MLS Preview: Austin FC

Hooligan Soccer

·2 Februari 2025

MLS Preview: Austin FC

Club History

Founded in late 2018, Austin FC played their first MLS season in 2021. Austin was originally the preferred relocation destination of the Columbus Crew back in 2017-18, but Crew owner Anthony Precourt instead sold the team and they remained in Ohio. In 2019 the MLS announced that Austin would be awarded an expansion franchise and become the 27th team in the league, playing in the Western Conference.

Ownership

Two Oaks Ventures is the sole owner, with Anthony Precourt the majority shareholder and CEO. Many local Austin celebrities and entrepreneurs are investors in Two Oaks, among them actor Matthew McConaughey (who frequently fires up the home crowd by drumming in a bright green suit).

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Notable Players

With only four seasons, Austin doesn’t have a deep pool of legendary players, but here are some notable ones.

Cecilio Domínguez: The club’s first Designated Player. He scored a brace in their first game.
Micah Burton: First Austin academy graduate to sign professionally with the first team. Look for him this season.
Brad Stuver: Austin’s primary goalkeeper since 2021.

Other Facts

(Source)

The club plays in the Q2 Stadium at McKalla Place (capacity 20,500) in North Austin. Pictured above.
They have sold out all 54 of their home games since they started playing in 2021, a MLS record.
They are the first professional top league sports team in Austin.
Nicknames include: Los Verdes, El Tree (play on the Mexican national team nickname El Tré)
Reached the semi-finals of the MLS Cup in 2022, their best (and only) postseason finish to date.

2024 Season Review

Record was 10W – 8D – 16L with 38 points.
They finished 10th (of 11) in the Western Conference; 18th (of 29) overall. They did not qualify for the postseason. Their best postseason run was making the semi-finals in the 2022 season.
During the offseason, Austin sold striker Sebastián Driussi (their all-time top goalscorer) to Argentina’s River Plate for $10.2M, a club record.

Who to Watch 2025

Nico Estévez Austin’s second permanent head coach (replacing former USMNT player Josh Wolff), he started Jan. 1, 2025. Former head coach of Dallas FC, he was an assistant with the USMNT (2019-21) and Columbus Crew (2017-18).
Designated Players Brandon Vázquez (United States) Forward – Transferred from Liga MX side Monterrey. Myrto Uzuni (Albania) Forward – A recent $12.3M transfer from Granada SC, where he scored 49 goals in three years. Osman Bukari (Ghana) Forward – Transferred mid-season last year from Red Star Belgrade, making 9 appearances and scoring once.
Daniel Pereira (Colombia) Midfield – Drafted in 2022 from Virginia Tech, Pereira had four contributions last season (1G, 3A) and accumulated 9 yellow cards.