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Austin FC performed several highlight-worthy plays as he kept the club tied in Kansas City. (Austin FC/Twitter)
What a way to end an eight game road stretch. Battling the heat and a top West Conference team, Austin FC took bullets from Sporting Kansas City as they fought for another point on the road in a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
The club has now accumulated eight points in eight matches towards their standings in the West as they wrap up their era of endless road matches.
For head coach Josh Wolff, averaging a point a game is just as expected.
"(It) doesn't seem amazing, but I've been in this league a long time, and that's worthy of something," Wolff said. "It's certainly above average, I would say, but we've got a lot of work still to do."
Austin's first-ever rematch was eerily reminiscent of their last appearance at Children's Mercy Park. On May 10, Jon Gallagher scored the first point of the match seven minutes of play; this time, Austin struck first once again with another unanswered first-half point.
As if by instinct, Cecilio Dominguez found his stride up front as he casually slipped in a goal in the 25th minute of play.
"It's déjà vu here at Children's Mercy Park!"@10_dominguez94 puts @AustinFC up 1-0 in the first half. #SKCvATXpic.twitter.com/Q8qt8VnWqR
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 12, 2021
Dominguez took the striker spot for the second time this season as Austin experimented with 4-4-2 and 5-4-1 formations. With two strikers injured and a thin roster of just 17 healthy players, Wolff said the club is getting "a bit creative" as they wait for their athletes to recover.
After a strong first 45 minutes, Sporting Kansas City took control as the second half began. Kansas finally found the equalizer in the 70th minute of play as an overworked Brad Stuver couldn't quite keep Daniel Salloi from going into goal.
"Just call 'em the comeback kids!"@danielsalloi scores the equalizer for @SportingKC. #SKCvATXpic.twitter.com/qLPtJ0zq3Y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 12, 2021
Kansas was stopped time and time again by Stuver, who had a career-best nine saves and produced more highlight-worthy saves than ever to keep the club alive. Stuver said his breakout success this season comes down to a stellar back line, eight years of training and a constant willingness to work.
"I've been working for eight years to get an opportunity like this, to go out and get a run of games where I could actually be the starter," Stuver said. "For me, it's not about proving people wrong or surprising myself. It's just going out every day, training hard and doing what I know I'm capable of."
.@brad_stuver said NOPE. 🚫 #SKCvATXpic.twitter.com/mPLl1eCHq0
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 12, 2021
Looking back at the grueling eight-week stretch at the beginning of Austin FC's existence, Wolff said it's been harder than he thought to keep a team going with so many games on the road. As they head to their home opener June 19, Wolff hopes to see more rest and more goals from the MLS' newest club.
"I think we left goals in a lot of games in these first eight games," Wolff said. "As coaches we certainly take accountability, but (for) our players it's part of the deal (to) come to training continue to work on it."
Austin will be rewarded for their eight-week away stretch with their first home match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, June 19. Stuver said the team can't wait to play in front of their dedicated Verde fans. "We get to make Q2 our our fortress," Stuver said.
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(Moriah Wilson/Instagram)
Austin police have charged Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, a local cyclist, for the murder of Moriah "Mo" Wilson.
Wilson, a rising star in the gravel and mountain bike community, was found dead with gunshot wounds inside an East Austin home on the night of May 11 when she was in town for the weekend Gravel Locos race in Hico, Texas.
Police believe Wilson was having a relationship with a man Armstrong was also in a relationship with. The man, another gravel cyclist, Colin Strickland, has since issued a statement on the murder.
In his statement, he said he had a brief romantic relationship with Wilson in October 2021 before he resumed his relationship with Armstrong, but that he remained friends with Wilson. "There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime. I am sorry, and I simply cannot make sense of this unfathomable tragedy.
NEW: Austin professional cyclist Colin Strickland has just released a statement about the murder of cyclist Moriah Wilson, clarifying his relationship with her and expressing “torture about my proximity to this horrible crime.” pic.twitter.com/KnIna3mWrE
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) May 20, 2022
Wilson, a 25-year-old Vermont native living in Colorado, had won a slew of races becoming a fan favorite. She had just become a full-time racer this year.
Anyone with information on this crime can contact Austin police at 512-974-TIPS or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477.
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Kelly said the planned homeless housing hotel suffered months of damage. (Mackenzie Kelly)
Austin has added 24-hour security to the city-owned Pecan Gardens property, which will be converted into supportive housing for people exiting homelessness, after the former hotel was found with months of damage and vandalism May 5.
The building, which was broken into and stripped of copper and had people illegally sleeping inside of it, has been secured, Kelly said in a Friday press conference. Kelly said the city confirmed a measure to implement 24-hour security, including updates every 60 days until the property opens up as supportive housing.
"We cannot let this happen to any vacant city-owned property ever again," Kelly said. "This blatant act of disregard and criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our community."
The city bought the former hotel in August 2021 for $9.5 million with plans to renovate the property into a 78-unit supportive housing property. Those 55 or older that are experiencing chronic homelessness can qualify to live at the site once it is completed in late 2022-early 2023.
While the council was set to discuss a $4 million deal with Family Eldercare to begin converting the property Thursday, Kelly pulled the item for a later executive session due to security concerns. But the council did approve an item to authorize city leaders to begin negotiating other renovation contracts.
"I want to thank my colleagues for pumping the brakes on this contract and realizing that we owe the community not only an apology, but reassurance that the protection of the assets the city owns is vital to the success of achieving our intended goals," Kelly said.
When the building was found vandalized May 5, Kelly, who presides over the district containing the property, said damage included:
- Damage spanning all three floors of the building and is in nearly every room.
- The entire hotel was stripped of copper.
- Destroyed washers, dryers, air conditioners and electrical wiring.
- People sleeping at the hotel without permission.
On Tuesday, Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Gray apologized and said there was no security due to a delay in processing the request.
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