Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed
Roster changes: Who's out and who's in for Austin FC's 2022 season

Kekuta Manneh (left) is one of six Austin FC players who will not be on the roster for the 2022 season. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Looks like Austin FC is cleaning house—and they're taking a few Verde faves out ahead of the 2022 season.
Following the retirement of defender Matt Besler, the club's original 33-man roster was trimmed to 22 in roster changes announced Tuesday.
Who's out
(From top left) Players Emmanuel Perez, Jared Stroud, Ben Sweat, Aaron Schoenfield, Brady Scott, Aedan Stanley, Kekuta Manneh and Sebastian Berhalter will not be with Austin FC for the 2022 season. (mlssoccer.com)
Austin FC declined its contract options for six players, including:
- Kekuta Manneh
- Aaron Schoenfeld
- Brady Scott
- Aedan Stanley
- Jared Stroud
- Ben Sweat
Stroud became an early fan favorite for the team after helping teammate Diego Fagundez to the team's first goal in April, racking up a second assist just one match later with another Fagundez goal. After a few months of limited appearances, Stroud started once again in November and attempted his first MLS goal, but no dice.
Manneh, a forward, showed promise as Austin FC's first Austinite: a Gambia native, Manneh played soccer in the Texas capital while in high school and early in his professional career. Manneh showed energy on the pitch but never saw his efforts translate to the stat board.
By the start of the season, Sweat had secured a starting spot as left back for Austin FC but tore his ACL in the Colorado Rapids match on April 17, putting him off the pitch for the remainder of the season.
Both under 23, Stanley and Scott saw few appearances to the Verde pitch. In May, Scott went on loan to play as goalkeeper for USL Championship side Memphis 901. Schoenfield, a 31-year-old forward, has played briefly for various MLS and USL teams as well as professional teams in Israel.
Austin FC also announced that they would not exercise the transfer options for Sebastian Berhalter and Emmanuel Perez, both of whom spent the 2021 season in Verde on loan.
Berhalter, the son of U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, filled some big shoes in key moments of the season as central midfielder. At just 20, Berhalter started five times in the key position for Captain Alex Ring. Perez made four starts as forward for Austin FC.
Who's in
(From left) Captain Alex Ring, Will Pulisic and Freddy Kleemann all had their contracts renewed with Austin FC for the 2022 season.
It wasn't all doom and gloom. The club held on to the following for the 2022 season:
- Captain Ring
- Freddy Kleemann
- Will Pulisic
Ring, known as one of the top defensive midfielders in the league, had a rocky but rewarding road as Austin FC's captain in their inaugural season. Despite two red cards that rendered him out of two key matches, Ring tallied four goals and three assists as he led the team throughout the season, earning MLS Team of the Week honors multiple times.
At 22, Kleemann made just three appearances in central midfield for Austin FC but showed potential toward the end of the season. Pulisic wasn't able to start due to fellow goalkeeper Brad Stuver's standout success, but the cousin of Chelsea standout Christian Pulisic has plenty of years left in the tank.
Who's missing
Austin FC now has three goalkeepers, six defenders, seven midfielders and six forwards as the team's brief offseason continues. After the retirement of legendary central midfielder Matt Besler, the team will need to make strong signing options in the back and midfield positions in the MLS SuperDraft and transfer seasons before their first match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday, February 26.
But don't worry about fan favorites Fagundez, Sebastian Driussi or Stuver: all 22 other players are still firmly rooted in place for the upcoming season.
- Austin FC sees disappointing season finale in 3-0 Timbers loss ... ›
- Season recap: Austin FC's first season leaves fans wanting more ... ›
- Austin FC to open second season against last-place FC Cincinnati ... ›
- Austin FC spends less than most first-year expansion teams - austonia ›
- Sebastian Driussi and Moussa Djitte bring new hope to Austin FC ... ›
- Austin FC acquires four new players in MLS Expansion Draft ... ›
- Austin FC's players are from four different continents - austonia ›
- Austin FC resigns, promotes Captain Alex Ring - austonia ›
- Austin FC's Tomas Pochettino likely signing with Argentina's River Plate - austonia ›
- Austin FC takes on Liga MX champs Atlas FC in Q2 Stadium game - austonia ›
- Austin FC draws to Liga MX champs Atlas FC in Q2 Stadium game - austonia ›
- Austin FC Sporting Director talks NYCFC and building MLS champs - austonia ›
- Austin FC's Brad Stuver out of next MLS match on knee injury - austonia ›
Popular
(Dell Technologies)
Michael Dell has gone from a dorm room on Guadalupe Street to high rises and luxurious penthouses. It’s fitting for the former University of Texas at Austin student who is now CEO of Dell Technologies. Just last month, the company announced a record quarter with $26.1 billion in revenue.
So while Dell may keep his Texas ties with a residence in Austin, he’s also made himself at home on the east coast and outside the continental U.S. Here are the properties of the occasionally local man who may someday be a trillionaire.
Austin
Eight bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a gym and a lap pool are just a few of the traits in this massive, nearly 33,000-square-foot home. But the home, a 20-mile drive from Round Rock where the company is based, is even larger when you consider that Dell and his wife, Susan, own land adjoining the property for a total of about 119 acres.
That’s not all for his Austin ownership. He also has a house a few miles away that’s been dubbed 6D Ranch, for the six members of his family.
Boston
Here, Dell reportedly has a contract for a penthouse in what will soon be Boston’s tallest residential building: the Four Seasons Private Residences One Dalton Street. It’s one of three penthouses with direct elevator access, fireplaces both inside and outside and more than 7,200 square feet of living space. The residences boast nearby Dalton Park in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood for owners to enjoy fresh air and seasonal greenery.
New York
Central Park views and nearly 11,000 square feet make for a $100.47 million purchase. The 1,000-foot condo tower is on Manhattan’s West 57th street and has six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Known as One57, it has elegant bedrooms and smart kitchens equipped with custom cabinetry and integrated appliances. It also comes with the perks of being above the Park Hyatt New York. For example, there are in-residence dining and catering services that can be arranged at a moment’s notice.
Hawaii
Dell’s home in the residential community of Kukio has island views of Maui and lots to explore. In what’s been labeled Hawaii’s most exclusive neighborhood, Dell has the flagship residence of 18,500 square feet. His next-door neighbor is Paul Hazen, the CEO of Wells Fargo, and it’s known as a billionaire getaway. With a nearby golf course, archaeological reserve and the fresh air of the Kona coast, we can see what attracts them.
- Google engineers struggle to be productive working-from-home ... ›
- Former Torchy's CEO lists Spanish Oaks home for $7.5 million ... ›
- Austin police find two dead in a West Austin home Friday - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan is reportedly looking for a new Austin home - austonia ›
- Texas' most expensive home for sale is at Austin's Lake Travis ... ›
- Austin's April home sales take a dip amid record home prices ... ›
- Austin-area man hits the jackpot with HGTV Dream Home - austonia ›
- Omaze launches $2 million Austin dream home sweepstakes ... ›
Austin has been in the national spotlight for more than extreme growth—the last two years have brought a handful of violent crimes, missing persons cases and shootings.
Some of the most heartbreaking cases have yet to be solved. Here's a small update on some ongoing, high-profile cases in Austin.
Moriah Wilson | Suspect still on the run
Star biker Moriah Wilson was found dead in her East Austin home.
Professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s alleged killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, is still on the run and was last spotted leaving LaGuardia Airport in New York City on May 14—three days before the Austin Police Department obtained a warrant for her arrest.
Wilson was shot to death in her home on May 11 just hours after she went swimming with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, who Armstrong had previously dated. Strickland said it was never a secret that he dated 25-year-old Wilson and had “no indication” Armstrong would react violently, as she had been dating other people as well.
While Wilson’s family said they don’t believe she was romantically involved with anyone, the case is being investigated as a crime of passion.
Investigators believe Armstrong might be using her sister’s name, Christine Armstrong, in New York State. A $5,000 reward has been issued for information leading to her capture.
Timothy Perez | Missing since March 2022
"He said, 'Dad, come get me, I'm lost,'" Robert Perez told Austonia. "I said, 'Pull, over,' but he just hung up, and we were never able to get a hold of him."
The Austin Police Department found Timothy’s car—cold and with an empty tank—around 15 miles from his brother’s home at 4:30 a.m. the same morningTimothy was last spotted again that morning when Round Rock Police responded to a welfare check called in by St. William Catholic Church. RRPD photographed him, said Timothy refused to identify himself and left without incident; Timothy wasn’t reported missing until a few days later.
According to EquuSearch, Timothy’s phone pinged briefly in Conroe on March 16 but hasn’t been located since. RRPD officials said they believe Timothy is voluntarily missing based on his interaction with officers.
But his parents think Timothy might've suffered a nervous breakdown and still drive from Conroe to Austin every few days to look for their son.
Due to the sighting at the church, APD closed its missing person case on April 8 but Round Rock Police still lists Timothy as missing.Jason Landry | Missing since December 2020
More than 31,000 acres were combed through to find missing Texas State student Jason Landry. (Caldwell County Sheriff's Office)
Texas State University student Jason Landry went missing on Dec. 13, 2020, after his car was found abandoned in Luling as he was driving home from nearby San Marcos to Missouri City, Texas, for winter break.
Landry’s car was found crashed with keys still in the ignition and all of his personal possessions, including his clothing, some with drops of blood, and phone, but no one in sight.
As conspiracies have swirled around the internet about what might've happened that night, Capt. Jeff Ferry, who is the lead investigator on the case, said "no doubt this is a tragedy… but it’s not a crime.”
More than a year later, friends and family of Landry are still searching for him and have erected billboards reminding locals of his disappearance and offering a $10,000 reward: one going southbound on I-35 and another along U.S. Hwy. 183 north of Luling.
The billboards were leased for 13 weeks in April but they may extend the rental—meanwhile, the case is in the hands of the Texas Attorney General Cold Case and Missing Persons unit. Anyone with information is asked to call (512) 936-0742.
- Search resumes for missing Texas State student Jason Landry ... ›
- Texas State student Jason Landry still missing one year later ... ›
- Austin-area cyclist charged in murder of biking star Moriah Wilson ... ›
- Watch: Austin police chief weighs in on city's deadliest year in ... ›
- Austin police find two dead in a West Austin home Friday - austonia ›
- Alleged drunk driver hits two Austin police officers - austonia ›
- Up to 18 Austin police officers could be charged with excessive force ... ›