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Jersey Number: 7
Hometown: Rafaela, Argentina
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Former club: Club Atletico Talleres
Background
He's #VERDE!
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) February 11, 2021
Your newest Designated Player. 🌳
Welcome to Austin FC, Tomás Pochettino! pic.twitter.com/WUwcTuoqdS
Austin FC spent big bucks on Tomas Pochettino, an attacking midfielder from Argentina who went Verde off a $2.5 million contract.
Before he signed on as the club's second Designated Player, "Toto" Pochettino transferred from Club Atlético Talleres in Argentina's Primera División. Pochettino appeared in 62 matches with Club Atlético Talleres, logging seven goals and 10 assists in 62 matches from 2018-21.
With Talleres, Pochettino was an expert at free kicks, and he's transferred that over to his newest club.
"It's something that I'm quite used to," Pochettino said. "I used to do a lot of set pieces and a lot of free kicks back in Talleres so it's something that I have a lot of practice with."
Before the club, Pochettino started his career at the Boca Juniors U-20 team, followed by Boca Juniors II in 2014. Pochettino then helped the Boca Juniors first team to win the Argentine Primera División in 2015 and was loaned to Defensa y Justicia, where he made 51 appearances, scored four goals and made five assists.
With Austin FC
That field-level look to start your day. pic.twitter.com/inyYiBdyXl
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) April 4, 2021
As the team's second Designated Player, Pochettino gained a starting position in the club's first match as a creative midfielder for the club.
"Tomás is an exciting and attack-minded midfielder we have been monitoring for some time. He has the technical and tactical qualities we are looking for in a Designated Player," Wolff said. "He will offer us pace and versatility in the midfield, and we are confident he will make an immediate impact on our attacking end."
Pochettino said that he was happy to make the move to the MLS and join Austin FC for its first-ever season.
"I think being a Designated Player's a beautiful responsibility, and I don't concentrate much on it," Pochettino said. "I'm just here to be a part of the team, and I hope that the rest of the team and the technical staff can trust me."
So far, Pochettino has shown that he can be trusted to put the ball in the back of the net. Pochettino scored the first-ever Austin FC goal against an MLS opponent against the Houston Dynamo as part of La Copita, and he put another one in off a free kick against San Antonio FC to close out the preseason. In the team's first-ever match against LAFC, Pochettino saw some of the most chances out of any player on the team, and he proved to be a solid defensive player when needed as well.
Both Pochettino and Wolff have acknowledged that they come with different skillsets: while Pochettino is used to having more liberty as he channels the ball up the field, Wolff has implemented a stricter regimen to help with the team's cohesiveness.
"Tomas is probably used to having more freedom," Wolff said. "So we're bridging that to find the right balance for him, and I think that'll be a continuous growth thing for both of us. And we need to because he's got real quality, and we've seen that in the moments that he's played for us in these games."
Pochettino's biggest goal, aside from scoring, is to leave a legacy behind and make a run for the playoffs.
"I want to leave a beautiful legacy behind in Austin," Pochettino said. "I think my main goal is to make the playoffs (and) I'm also very set on listening to the way that Josh coaches and being the best version of myself for the team."
Off the pitch
(Austin FC/Twitter)
Born in Rafaela, Argentina, Pochettino might be the farthest from home in Austin. Although he missed some of preseason due to COVID protocol, Pochettino said he's still had time to connect with his teammates on and off the pitch.
"Everything in life takes time to adapt, and in soccer, I have to rely on my teammates, both on and off the pitch," Pochettino said. "I've been stuck in a hotel for a couple of weeks, but throughout the preseason, I've gotten to know my teammates a lot more. And we've built some great friendships so far."
Though far from home, Pochettino can find a familiar face in fellow DP Cecilio Dominguez. Pochettino and Dominguez went head-to-head as opposing players in the Primera División, but now Pochettino says he's glad to get to know the person behind the player.
"I knew that he's a good player, I know that he wants to get to the ball," Pochettino said. "But now that I've known him as a person off the pitch, I can attest that he's a good an overall great person, so I'm really excited that I get to play alongside him now."
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Popular
Austin FC kept rival FC Dallas to a draw Saturday night as it pulled off a 2-2 comeback. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite a 2-0 deficit, there was a pot of gold for Austin FC after all as it celebrated its annual Pride Night with rainbows and a 2-2 comeback draw to FC Dallas Saturday night.
After three FC Dallas losses last season, the Dallas derby draw marks the first time Austin FC has tied against its Copa Texas rival. Austin continues to edge over FC Dallas as it sits at 3rd in the MLS West.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the match:
A somber start
¡Ya Basta! Enough! End Gun Violence. #uvaldestrong
— Los Verdes (@LosVerdesATX) June 26, 2022
📷 @arubiophotospic.twitter.com/3PiVdTPtik
Decked out in colorful hues for LBGTQ+ Pride, Verde fans started the match on a somber note as they held up banners to take a stand against gun violence before the match.
As the national anthem began, fans held up banners with the names of each child that was killed in the Uvalde school shooting and a plea to "end gun violence."
The supporters' section was also dotted with Pride flags and a "Bans off Our Bodies" banner in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
FC Dallas earns a 2-0 lead
Paul Arriola is there to put it away and put @FCDallas ahead! pic.twitter.com/Z4AMmM6lp3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
That sober tone continued onto the pitch. With midfielder Daniel Pereira's absence due to a red card, the Verde and Black lost two goals to FC Dallas by the 70th minute of play.
FC Dallas played it sneaky for the first half of the match, giving Austin FC plenty of room to hold possession as it waited to strike on a Verde error. That mentality proved dangerous for Austin as Dallas' Paul Arriola took advantage of Brad Stuver's deflection to score the first goal of the night in the 57th minute of play.
Dallas struck once more as Brandon Servant pushed past the Verde line to score the second goal of the match.
#DTID double their lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
The substitute Brandon Servania with a fine finish within five minutes of coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/IZm0YsPxG5
Austin FC strikes back
Sebastián Driussi pulls one back!#AustinFC are still in this one. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yoi0x768jb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
But energy quickly returned to Austin's favor thanks to Designated Player Sebastian Driussi, who scooted past several FC Dallas defenders alongside Moussa Djitte to snag an unlikely first goal for Austin.
A full Verde comeback
Late drama in this Texas Derby!@AustinFC ties it up, Danny Hoesen with the diving header. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Jk2f4fIEXG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
Austin's subs proved deadly as momentum returned to the home team toward the end of the match. A well-placed cross from Nick Lima—and a diving header from a fresh-legged Danny Hoesen—helped the team secure the draw with a second Verde goal in the 84th minute of play.
Hoesen, who was Austin's first starting striker last season, has now scored two goals with the team after a yearlong injury stuck him on the bench.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
Hours following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday, about 1,000 people gathered in Republic Square with signs calling for change.
The rally, organized by the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Texas, started at the federal courthouse on Republic Square on Friday at 5 p.m. before the crowd marched to the Texas Capitol. More protests are expected to ensue over the weekend.
People showed up with all types of signs like Mindy Moffa holding up, "Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers."
Austin joined cities across the country that saw protests for a women's right to an abortion after the ruling.
According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
Sabrina Talghade and Sofia Pellegrini held up signs directed at Texas laws. A Texas trigger law will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, starting 30 days after the ruling. When state legislators passed the trigger law last summer, it also passed laws for more protection of firearms, including the right to open carry without a permit.
Lili Enthal of Austin yells as around 1,000 Texans marched to the Texas Capitol.
From the Texas Capitol, Zoe Webb lets her voice be heard against the Supreme Court ruling.
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