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Q2 Stadium could host U.S. and Mexican national teams among international field in global summer soccer tournament

Q2 Stadium will host matches as part of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. (Q2 Stadium/Twitter)
Q2 Stadium will seat more than Verde fans for its inaugural season. The 20,500 stadium will also host national teams from around the globe as one of 11 hosts for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup in July and August.
"It is an honor for Q2 Stadium, in its first year of operations, to be designated as one of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup venues," Austin FC President Andy Loughnan said. "Austin FC and the greater Austin region look forward welcoming Concacaf and qualifying national teams to the world-class Q2 Stadium."
The Cup will feature 16 national teams, including the formidable Mexican Men's National Team, which are eight-time Gold Cup champions, and six-time champions U.S Men's National team.
While 12 teams from the Concacaf Nations League will join the cup, the final slots will be filled by Qatar, winner of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The cup will also hold three more teams that will be decided during the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims on July 2-6.
Here are the preset group stage groups, which will kick off play July 10:
The Concacaf group stage was drawn in September of 2020. (Concacaf)
- Quarterfinal #1: Winner Group D vs Second Place Group A
- Quarterfinal #4: Winner Group B vs Second Place Group C
- Quarterfinal #2: Winner Group A vs Second Place Group D
- Quarterfinal #3: Winner Group C vs Second Place Group B
- Semifinal #1: Winner Quarterfinal #1 vs Winner Quarterfinal #4
- Semifinal #2: Winner Quarterfinal #2 vs Winner Quarterfinal #3
- Final: Winner Semifinal #1 vs Winner Semifinal #2
The best in the Concacaf region will battle it out in Las Vegas for the first time on August 1. Prelims will be held at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will kick off July 2.
The Concacaf Gold Cup will conclude on August 1 in Las Vegas for the first time in history. (Concacaf)
Austin will be one of 11 hosts for the cup. As the city's first-ever major league soccer stadium, the event will mark history as the first Concacaf match in Austin.
"To host a competition of this caliber is a great honor," said Drew Hays, director of the Austin Sports Commission. "Austin is an event city, and the Concacaf Gold Cup further elevates our offerings. We are thrilled to welcome fans from North & Central America and to showcase the city during this bi-annual competition."
More information including matchups, ticketing and exact locations will be released in the coming weeks. The cup will be played in a "hub" format to ensure safe travel and lessen the risk of COVID transmission. To sign up for updates regarding the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, click here.
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(Austonia)
May's second election is here, in which voters will decide on the candidates to represent their party in the November general election after the winner in some March primary races was unclear.
Just like the March primaries, voters will choose which party they choose to vote in. Then based on location, each ballot will show which races are in a runoff.
In Texas, candidates must win at least 50% of the vote to be elected. In the races where the top candidate only received a plurality of votes, a runoff is being held.
Here's everything you need to know before heading to the polls.
Know before you go
Early voting for the Texas primary runoff election begins Monday and will last through May 20; Election Day is May 24.
The registration period for this election has passed; check if you're registered to vote here.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. As long as you're in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.
You'll need a valid photo ID to present once you're at a polling location.
Here are the early voting locations in Travis County.
View wait times at polling locations here.
Races to watch in Travis County:
Statewide
Lieutenant Governor
- Republican: Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Mike Collier and Michelle Beckley are vying to be the Democrat candidate on the ballot.
- Republican: Incumbent AG Ken Paxton is fighting for his seat against George P. Bush.
- Democratic: Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski will face off to be the Democratic candidate in this race.
View all the statewide races on the ballot here.
U.S. House of Representatives
View the district you live in here.
District 21
- Republican: Incumbent Chip Roy won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Claudia Andreana Zapata and Ricardo Villarreal are hoping to secure this vote.
- Republican: Dan McQueen and Michael Rodriguez are going head to head to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Former Austin council member Greg Casar won this race in March.
District 19
- Republican: Ellen Troxclair and Justin Berry are vying to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Pam Baggett won her primary in March.
(Pexels)
Fuel costs in Austin and across the nation are record high—and they're not going down anytime soon.
Average gas prices in Travis County are sitting a hefty $4.16 per gallon, according to AAA, compared to an average of $2.70 last year. Nationwide, fuel prices are at an average of $4.48 per gallon.
The bill per gallon is the highest ever recorded in Austin but experts don’t expect a reprieve anytime soon—GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick DeHaan said to expect new records on a “near daily” basis.
"There isn’t much reason to be optimistic that we’ll see a plunge any time soon,” DeHaan said, adding to expect prices closer to $5 by the end of the week.
Why are prices climbing? DeHaan says to blame low inventory combined with high demand, more expensive blends and warming temperatures jump-starting “driving season.”
While gas prices are marginally cheaper in Williamson and Hays Counties, between $4.12-$4.13, surrounding counties are locked into the same price range.