FC in extra time,[3] won their first trophy, the Copa Tejas, and qualified for their first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs in just their second season as a franchise.[4] Austin FC advanced to the Western Conference Finals but lost to LAFC. They qualified for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League as a result of their success in 2022.[5]
Austin FC continued shaping their 2023 team during the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft, when they traded with DC United for the first selection in that draft for $50,000 general allocation money. With the first selection Austin FC chose midfielder Sofiane Djeffal from DC United.[8] On the same day, Austin FC announced that they selected Forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez from the End-of-Year Waiver list from the Seattle Sounders FC, where he had spent time with the MLS Next Pro club Tacoma Defiance.[9] On November 29, 2022, Austin FC and Ocampo-Chavez came to terms on a one-year guarantee through the 2023 season, with a two-year team option through 2025.[10]
In December Austin FC continued to work on their 2023 roster announcing on December 8, 2022, they had resigned Hector Jiménez [11] and announced on December 12, 2022, that hey had acquired Gyasi Zardes through free agency.[12] The 2023 MLS SuperDraft was held on December 21, 2022, and Austin FC picked up CJ Fodrey (GA)[13] and Valentin Noël[14] in the first round, Jackson Walti in the second round, and Salvatore Mazzaferro in the third round.
Austin FC started the new year by strengthening their goalkeeping corps, adding Matt Bersano from the free agent list.[15] Austin FC strengthened their defensive unit on January 4, 2023, by acquiring Leo Väisänen from IF Elfsborg.[16] One day after signing Väisänen, Austin FC announced that Ruben Gabrielsen will be leaving the team after just one year and moving to Lillestrøm SK[17] Continuing to shape the team for 2023 season, Austin FC announced on January 6, 2023, that they had come to an agreement to transfer Tomás Pochettino to Brazilian side Fortaleza Esporte Clube.[18] Adding more depth to their defensive formation, Austin FC announced on January 10, 2023, they had signed Adam Lundqvist from their cross-state rival Houston Dynamo for $500,000 GAM over the 2023–2024 seasons.[19] Looking to build their defense for the longest MLS season to date, Austin FC announced they had signed Amro Tarek as a free agent on January 27, 2023.[20] On January 31, 2023, Austin FC announced Moussa Djitté had been loaned to AC Ajaccio on a short-term loan through the end of the Ligue 1 season, with an option to purchase at the end of the season.[21] After a trial period for a Veteran striker, Austin FC announced on February 10, 2023, that they had signed Will Bruin to a one-year contract, with an option for a second year.[22] The club extended Sebastian Driussi for three years with a fourth-year option on February 14 and named him the next captain.[23] Days before the first match of the season Austin FC extended Diego Fagúndez for three years with a fourth year option, finalizing preseason moves for the team[24]
Slow start and early Champions League exit - February / March / April
Austin FC started the 2023 season with a 3–2 loss to St. Louis City SC in the latter's inaugural match. Julio Cascante was subbed off in the 11th minute after suffering an adductor strain injury that sidelined him for more than two months. Austin quickly rebounded with a 1–0 win over CF Montreal where Maximiliano Urruti scored the game-winner the 88th minute. After the first leg against Violette, the Verde and Black returned to MLS competition against RSL where Owen Wolff scored his first professional goal and the match-winner in the 33rd minute in a 2–1 victory. Austin then suffered their first road loss of the season in a 2–0 defeat to their cross-state rivals, the Houston Dynamo. Ending the month of March with a 1–1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, Austin FC sat in the middle of the table for both the western conference and Supporters Shield standings heading into the second month of the season.[25] At this point, Jon Gallagher led the team with 3 goals, while prized striker Sebastian Driussi had 1 goal in the opening match against St. Louis while Diego Fagundez, Emiliano Rigoni, Gyasi Zardes, Ethan Finlay, and Will Bruin hadn't scored in the first 5 league matches for the club. On March 22, the club announced Aleksandar Radovanović was signed on a short-term loan from K.V. Kortrijk through June 30, 2023, with an option to buy, which the club later declined.[26]
After a two-week break, Austin FC continued the season on the road against LAFC and lost 3–0 on the back of a hat-trick by Denis Bouanga in the first Western Conference Final rematch.[27] Adding to the backline's struggles, Austin suffered another blow to the defense; on April 13, the team announced Žan Kolmanič injured his ACL during training and had season-ending surgery.[28] Austin continued to struggle offensively in a home fixture against Vancouver, where they lost Fagundez for a month to a groin injury in a 0–0 draw, and then lost to the LA Galaxy 2–0 the following week.[29][30] El Tree ended the month with a 2–2 comeback draw at home against the San Jose Earthquakes. Rigoni scored his first goal for the club in the 40th minute, and Driussi scored for the first time since the opening match to equalize in the 78th minute.[31]
Outside of league play, Austin FC travelled to the Dominican Republic to take on the Haitian side Violette AC for their first ever continental match in the CONCACAF Champions League, which they lost 3–0 on March 7. Miche-Naider Chéry notched a first half brace for Violette, beating Amro Tarek on two headers. Tarek then had an own-goal early in the second half to ruin any chance of an Austin comeback. A week later, after beating RSL in league play, Austin FC faced Violette in the return fixture at Q2 Stadium. Despite taking 35 shots and a brace from Driussi, Austin FC fell in the series on an aggregate score of 3–2. Their 2023 CONCACAF Champions League run came to a premature end in what was arguably the biggest upset in the history of the competition; because of the political unrest in Haiti, Violette hadn't played a competitive match in 289 days before the first leg.
Condensed schedule and first U.S. Open Cup run - May / June
Austin FC earned their second straight 2–2 comeback draw, but this time against the Portland Timbers on May 6. Jon Gallagher scored his 4th goal of the season to lead all MLS defenders on a cross from Emiliano Rigoni. Will Bruin was later subbed into the game and the former Sounder could not have scored his first goal with the Verde and Black in a more timely fashion, tying the match with Austin's latest away goal in their short history in the second minute of stoppage time on a cross from Owen Wolff.[32] However, before the Portland match, Driussi suffered a groin injury of his own and would also miss a month. After the Portland match, Wolff was called up to the U-20 team for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and would spend up to a month away from the club.[33] The following week, Rodney Redes was sent off for earning two yellow cards against FC Dallas, and Jesus Ferreira scored the match-winner in the 89th minute, to defeat the short-handed Austin FC 1–0.[34] In a midweek game and with a depleted roster, Austin FC won their first league competition in two months, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 2–1 at Lumen Field on goals from Ethan Finlay and Gyasi Zardes, both their firsts of the campaign.[35] Zardes scored another game-winner four days later helping beat Toronto FC 1–0.[36] A week later, Zardes scored for the third consecutive match and became the 13th player in MLS history to score 100 goals.[37] However, the milestone was not enough for Austin as they conceded two goals and lost to the Dynamo 2–1 in their first Copa Tejas match of the season.[38] Four days later on May 31 against Minnesota United FC, Driussi returned to action for the first time in a month and scored the match-winner in the 82nd minute. The Loons thought they had the equalizer in the 87th minute, but VAR ruled that Hassani Dotson was offside. Brad Stuver then shut the door on Minnesota, making three saves in stoppage time.[39]
Continuing their up and down season, Austin FC returned to Q2 on June 3, losing 2–1 to Real Salt Lake on a brace by Rubio Rubin.[40] Injuries continued to plague the 2023 season, as Alexander Ring was pulled from a starting line up, forcing Aleksandar Radovanović to step in despite playing with a shoulder injury. Last minute changes by Peter Vermes and a strong performance by Sporting Kansas City resulted in a 4–1 loss dropping Austin out of the playoff picture.[41] After a much-needed rest period, a rejuvenated Austin FC finished June with back-to-back 3-0 Copa Tejas wins at Q2 over four days. Ethan Finlay and Gyasi Zardes scored goals in both matches while Diego Fagundez and Julio Cascante scored their first goals of the season against FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo, respectively. The wins gave Austin the lead in the Copa Tejas standings and an opportunity to defend the trophy with a win in Frisco in late August.[42][43]
Due to the mounting injuries, David Rodríguez became the first Austin FC II player to sign a short-term agreement with the club on May 17 but did not appear in a match.[44] In the U-20 World Cup, Owen Wolff had a match-winning assist in the group stage against Ecuador and scored a goal in the Round of 16 against New Zealand, but the Stars and Stripes lost in the Quarterfinals against Uruguay. On June 2, Daniel Pereira was called up to the Venezuela national team for the first time.[45] On June 27, Jon Gallagher was announced as an MLS All-Star.[46]
On June 30, Austin FC named Rodolfo Borrell as their new Sporting Director, replacing Claudio Reyna. Borrell was most recently Pep Guardiola's first assistant at Manchester City, and the club won 15 trophies in the 9 years he was affiliated there.[47]
Austin FC entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 and were drawn against USL team New Mexico United for a home match on May 10 where they accomplished another milestone for the club, winning their first U.S. Open Cup match 2–0. Redes tallied his first goal with the club to open the scoring in the 24th minute and Maxi Urruti added another, with Rigoni contributing to both goals.[48] However, the Verde and Black lost in the Round of 16 against the Chicago Fire 2–0, ending their U.S. Open Cup run. Making matters worse, Leo Väisänen tore his LCL in the Chicago match and was expected to miss at least two months.[49]
First Leagues Cup - July / August
Austin FC started their three-game road trip in South Florida playing Inter Miami CF to a 1–1 tie when Nick Lima scored his first goal for the club,[50] then beat Minnesota United FC 4-1 where Driussi scored a brace, added an assist, and by doing so became the first Austin FC player to make 50 goal contributions. They weren't able to sweep the road trip, losing 2–1 in Vancouver. They also lost Emiliano Rigoni to an MCL injury. El Tree won their last match before the Leagues Cup break with a 2–1 win against Sporting Kansas City, but lost Daniel Pereira and Driussi in the match to shoulder and groin injuries, respectively. The victory against Kansas City was the first time in franchise history Austin FC won three consecutive home matches, and they sit 5th in the West heading into the break.
On July 24, Austin FC traded for CB and former FC Dallas captain Matt Hedges for $475,000 GAM in 2023 and more in 2024 to Toronto FC, if his options are exercised.[51] Hedges appeared in more games than any FC Dallas player with 349 caps from 2012 to 2022. On August 1, Austin FC traded their first-ever goal scorer Diego Fagundez to the LA Galaxy for Memo Rodríguez and at least $300,000 GAM.[52]
Austin returned to action after a three-week break and lost on the road to St. Louis City SC 6–3, getting three second half goals from Driussi, Will Bruin, and Rigoni. The 6 goals allowed set a franchise record for most goals allowed in a single match.[53] In their final Copa Tejas match of the season, Austin FC failed to secure the trophy by losing to FC Dallas 1–0 on a last minute headed goal from Nkosi Tafari.[54] To end the month of August, Austin lost their fifth game in a row in all competition and earned zero points after returning from Leagues Cup competition, losing to the Seattle Sounders FC 2–1. In the Sounders match, Driussi became the first Austin FC player to score 40 goals for the club.[55]
Leagues Cup
Austin FC played their first Leagues Cup matches against Mazatlán on July 21 and Juárez on July 29 at Q2 Stadium. Going into the Leagues Cup break, Mazatlán sat at 15th in the Liga MX table with a draw and two losses after a last place finish in 2023. Juárez currently sits in 3rd with a draw and two impressive comeback wins over América and Toluca.
The Verde and Black lost 3–1 against Mazatlán snapping their home winning streak. Diego Fagundez scored his last goal for the club, a penalty to tie the match in the 65th minute, but Andrés Montaño scored for Mazatlán 30 seconds after the restart. Minutes later, Bruin thought he had the tying goal for Austin before being ruled offside, then Eduard Bello tacked on the third and final goal for Mazatlán in the 88th minute after VAR ruled he was onside.[56] Mazatlán then won the group after defeating Juárez in penalties on July 25, leaving Austin in a position where they can only advance as the group runner-up by beating Juárez outright.[57] Austin was unable to maintain an early lead after allowing Juárez to level it up 12 minutes later on a free kick by Sebastian Saucedo from outside the box. Coming out of the half-time break, Juárez's tactical adjustments allowed them to put two more goals on the board in the 62nd and 69th minutes, both scored by Aitor García, eliminating Austin FC from the 2023 Leagues Cup tournament.[58]
End of the season - September / October
Austin started September by earning an away point, drawing with New England 2–2. Alex Ring evened the score with an extra-time goal, adding to Rigoni's first half goal.[59] During the second outing of the month, Austin fell to Portland 2–1 at home.[60] Three days later Austin earned a point on the road, drawing with the New York Red Bulls 1–1 on the 10th goal of the season by Sebastián Driussi.[61] On September 30, FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo played to a draw, winning Austin FC its second consecutive Copa Tejas, becoming the first MLS club to win it twice. But as the final whistle blew in Houston, the Verde and Black were losing 1–0 to the Colorado Rapids and that score held, so the club extended their winless streak to a franchise-record 10 games.[62]
Austin FC kept their playoff hopes alive with a strong home performance against D.C. United, winning the match 3–0 on goals from Will Bruin, Sebastián Driussi, and Matt Hedges,[63] but lost 4–2 to LAFC three days later to be eliminated from playoff contention. Leo Väisänen scored his first goal for the club late in the second half, while Denis Bouanga scored 2 goals for LAFC to take the Golden Boot lead with his 18th and 19th goals of the season.[64] Austin FC ended their 2023 campaign on the road in San Jose with a 1–1 draw. Austin season record was 10 wins, 15 loses, and 9 draws, for a total of 39 points.[65]
Diego Santiago Fagúndez Pepe is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Gyasi A. Zardes is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Austin FC.
Sebastián Driussi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Austin FC, where he serves as captain. He is currently the clubs all time leading goal scorer with 48 goals
Jesús David Ferreira Castro is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas. Born in Colombia, he represents the United States national team.
Austin FC is an American professional men's soccer club based in Austin, Texas. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2018, the club began play in the 2021 season. Their home stadium is Q2 Stadium in north Austin. They are the first major professional sports league team to play in Texas' capital, which prior to 2021 was the largest city in the United States without such a team.
The 2021 Major League Soccer season was the 26th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The 2021 season included the addition of Austin FC as an expansion club, which took the league to 27 teams.
The 2021 Austin FC season was the club's inaugural season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States. This was also the first season a top-tier sports franchise is playing in the Greater Austin region.
The 2022 Major League Soccer season was the 27th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The league had 28 clubs following the addition of Charlotte FC as an expansion team.
The 2022 Austin FC season was the club's second season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States. Austin FC played in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer.
The 2023 Toronto FC season was the 17th season in the history of Toronto FC.
The 2023 season was the 40th season of Seattle Sounders FC, a professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was their 15th year in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of American soccer, and the 40th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his seventh full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The 2023 FC Cincinnati season was the club's fifth season in MLS, and the eighth season overall for the team including their first three years in the lower-division USL Championship. The club entered 2023 on a high note, having notched their first playoff appearance and first playoff win in 2022 after languishing at the bottom of the standings for their first three seasons in MLS. On September 30, FC Cincinnati clinched the Supporters' Shield, the award given to the team that finishes with the most points in the regular season.
The 2023 Major League Soccer season was the 28th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the 45th season overall of a national first-division league in the United States. The league expanded to 29 clubs following the addition of St. Louis City SC to the Western Conference, with Nashville SC moving back to the Eastern Conference.
The 2023 season was the inaugural season for St. Louis City SC. It is the club's first season in existence, their first in the top-tier of American soccer, and their first season in Major League Soccer. During the regular season, City SC became the first expansion team to win its conference, finishing first in the Western Conference, and earned the most wins; the team fell short of the all-time points record for an expansion team set by Los Angeles FC in 2018. Head coach Bradley Carnell used 32 different starting lineups during the regular season's 34 matches.
The 2023 Houston Dynamo season was the 18th season of the team's existence since joining Major League Soccer (MLS) prior to the 2006 season. The Dynamo missed the playoffs in 2022 for the eighth time in nine years.
The 2023 Minnesota United FC season was the club's seventh in Major League Soccer. Their season began on February 25, 2023, where they faced FC Dallas in Frisco. The club played its home matches at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The club failed to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. On October 6, the club fired Technical Director Mark Watson and Head Coach Adrian Heath.
The 2024 Major League Soccer season is the ongoing 29th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the 46th season overall of a national first-division league in the United States.
The 2024 Austin FC season will be the club's fourth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States. They playin the league's Western Conference.
The 2024 FC Cincinnati season is the club's sixth season in MLS, and the ninth season overall for the team including their first three years in the lower-division USL. The club entered 2024 as the defending Supporters' Shield winners, the award given to the team that finishes with the most points in the regular season.
↑ Hellgren, Tobias (January 4, 2023). "Uppgifter: Väisänen klar för Austin FC" (in Finnish). Retrieved January 27, 2023. Tidigare har Borås Tidning rapporterat att Elfsborg får omkring 18 miljoner kronor för 25-åringen. Totalt spelade Väisänen 93 matcher i en gulsvarta tröjan.
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