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(Q2 Stadium/Twitter)
Things are looking up, Austin FC fans.
With the Q2 Stadium and the St. David's Performance Center both on track to be completed by late March or early April, Austin FC is looking forward to the possibility of "large crowds" for their home opener, Austin FC President Andy Loughnane said.
In an announcement on Monday, Loughnane gave an update on COVID protocol, ticketing and construction progress ahead of the team's first season.
Loughnane said that although there has been no definitive protocol, the team is looking to host plenty of fans for their first-ever home game against the San Jose Earthquakes on June 19.
"While we are not quite yet in position to provide a definitive answer given the changing (and hopefully improving) conditions, I speak on behalf of our entire organization when I share that it is our hope to be in position to consider safely hosting a large crowd for our home opener on June 19," Loughnane said. "And given that our first home match is scheduled for a date that is over three months away from today, Austin FC has the unique benefit of continuing to be observant and patient as conditions and protocols evolve around us."
As they continue to monitor the pandemic in the coming months, fans will have something new to look forward to: guided stadium tours. With COVID restrictions relaxing, Loughnane said that season ticket holders, fans and partners can look forward to a fluid tour schedule before the home opener.
Both stadium construction and ticket announcements are still on schedule as well. Loughnane said that the team is still planning on releasing ticketing information on the home opener between May 19 and 24, alongside general single match tickets for regular-season home matches. While nothing is set in stone, Loughnane said that season ticket holders can plan on having access to the home opener vs. San Jose. If the stadium opens at 100% capacity, approximately 5,000 single match tickets will be available to the public per match, and Loughnane recommends looking to join the Waitlist Membership to stay updated.
While the stadium's completion is on the horizon, some finishing touches and offsite projects are still in the works. Loughnane said that the site is in position to reach a certificate of occupancy within the coming weeks, but here's some things that still need work:
- Installation of new traffic signals on both Burnet and Braker
- Development of the "Bright Verde Way" a vehicle and pedestrian road that will connect to Burnet
- Installation of directional signs on surrounding roadways
- Installing furniture and specialty signs which will be worked on throughout April and May
With new roadways comes new traffic plans for the home opener. Loughnane said that initial transit options will be made available to the public in mid or late April but that "almost assuredly is not going to be perfect on day one." Loughnane said that plans will continue to change as they work on an eventual Capital Metro Red Line station adjacent to the Q2 Stadium.
Unfortunately, even Loughnane has not been briefed on the rest of Austin FC's season schedule, but he hopes to find out in the next 10-14 days. Around 10 days after the announcement, Loughnane said he hopes the team will be able to release broadcast information for each match.
"We know you are very anxious to learn the dates of the remaining 31 regular season matches that have yet to be announced … and I know Claudio and Josh are equally as eager," Loughnane said. "As much as I wish I was in position to share a solid projection for the release of a full schedule announcement, I don't have an exact date just yet (although I do hope it can be released in the next 10-14 days)."
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Austin FC is taking on Minnesota at home after a two-week hiatus. (Austin FC/Twitter)
With two weeks of rest, a dream team lineup and nearly 20 scoring attempts in the match, Austin FC could have come away with a three-match home win streak against Minnesota United on Saturday.
Instead, missed opportunities and an equally boisterous opponent forced Austin to leave Q2 with a 1-0 loss to Minnesota.
Austin FC brought what appeared to be their strongest lineup to date to the pitch after their two-week break, including breakout stars Sebastian Driussi and Moussa Djitte. But even with dozens of shots between the two teams, the home team couldn't find their footing in the back-and-forth match.
After landing a brace in the team's 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake, Austin's Cecilio Dominguez struck first in the match with a shot on goal in the eighth minute of play. The scoring attempt opened the floodgates—in just three minutes, teammates Moussa Djitte and Sebastian Driussi would follow suit with their own looks at goal.
Just seconds later, Minnesota bounced back with a shot that forced Austin keeper Brad Stuver to jump for his first save, but a bad sendoff from the Verde and Black left Stuver unable to block another as the Loons' Franco Fragapone scored from close range in the 16th minute.
Despite a wide array of scoring attempts—from Djitte's blocked high-fliers to Tomas Pochettino's many near misses— Minnesota would stay on top for the remainder of the match.
A few flops from Minnesota, including a poorly-acted fall from the Loons' Emmanuel Arriaga (which was unrewarded and resulted in an Arriaga yellow card) and a controversial foul given to Moussa Djitte as he nearly made a solo drive to goal added to Austin's woes.
The Verde and Black's final attempt came as Austin center back Julio Cascante placed a close-range header in the final seconds of regulation, but the home team was unable to capitalize on their many attempts.
Both teams shared over 30 shots in the match, with Austin making eight shots on target. Austin FC held over 65% possession and received 12 fouls to Minnesota's nine.
It could soon be impossible for Austin FC to reach the playoffs, but Verde fans still have two chances to catch their team at home. Austin's first season will wrap up with five final matches, including a 4 p.m. Sunday game against the Houston Dynamo on October 24 and an 8 p.m. Wednesday match against Sporting KC on November 4.
80' Austin makes first subs
80' | First couple #AustinFC substitutions on the night.
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) October 17, 2021
➡️ McKinze Gaines
⬅️ Diego Fagundez
➡️ Jon Gallagher
⬅️ Moussa Djitté pic.twitter.com/yVXyPr97Gn
With just over 10 minutes left in regulation ,Austin FC made some late-game subs, swapping Diego Fagundez for Austinite McKinze Gaines and Sebastian Driussi for forward Jon Gallagher. Both have a history of clutch performances for the team: Gaines scored just 10 minutes in to his first match of the game back in September, while Gallagher was Austin's first scorer at Q2 Stadium.
It's looking more like a draw at best for Austin as the time continues to tick down on the match.
61' Djitte loses chance after controversial call
In the 61st minute of a less-cohesive half for Austin, Moussa Djitte found himself alone near the goal with a good chance at making the home team's first goal. But referees had another ideas, making another controversial call on the Senegalese striker.
Refs stopped Djitte's menacing drive after Minnesota's Michael Boxall appeared to flop in a run-in with the striker, curbing Djitte's attempt to boos from the crowd. It's Djitte's second foul of the night and the team's ninth foul in the match. Both clubs host a yellow card, with center back Julio Cascante holding the home team's sole warning call. Minnesota's Emmanuel Reynoso holds the away team's yellow after an obvious flop that left him rolling on the ground for minutes, waiting on a call.Blown whistles for both sides have slowed the match's tempo and left both clubs reeling as Austin looks for its first goal.
At the half: Austin still can't finish
45' still left to play. pic.twitter.com/39J1XnvvOc
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) October 17, 2021
With minutes-long shooting sprees and more shots on goal than Minnesota, Austin could easily have the lead in the match. But each crowd-raising attempt has still been slightly skewed as the home team ends the half with nothing on the board.
In just 45 minutes, both Austin and Minnesota have reached the double-digits in scoring attempts, but Minnesota's ability to infiltrate Austin's penalty box has given them the leg up in the match. The Loons have sometimes found themselves nearly alone alarmingly close to goal, and they've capitalized on their chances with a 16thb minute goal by Franco Fragapane.
Austin FC, however, has not. The club has seen close calls from Dominguez and Driussi, headers from Djitte and near-misses from Tomas Pochettino, but missed opportunities and a few strokes of bad luck have left them scoreless. The team will need to shake their age-old scoring issues if they hope to get back into tonight's game.
16' Minnesota nabs 1-0 lead
Fragapane at the back post!@MNUFC go up 1-0 on @AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/u5LxVgMhAU
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 17, 2021
Austin may have struck first, but Minnesota won the first points on the board as Franco Fragapane got one past keeper Brad Stuver from a close range in the 16th minute to make it 1-0. The Loons tested Stuver just as Austin did Miller, making two anxiety-inducing shots before Fragapane struck gold.
This goalie-vs.-goalie match has already seen three shots on goal from each team and a relatively quiet midfield as each team dukes it out in the box.
11' Austin tests Minnesota first
.@SebadriussiOk 😅 pic.twitter.com/SUdpNklgMF
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) October 17, 2021
Austin FC has taken no time to threaten goal. In a three-minute span, the home team has racked up three shots, two of which are on goal, as the ball bounces between Austin attackers but can't quite find the net.
Dominguez strikes first as he looks to find his third goal in three matches in the eights minute, but Minnesota's Tyler Miller fights back with a clutch save. Djitte then tests Miller just seconds later, while Driussi takes a final shot from farther back that just misses the top left corner.
Austin's Fagundez and Pochettino were the playmakers of the three-minute shooting spree, but the club still came out scoreless. Minnesota soon rebounded with a shot of their own that was blocked by keeper Brad Stuver.
Starting lineup
Rested and ready to be back on the pitch for #ATXvMIN. 💪#AustinFC x @YETICoolers pic.twitter.com/oHzypiVtqK
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) October 17, 2021
This may be Austin FC's most popular lineup— even the crankiest fans are commending the strong starting XI on Twitter. Tonight's starters are the same as in their win against Salt Lake.
New standouts Moussa Djitte and Sebastian Driussi are in alongside double-scorer Cecilio Dominguez up front, while fan favorite Diego Fagundez, Captain Alex Ring and Designated Player Tomas Pochettino take the midfield.
With Matt Besler still out on concussion protocol, Zan Kolmanic, Jhohan Romana and Julio Cascante take the back along with Hector Jimenez, who is in for right back Nick Lima. As (almost) always, Brad Stuver holds it down in goal.
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Jenneke Parrish said she hopes her termination brings "justice" to the company (Pexels)
An Austin-based program manager for Apple Maps and one of two leaders for the #AppleToo activist movement said she has been fired after a suspension.
According to the New York Times, Janneke Parrish said she was put on suspension for several days while the company investigated her activities before she was fired by a human resources employee via phone call on Thursday.
Parrish was under investigation for allegedly leaking a recording of an Apple staff meeting to the media, which she said she didn't do.
The report said the company told Parrish, who is 30, that she was being fired for having deleted files off her company-issued phone and computer before handing them in for examination. Parrish said the files she deleted contained her personal and financial information.
Among the files she deleted were the Robinhood app, which she said was to keep Apple from seeing "how much money I lost investing in GameStop," the Pokemon Go app and screenshots of programming bugs she was fixing.
Parrish said she believes Apple was retaliating against her efforts in organizing #AppleToo, a group of employees working to expose the company's "culture of secrecy" that has been "faced disproportionately by our Black, Indigenous, and other colleagues from minoritized racial, gender and historically marginalized groups of people."
Parrish had been publishing weekly accounts of workplace problems that had been shared anonymously with her from other employees, though she did not verify employment on all of them. The accounts she received were in the hundreds, so Parrish said she was hopeful her termination would lead to some justice within the company.
Employees at tech giants have been more outspoken than usual in recent months—with former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen speaking out against her former employer—and Parrish said the company's desire to keep under wraps has eroded trust by discouraging employees to come forward with issues like harassment or wage disparity.
Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock commented on the matter: "We are and have always been deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace. We take all concerns seriously and we thoroughly investigate whenever a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of any individuals involved, we do not discuss specific employee matters."
Additionally, the email detailing her termination, which was obtained by the New York Times, said Apple had determined that Parrish "engaged in conduct in violation of Apple policies including, but not limited to, interfering with an investigation by deleting files on your company provided equipment after being specifically instructed not to do so."
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