Austin FC is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club based in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. The club competes in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
(MLS) as a member of the
Western Conference. Founded in 2018, the club began play in the
2021 season. Their home stadium is
Q2 Stadium
The Q2 Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium located in the North Burnet section of North Austin, Texas, United States. It is the home of Austin FC, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team that began play in 2021. The stadium hosted its first event on J ...
in north Austin. They are the first
major professional sports league team to play in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
' capital, which prior to 2021 was the largest city in the United States without such a team.
History
Austin FC is the first top-division major professional sports team in the Austin area, a market that had been previously overlooked by the
major professional sports leagues due in part to the state capital's traditional support for the
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
collegiate teams. The city's previous experience with professional soccer includes the
Austin Aztex FC
Austin Aztex FC was an American professional soccer team based in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL First Division, and in the USL Division of the USSF D2 Pro League, the second tier of the American Soccer ...
, which moved to
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
in 2008 and eventually became MLS side
Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL ...
; the 2011 reincarnation of the
Austin Aztex
The Austin Aztex were a soccer team based in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 2011 as a member of the Premier Development League, the team played the 2015 season in the United Soccer League, the second tier of the United States soccer pyr ...
, which went on indefinite hiatus following the
2015 Memorial Day floods washing out their venue at
House Park
House Park is a 6,000-6,500 seat American football stadium in Austin, Texas, owned and operated by the Austin Independent School District. Unlike many school districts in Texas, AISD uses multiple shared stadiums including House Park for use in at ...
; and
Austin Bold FC
Austin Bold FC was an American professional soccer team located in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2017, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. In 2021, Austin Bold FC announced it would be moving to Fort Worth, Texas leaving Circ ...
, which played in the second-division
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
at
Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
from 2019 to 2021.
In October 2017,
Columbus Crew SC
The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an Soccer in the United States, American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference ( ...
operator Precourt Sports Ventures announced their intention to move the group's MLS franchise rights to Austin for the 2019 MLS season.
After several sessions, the Austin City Council, by a 7–4 vote during a special session on August 15, 2018, granted the City Manager the authority to negotiate and execute a lease for a stadium with Precourt Sports Ventures.
On August 22, 2018, the group unveiled the name and badge for the club at the North Door on Austin's east side. The crest was designed by local Austin brand studio The Butler Bros, who explained the badge as including the signature color "Bright Verde" to "project the vibrancy and creative energy of Austin", intertwined oaks that "stand for the bond between Club and City", and the four roots uniting all compass directions of Austin, North, East, South, and West.
In October 2018, an Ohio-based group which includes
Jimmy and Dee Haslam, owners of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, and Columbus-based physician and businessman Pete Edwards, announced their intentions to acquire Columbus Crew to keep the team from moving. MLS officials stated that if the transfer of the Crew's operating rights were successful, Austin FC would be an expansion team operated by Precourt to begin play by 2021.
On December 19, 2018, Precourt Sports Ventures and the City of Austin reached a financing agreement for a new
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-pu ...
to be constructed at McKalla Place, which was projected to open by early 2021.
Nine days after finalizing the stadium deal, Precourt Sports Ventures reached an agreement in principle to transfer the operating rights of the Columbus Crew SC to the Haslam and Edwards families in January 2019.
On January 15, 2019, Austin FC was officially announced as an MLS club with a 2021 start date. In July 2019, the ownership group was renamed to Two Oak Ventures and later expanded to include local celebrities and businesspeople.
Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff (born February 25, 1977) is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Austin FC in Major League Soccer.
Playing career College
Born in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Wolff played three years of colle ...
was named the club's first head coach on July 23, 2019, and
Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna (born July 20, 1973) is an American former professional soccer player and current executive. He most recently served as sporting director of Austin FC.
A former midfielder, he spent most of his professional career in Europe, pla ...
was announced as their sporting director on November 21.
First seasons
In July 2020, Austin signed their first ever player,
Rodney Redes.
Before the start of their inaugural season,
Alexander Ring
Alexander Michael Ring (born 9 April 1991) is a Finnish professional footballer who captains and plays as an midfielder for Major League Soccer club Austin FC.
Club career
Early career
He moved to Bonn with his family when aged three, and grew ...
was named the first club captain.
Austin FC played their first MLS match against
Los Angeles FC (LAFC) at
Banc of California Stadium
Banc of California Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC and the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC. Opened on ...
on April 17, 2021, losing 0–2. The club secured its first victory the following week against the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
, winning 3–1.
Diego Fagúndez scored the club's first goal and the following two were scored by the club's first
Designated Player
The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
,
Cecilio Dominguez. Their home opener was held on June 19, 2021, against the
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
, a match which ended in a scoreless draw. The team secured its first ever home victory on July 1, 2021, defeating the Portland Timbers 4–1.
Jon Gallagher
Jon Gallagher (born 23 February 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Austin FC. He can also play as a right-back or midfielder.
Early life
Born in Dundalk in Ireland, growing up Gall ...
scored the team's first home goal and the first MLS goal at Q2.
Austin FC signed
Sebastián Driussi
Sebastián Driussi (; born 9 February 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Austin FC.
Club career
River Plate
On 2 December 2013, Driussi made his debut for River Pla ...
, on July 29, 2021, from
Zenit St. Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
for a $7 million transfer fee He became the first player to score 10, 20, and 30 career goals for the club on April 16, August 6, and October 23, 2022, respectively, and was named the club's first All-Star that season.
In 2022, Austin FC started the season with an MLS record 10 goals in their first two matches. They lost 2–1 in their first ever cup match in the third round of the
2022 U.S. Open Cup
The 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 107th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. After the 2020 and 2021 competitions were suspended and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United St ...
against
San Antonio FC
San Antonio FC is a professional soccer club based in San Antonio, Texas. It competes in the USL Championship, the second-highest level of the United States soccer league system, as a member of the Western Conference.
History
San Antonio F ...
on April 20; Fagundez scored the club's first ever Open Cup goal. On July 16, they won the Division 1
Copa Tejas
Copa Tejas is the two cup competitions and one shield between the Major League Soccer, USL Championship and NWSL teams of the state of Texas, awarded by independent supporters groups of the state's teams. It was initially founded in 2019 by su ...
, the first trophy in franchise history. Austin FC clinched their first ever playoff berth on September 14 in a 3-0 home win against
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2 ...
where
Moussa Djitte scored the first ever
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
in club history.
In August 2022, Austin FC announced the creation of a reserve side that would play in
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...
beginning the following year.
Austin won their first MLS playoff game at home over
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2 ...
on October 16, 2022, prevailing 3–1 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 score following extra time. Austin advanced to the Western Conference Final in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
at
Banc of California Stadium
Banc of California Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC and the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC. Opened on ...
, which they lost to LAFC 3-0.
Based on their 2022 finish, Austin FC qualified for the
2023 CONCACAF Champions League, their first continental competition. Their first match will be in the Round of 16 against
Violette AC in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618 ...
. Austin FC will also compete in their first
regional competition at the
2023 Leagues Cup
The 2023 Leagues Cup will be the third edition of the Leagues Cup, an inter-league soccer tournament between Major League Soccer and Liga MX. It will be held from July 21 to August 19, 2023, with all 77 matches held in either the United Sta ...
.
Stadium
Austin FC are the operators of a newly built stadium at McKalla Place. The stadium is near
The Domain, a large shopping center complex. The stadium, built on public land and owned by the City of Austin, was privately financed by Two Oak Ventures. The lease was signed on December 19, 2018. The stadium seats 20,738 fielded its first Austin FC game on June 19, 2021.
The club announced plans for a $45 million, privately funded training facility, the St. David's Performance Center, on November 13, 2019. The performance center, located in the Parmer Pond development in northeast Austin, will have four full-size soccer fields, one with a 1,000 capacity seating section, in addition to a 30,000 square foot indoor facility.
Club culture
Austin FC has several
supporters' groups, including Austin Anthem, Los Verdes, the La Murga de Austin band, Fighting Leslies DC, the student-oriented Burnt Orange Brigade, and a group from
New Braunfels
New Braunfels ( ) is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas known for its German Texan heritage. It is the seat of Comal County. The city covers and had a population of 90,403 as of the 2020 Census. A suburb just north ...
, Oak Army New Braunfels.
The club colors are bright green (stylized by the club as "''verde''," the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
word for the color) and black. The team's color scheme has been frequently highlighted in team promotions and at Q2 Stadium, with green lights flashing after each Austin goal.
Sponsorship
Broadcasting
For the 2021 and 2022 seasons,
Nexstar Media Group
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded media company with headquarter offices in Irving, Texas; Midtown Manhattan; and Chicago, Illinois. The company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 te ...
serves as the team's broadcast partner. The majority of games appear on
KNVA
KNVA (channel 54) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, serving as a ''de facto'' owned-and-operated station of The CW. It is owned by Vaughan Media and operated under a local marketing agreement (LMA) by The CW's majority ow ...
, with select matches also appearing on
KXAN
KXAN-TV (channel 36) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Llano, Texas, Llano-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO (TV), KBVO (channel 14); Nexstar also provide ...
and
KBVO
KBVO (channel 14) is a television station licensed to Llano, Texas, United States, serving the Austin area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside NBC affiliate KXAN-TV (channel 36); Nexstar also provides ...
.
Adrian Healey
Adrian Healey is an English football commentator, currently working with MLS Season Pass broadcasts on Apple TV. He is a veteran football commentator in the U.S., working for networks such as ESPN; he was part of the ESPN commentary team in S ...
serves as the play-by-play announcer, while
Michael Lahoud
Michael Lahoud (french: Michel Lahoud, ar, مايكل لحود; born September 15, 1986) is a former Sierra Leonean footballer and current broadcaster for Austin FC. He also holds American citizenship.
Career
College
Born in Freetown, Lahoud m ...
joins in as a color analyst.
Radio rights are held by
Alt 97.5 FM, with Lincoln Rose on the call.
In April 2021, Austin FC reached a deal with
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
as its Spanish broadcast partner.
KAKW
KAKW-DT (channel 62) is a television station licensed to Killeen, Texas, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language Univision network to the Austin area. It is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision alongside low-power, Class A UniMás ...
and
KTFO will broadcast each regionally televised match in Spanish, while
KLQB
KLQB (104.3 FM broadcasting, FM "Que Buena 104.3") is a Regional Mexican radio station serving the Austin, Texas, area. The Univision Radio outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 48,000 watts and is city of license, licensed to Taylor, Texas. Its trans ...
serves as Austin FC's flagship Spanish radio station.
Ownership and management
Austin FC is owned by Two Oak Ventures, formerly known as Precourt Sports Ventures, which is led by CEO
Anthony Precourt
Jay Anthony Precourt Jr. (born 1969–70) is an American investor and sports team owner. He is the CEO of Two Oak Ventures (formerly Precourt Sports Ventures), a group that owns Major League Soccer club Austin FC and formerly owned the Columbus ...
.
Other investing partners in Two Oak Ventures include actor
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...
, local entrepreneur Eduardo Margain, former
Dell
Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies.
Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...
executive Marius Haas, and energy entrepreneur
Bryan Sheffield
Bryan Sheffield (born 1978) is the founder of Parsley Energy, a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the Permian Basin that agreed to be acquired by Pioneer Natural Resources in 2020. As of 2019, he owned 32 million shares in the company ...
.
Players and staff
Roster
Technical
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! style="background:#00AE42; color:#000000;" scope="col" colspan="2", Executive
, -
! style="background:#00AE42; color:#000000;" scope="col" colspan="2", Coaching Staff
Honors
Minor
*
Copa Tejas
Copa Tejas is the two cup competitions and one shield between the Major League Soccer, USL Championship and NWSL teams of the state of Texas, awarded by independent supporters groups of the state's teams. It was initially founded in 2019 by su ...
(Division 1)
** Champions (1):
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
Records
Seasons
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Austin. For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Austin FC seasons
Since its inaugural 2021 season, the American Association football, soccer club Austin FC has competed in Major League Soccer.
Key
;Key to competitions
* Major League Soccer (MLS) – The United States soccer league system, top-flight of socc ...
.
{, class="wikitable" width=100% border="2" cellpadding="4" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
, - style="background:#f0f6ff;"
!rowspan=2, Season
!colspan=9,
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
!colspan=2, Position
!rowspan=2,
Playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
!rowspan=2,
USOC
!colspan=2, Continental
!rowspan=2,
Average
attendance
!colspan=2, Top goalscorer(s)
, -
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!L
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!GA
!GD
!Pts
!PPG
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CCL
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LC
!Name(s)
!Goals
, -
,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, 34
, 9
, 21
, 4
, 35
, 56
, -21
, 31
, 0.91
, 12
, 24
,
DNQ
,
NH
, rowspan=2 , DNQ
, DNQ
, style="background:#dfd;", 20,738
, align="left",
Cecilio Dominguez Diego Fagundez
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
E ...
, 7
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, 34
, 16
, 10
, 8
, 65
, 49
, +16
, 56
, 1.65
, 2
, 4
,
SF
,
R3
, NH
, style="background:#dfd;", 20,738
, align="left" ,
Sebastián Driussi
Sebastián Driussi (; born 9 February 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Austin FC.
Club career
River Plate
On 2 December 2013, Driussi made his debut for River Pla ...
, 25
, -
, Total
, 68
, 25
, 31
, 12
, 100
, 105
, -5
, 87
, 1.28
, –
, –
, –
, –
, –
, –
, –
, align="left" ,
Sebastián Driussi
Sebastián Driussi (; born 9 February 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Austin FC.
Club career
River Plate
On 2 December 2013, Driussi made his debut for River Pla ...
, 30
1. Avg. Attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top Goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the annual postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer. The final match of the tournament is the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. Under the current format adopted for the 2019 season, 14 teams qualif ...
, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Ameri ...
, FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, and other competitive continental matches.
See also
*
Copa Tejas
Copa Tejas is the two cup competitions and one shield between the Major League Soccer, USL Championship and NWSL teams of the state of Texas, awarded by independent supporters groups of the state's teams. It was initially founded in 2019 by su ...
: Intrastate
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
with
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise be ...
and
Houston Dynamo FC
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establis ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Portal bar, Association football, United States
Association football clubs established in 2018
Major League Soccer teams
Soccer clubs in Texas
2018 establishments in Texas