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Austin FC salutes their fans after their inaugural match at LAFC on April 17. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Nearly 500,000 viewers across the U.S. drew their breath as Austin FC's Tomas Pochettino nearly sent a header to the back of the LAFC net. Then again when another header from substitute Jon Gallagher flew just wide of goal, reigniting a fighting spirit in the club. Once more in the 90th minute when Gallagher faced LAFC goalie Pablo Sisniega in a last-minute attempt to narrow the lead.
While no fans saw the club complete their first-ever goal, 30 of them were able to watch the debut from the Banc of California Stadium itself. Nearly 1,500 miles away, thousands more watched with fingers crossed from watch parties and living rooms across Austin.
Austin FC has another chance to fly one past the goalkeeper in this week's matchup in Denver against the Colorado Rapids. If you're part of the #denVERDE movement making the trek up to the match this weekend, you probably already know as much as I do. If not, here's a rundown of possible lineup changes, Rapids insights and info on where to watch Austin FC's (possible) first goal.
What to expect
The Rapids' Michael Barrios could be a tough offensive threat against Austin FC on April 24. (Colorado Rapids/Twitter)
So what do we know about the Colorado Rapids this season?
Truthfully, not much. The Rapids didn't give a lot away in their season opener as they ended in a scoreless draw at FC Dallas over the weekend.
Despite a lackluster opening match, we do know the team and fans are eager to watch their home opener at Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic.
A founding member of the MLS, the Rapids have 25 years of experience on Austin's expansion team. While they may not have the track record of LAFC, this is clearly not a shoe-in for Austin FC. The club will need to look out for Rapids forward Michael Barrios, who saw three of his four shots on target against his former club, FC Dallas.
The Rapids could also have an advantage on their home turf due to their placement in the Rockies. Austin FC already looks like they aren't 100% conditioned, and high altitudes could tire the club out even quicker. Head Coach Josh Wolff said the team has been using altitude and bariometric chambers to prepare, and they're conditioning like usual for the match.
Beware of headers, Colorado. While Austin FC hasn't connected on anything so far, they saw some near goals with nail-biting headers throughout the match. If DP Pochettino, Danny Hoesen or Gallagher get shots on goal like they did last week, it could be game over for the Rapids.
Austin FC vs. Colorado Rapids projected lineup
If you were here last week, there's likely nothing new. Wolff gave no indication on changing the lineup for this week's match, and it's more likely he'll keep the same starters from the LAFC match for at least a few weeks. There are a few changes that would be less surprising than others, however.
Hoesen saw a few chances in the match, but he didn't really secure his spot as Austin FC's purest offensive player in the opener. Meanwhile, Gallagher brought new life to the team when he subbed in later in the match, notching two near goals in the final minutes of play. Whether it was first-match jitters or simply the luck of the draw, Hoesen's likely still safe for a few matches, but Gallagher could prove a threat later on down the road.
Ben Sweat didn't stand out too much in the match, and perhaps that's a good thing for a defender. He sailed across to Pochettino to aid a near goal in the first half, and he appeared to do what he needed to in left back. His starting spot is threatened less because he did poorly and more because his sub, 21-year old Slovenian Zan Kolmanic, did surprisingly well. Kolmanic is behind on conditioning, but he's got more than enough skill to make a run for the starting spot at some point.
Finally, Brad Stuver came as a bit of a surprise as he edged out Andrew Tarbell in the club's first match. The two were neck-and-neck in preseason, but Stuver appeared to do his job up against LAFC, blocking a shot in the first 30 seconds of play and fending off 11 on-target shot attempts. We can still expect to see Tarbell start at some point.
Where to watch
Over 1,000 Austin FC fans watched the inaugural match at Austin Anthem's watch party at Circle Brewing on April 17. (Circle Brewing/Twitter)
If you're not part of the #denVERDE crew headed up to watch the match live (psst, tickets are still up, and they're cheap!), there's still plenty of watch parties available this weekend.
The official Austin FC watch party will be held at 3TEN ACL Live. Kickoff is at 8 p.m., but the org recommends coming early—last time, over 1,000 people showed up, and there's limited seating at this venue. It's free to enter, and there's a full bar available as well. Bites are provided by the W Austin.
Fan club Austin Anthem has relocated to Adelbert's Brewing for this week's match. Expect limited seating, as the club also saw over 1,000 RSVPs for the opener. RSVP here.
Finally, Los Verdes has already shown they're bringing a good time, all the time. Partnered with Hopsquad Brewing, the club plans to bring live music, beer, food and "a surprise" to Saturday's watch party. Doors open at 12 p.m., live music kicks off at 2 p.m. and kickoff is at 8 p.m. More info here.
For a full list of pub partners that will play the match, click here.
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(Pixabay)
On Sunday, May 29, we’ll experience one of the year’s biggest calls to adventure in the Mars/Jupiter conjunction—a potent duo whose combined force will start to be especially strongly felt when Mars moves into Aries on May 24. Contrastingly, Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, will keep our mental temperament grounded and steady as they move slowly through the sensual, materially-oriented sign of Taurus for most of the month. These contrasting forces might be tricky to weave together—read ahead for tips on how your sign can find the right approach this month!
Gemini: May 21-June 20
Gemini: May 21-June 20Welcome to the season of your Solar Return, Gemini! This month will set the stage for your whole coming year, so it will be great to start it off on the right foot. The most important bit of cosmic context is Mercury moving slowly till the end of the month in the grounded sign of Taurus. This is an encouragement to savor your questions and conversations with the world, without needing to rush to answers and to mull over the elemental, fundamental aspects of your life. It would be great to give yourself perspective, especially by experiencing new environments and by moving through the world in a new manner. Allow yourself to be surprised! You might loosen some of your hardened beliefs, but don’t discount the trustworthiness or substance of the new ideas you may stumble upon.
Cancer: June 21-July 22
Cancer: June 21-July 22For you, Cancer, the paradoxes of Gemini season have to do with inwardness and outwardness. On the one hand, you can expect your inner world to be as active as ever, swirling with meaningful thoughts and experiences needing to be digested. On the other, this month features a strong call to get out of your shell, open up to the world at large, and bravely share yourself—perhaps even in an unprecedented way! In transitioning between these extremes, the Moon can be as good a guide as ever—heading into and out of the New Moon on the 30th, you might focus on articulating and envisioning this burgeoning impulse and nourishing the terrain for its growth. As we ramp up to the full moon on the 14th, you might find small ways to embody, communicate and make real this developing dream.
Leo: July 23-Aug 22
Leo: July 23-Aug. 22This Gemini Season is particularly intense for you, Leo, as it calls forth both a fiery, hungry spirit and a more serious, dedicated energy, aware of life’s hardships and limitations. These impulses herald a summer of growth and maturation, which would be great to get a good jump on. Just don’t let this process make you too heavyhearted or self-involved! Your friends, community, and experience of the broader social world at large can help soften and clarify this strong, fiery self that’s metamorphosing. You might rely upon this bigger, human perspective to help you progress smoothly and gracefully. Although it might require some extra humility, taking yourself less seriously can be a superpower. A lighthearted approach can be extraordinarily efficient and effective. It might be paradoxical, but consider that relying on a bigger, greater power than your own is your path to individual fullness.
Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 21
Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 21This Gemini season brings a charge for you to expand into more substantive and serious subjects, Virgo. Especially if you feel you’ve been playing small, this will provide an opportunity for you to grow into more meaningful and demanding work in the world. At times, this will feel hectic and harsh—there will be no shortage of fire this month. You, as much as anyone, though, can help find the right place and time for that fire, directing it where there’s a need for more energy and oomph. Lightheartedness can be really helpful in navigating and dancing with this heat—with a bit of humor and perspective, you can respond and adapt quickly and gracefully. By the end of the month, you should be able to feel like your view of and faith in the bigger picture has expanded.
Libra: Sept. 22-Oct. 23
Libra: Sept. 22-Oct. 23This Gemini season will provide ample opportunities for you to learn and grow through your relationships, Libra. We’re really looking at the full spectrum of potential experiences here—on the one hand, Mars’ entry into Aries can ignite flammable subjects, and people are generally likely to be on edge, assertive and protective. On the other, Venus’ conjunction with Uranus toward the end of the month can bring unexpected encounters and new forms of relationship into play. Throughout all of this, there’s a theme for the next year of growth through fiery, direct relationships. This is a step beyond just keeping the peace which may be discomforting, but consider that it may take your relationships to incredibly satisfying and enduring places.
Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 21
Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 21This Gemini season brings opportunities for sharpening both your wits and tools, Scorpio, although this may feel like a trial by fire. Although they may feel particularly urgent and exciting this month, many of these challenges and opportunities will last throughout the summer, so take your time to get your focus clear and settle into a groove. The real challenge and potential this month have to do with navigating subtle, intricate dynamics so that you aren’t flustered and know exactly where to put your effort. In order to develop this discernment, you can definitely rely on trusted allies, who can act as mirrors, triangulation points and simple safe havens amid the storm. This is a strategic necessity, but be sure to give thanks and enjoy the simple goodness of companionship, too!
Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21
Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21The sharp, powerful impulses and stimulation of this Gemini season are pushing you to the development of your free will, Sagittarius—a spirit of playful, proud independence and spontaneity. There are a couple of ways that you might think about this. First, that courage is necessary to truly live out your convictions and ideals, as well as a way to ultimately best serve the world. Truth isn’t always soft or easy. On the other hand, this isn’t too complex and is keyed to cutting through stagnation. There’s a sort of simplicity and instinctive wisdom that you can draw upon and develop into this month, letting things happen. If you need to, you can think of this as an act of trust, or faith in a basic goodness and natural, flowing order of things.
Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19
Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19The motion and activity of this Gemini season can quickly develop your values and taste, Capricorn, as you strip back ordinary and inherited ways of thinking and open your eyes to life’s beauty. This simple and vibrant beauty will stimulate your desire to savor life’s goodness and strive for the highest quality experience possible. Along the way, your fixed, limited ideas about what is possible can fall away, even as the new and extraordinary may require incredible strength and devotion from you. Although these are lofty ideals, they’ll have a lot to do with your tangible, everyday experience of your body and sense of home—this is a primal, almost wild energy being rekindled. Alongside this intense fire comes a certain risk, so make sure to enter into this new adventure step by step, without injuring yourself or anyone else.
Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18
Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18This Gemini season can help you learn how to feel more rooted and alive in life’s simple aspects, Aquarius. Although this can certainly take place in tandem with new teachers, these don’t have to be big gurus—rather, your curiosity, delight, and common sense might be the best guides. In this regard, your quality of perception, thought and the well-being of your inner child can all make great strides. Through the first part of the month, this will likely feel exciting and overwhelming. As we approach our new moon, though, you can get a better sense of where you need to be settling into more focus and definition in your life. This back and forth between a growing sense of clarity and inner authority and a stronger capacity to be firm and to the point will continue to deepen throughout the summer.
Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20
Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20This Gemini season is focused on helping you develop a stronger sense of connection to the world around you, Pisces. Although this can take place by rearranging and bringing more life into your body and environment, an initial spirit of fresh possibility and willingness to release what is stale and outgrown is a necessity. In doing so, you can land upon a greater sense of capability and being resourced for life’s adaptations and evolutions. This will certainly be a month of growth in your material world and relationship with your body, but the serious litmus test is how settled you feel internally—the quality and clarity of your thoughts and inner world. Ideally, though this summer you’ll develop a stronger trust in yourself and an easier interface between your inner riches and outer quality of experience.
Aries: March 21-April 19
Aries: March 21-April 19The Mars/Jupiter conjunction is especially important for you, Aries, as it happens in your home sign. This signifies a spark of expansion that will play out over the coming year. Here, Jupiter is calling you into new ventures and adventures, to level up and act on the big dreams and desires brewing inside of you. Thus, this month is a great time to initiate some bigger change, to take some jump, leap or healthy risk. Although you don’t want to let this moment slip away, please don’t get impulsive or headstrong—make sure you’ve got at least a bit of a plan. Ideally, whatever you’re aiming at will require a good bit of care, and you can expect that much of this opportune, fertile energy will continue and develop throughout the next year.
Taurus: April 20-May 20
Taurus: April 20-May 20The start of the coming month will challenge you to keep up the pace, Taurus, so that it can consolidate into a healthy rhythm. Finding the right stride, you can find yourself breathing more easily, and maybe let yourself loosen your grip or take your hands off the handlebars, trusting your sense of balance and the strength in your legs. This can set the stage for an opportune spell at the end of Gemini Season, as your ruler Venus makes a conjunction with Uranus—you might keep an eye out for spontaneous side adventures, ways to create space for synchronicity, or simple moments where life is calling you into new ways of being. Ideally, these will feel like clear upgrades, but if you need to think of them as experiments or trial runs, that’s totally okay, too.
