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Austin FC's second season will begin on Feb. 26 at Austin's Q2 Stadium. (Austin FC/Twitter)
In just one month, Austin FC is back—and the "biggest party in Austin" at Q2 Stadium is opening up once more to both diehards and bandwagoners as the club gears up for its second season starting Feb. 26.
Whether you're a futbol fanatic or just curious about the city's first major league team, here's everything you need to know before beer showers and big celebrations begin again at each Austin FC match.
What to know
For those not already onboard the Verde train, Austin FC had its first match ever on April 17, 2021, with its first home match taking place at the brand-new Q2 Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd in June. The 20,500 capacity North Austin venue has since hosted 17 home matches, all of them sold out and even held matches for the U.S. men's and women's national teams.
First-time fans can expect the sound of fan band La Murga de Austin echoing over a roaring crowd across the stadium each match. Those craving excitement can head to the supporters' section on the Southside of the stadium, where La Murga and fan clubs Los Verdes and Austin Anthem lead chants and songs all match long. Calmer fans can still find plenty to cheer for in other sections of Q2, including occasional appearances from part-owner Matthew McConaughey and other famous Austinites and local eats and beers located around the stadium.
In its first year, Austin FC captivated soccer fans across the States with its unabashed support, and the club broke the MLS record for the most jerseys sold in a single day in late 2020.
But the club's first season came with struggles—with just nine wins under its belt, Austin FC struggled to find results that matched its supporters' expectations and finished second to last in the West. Check out Austonia's analysis of the first season here.
Fast forward to January, and the club has made tweaks in its roster, including signing big-name players, as it gears up for its home opener against FC Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Projected starting lineup
Expect new and old to mix—on and off the pitch—for Austin FC. Just a few players who first took to the pitch for the club's first ever match remain, including Captain Alex Ring and surprise star goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
Unlike last season, Austin FC may have too much of a good thing in its striker position. With 22-year-old powerhouse Moussa Djitte signing on in the summer and the recent signing of MLS vet Maxi Urruti, it's a guessing game on who will take on the role as the club's top goalscorer. Danny Hoesen, who was pegged as Austin's top striker last season before suffering a season-long injury, will have to earn his spot back if he's to start once more. We peg Urruti, who has now played for all three Texan MLS clubs, as the starting striker for Day 1.
Those supporting the striker include forwards Diego Fagundez and Cecilio Dominguez, both of whom tied as the club's top goalscorer with seven goals each last season. Fagundez will likely compete with recent signee Ethan Finlay at right wing, but the fan favorite shouldn't lose too much playing time; he'll likely sub in for star Sebastian Driussi at attacking midfielder when needed as well.
Ring and newcomer Jhojan Valencia will likely be the yin and yang of Austin's midfield. Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said the team acquired Valencia to play more defensively so that players like Ring can take a more offensive approach, and both will be key to directing each Austin FC match.
The roster gets thinnest on defense, though Austin recently billed a big name in Norwegian center back Ruben Gabrielsen, who has experience in both Norway and France's top leagues. Gabrielsen could find a strong sub in Kipp Keller, a recent college athlete who was the No. 1 defender available in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Last year's starters Jhohan Romana and Julio Cascante will likely vie for the final center back spot, while Zan Kolmanic and Nick Lima should keep their spots at left and right back.
The club took a gamble with Gabrielsen and may find itself short for talent once again if a crop of injuries show up once again in preseason. But with a fuller, well-picked lineup and lessons learned from last season, Head Coach Josh Wolff's sometimes-unpopular style of play will have an extra shot at redemption for his second year as head coach.
Dates to know
Diego Fagundez threw up the "LV" in honor of Austin FC fan club Los Verdes after he scored the club's first-ever goal in April 2021. (Austin FC/Twitter)
While Austin's first match won't take place until Feb. 26, a four-game preseason schedule begins at practice complex St. David's Performance Center on Wednesday, Feb. 9. All but one match will be closed to the public, but season ticket holders will be in for a treat with automatic tickets to an international friendly match against Liga MX champions Atlas FC at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Learn more about that here.
The club's first official match will take place against FC Cincinnati, who finished in last place In the MLS East in 2021, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26. Other notable matches include rivalry games against Texas teams Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, with the first home match against FC Dallas on Saturday, June 25 and the first home Houston Dynamo match on Tuesday, July 12.
Austin FC will also take on new MLS club Charlotte FC for the first time in an away match on Wednesday, June 29 before finishing its 29-match regular season at home against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday, October 9.
Most matches will take place on Sundays and Saturday evenings, with five other matches taking place on weekdays. If the club advances to playoffs, it'll wrap up in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar from Nov 21-Dec 18, 2022.
Check out the full 2022 schedule here.
Where and how to watch
Austin FC's supporters' section has become known as one of the biggest parties in Austin. (Claire Partain/Austonia)
The best thing about Austin FC may not always be what's on the pitch, which is why the club's energetic home matches are in such high demand week after week. Fans can join the thousands-strong waitlist for season tickets here or purchase any regular season single-match ticket now here. Ticket prices tend to range from around $30 to over $100. Click here for everything you need to know before attending a match.
Those wanting to watch away matches can join the hundreds of Los Verdes and Austin Anthem fans that travel to support their team. Fans looking for a simpler answer can also head to watch parties and Austin FC Pub Clubs around the city to catch a match. Supporters' group HQs Hopsquad Brewing and Circle Brewing bring in-stadium excitement to every match, home or away, just steps from Q2 Stadium, while Austin FC itself hosts official watch parties each week.
For a quieter fan experience, fans can tune into each match on regional channels KXAN, CW Austin, MyNetwork, Univision, ALT 97.5 FM and TUDN Radio Austin. Eight matches will also be nationally broadcast. Austonia will provide coverage of every game as well.
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Popular
(Jordan Vonderhaar/The Texas Tribune)
The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call an emergency special legislative session to consider a variety of gun restrictions and safety measures in the wake of a mass school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two adults dead this week.
In a letter released Saturday morning, all 13 Senate Democrats demanded lawmakers pass legislation that raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 years old. The Uvalde gunman was 18 and had purchased two AR-style rifles which he used in the attack.
The caucus is also calling for universal background checks for all firearm sales, “red flag” laws that allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from people who are considered an imminent threat to themselves or others, a “cooling off period” for the purchase of a firearm and regulations on high capacity magazines for citizens.
“Texas has suffered more mass shootings over the past decade than any other state. In Sutherland Springs, 26 people died. At Santa Fe High School outside Houston, 10 people died. In El Paso, 23 people died at a Walmart. Seven people died in Midland-Odessa,” the letter reads. “After each of these mass killings, you have held press conferences and roundtables promising things would change. After the slaughter of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, those broken promises have never rung more hollow. The time to take real action is now.”
Such laws are unlikely to gain traction in the Republican-controlled Legislature, which has a track record of favoring legislation that loosens gun restrictions. Only the governor has the power to call lawmakers back into a special session for emergency work.
Asked about a special session at a Friday press conference in Uvalde, Abbott said “all options are on the table” adding that he believed laws would ultimately be passed to address this week’s horrors. However, he suggested laws would be more tailored toward addressing mental health, rather than gun control.
“You can expect robust discussion and my hope is laws are passed, that I will sign, addressing health care in this state,” he said, “That status quo is unacceptable. This crime is unacceptable. We’re not going to be here and do nothing about it.”
He resisted the idea of increasing the age to purchase a firearm, saying that since Texas became a state, 18-year-olds have been able to buy a gun.
He also dismissed universal background checks saying existing background check policies did not prevent the Santa Fe and Sutherland Springs shootings, which both happened while he has been in office.
“If everyone wants to seize upon a particular strategy and say that’s the golden strategy right there, look at what happened in the Santa Fe shooting,” he said. “A background check had no relevance because the shooter took the gun from his parents…Anyone who suggests we should focus on background checks as opposed to mental health, I suggest is mistaken.”
Since the massacre at Robb Elementary School, the governor’s comments about potential solutions have centered around increasing mental health services, rather than restricting access to firearms.
This story has been edited for length.
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(Project Connect)
Designs for stations along Project Connect’s Blue Line were presented this week, giving a detailed look at what part of the rail system extending from downtown to the airport could look like.
The planned stations that have gotten the latest focus include Waterfront, Travis Heights and Lakeshore stations past Lady Bird Lake.
At the Waterfront station, the preliminary design aims to prevent visual obstructions and save on costs. This is accomplished by a transit guideway that will lower from the bridge to a level station.
Heading onto East Riverside Drive, the light rail faces a curve requiring a slow down to about 10 miles per hour.
The Travis Heights station could involve relocating a pedestrian crosswalk zone at Alameda Drive to Blunn Creek. Since light rails can't effectively operate on a steep grade, this allows the transit guideway to avoid that.
From there, the rail will extend to the Norwood Park area, and though it will reach along the right-of-way zone, the park will be able to remain open.
A view of the Blue Line by Lady Bird Lake. (Project Connect)
The line involves some coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation. That's because the department is working on an intersection that will have to be built before the phasing of the section of the Blue Line involving an I-35 crossing.
When it comes to the safety of cyclists and walkers, design ideas include a pedestrian hybrid beacon by East Bouldin Creek that would provide a protected signal to cross. And for the intersection TxDOT is carrying out, Project Connect is working with them on pedestrian access across the intersection. It could involve shared use paths along the street and crossings beneath it.
This summer, the public can expect 30% of design and cost estimates to be released. Though the project was $7.1 billion when voters approved it in November 2020, the latest estimates factoring in inflation and supply chain constraints show it could ultimately be upwards of $10 billion.
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