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Austin FC Advances to the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Semi-Finals

July 9, 2025 by Shawn Collins

Austin FC and San Jose went to penalty kicks last night in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals after drawing 2-2 through extra time, and Austin FC got the win.

After coming back from a one goal deficit twice, Austin FC was able to hold on for penalty kicks.

Brad Stuver stopped shots from Chicho Arango and DeJaun Jones, while Austin FC was perfect from the spot with goals from Myrto Uzuni, Diego Rubio, Robert Taylor, and the winner from Owen Wolff.

Brandon Vazquez went down with an apparent non-contact injury to his right knee in the 69th minute and there has not been any news on his condition so far.

Austin FC will travel to Minnesota United for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on either Tuesday, September 16 or Wednesday, September 17 at Allianz Field.

Brad Stuver and Brandon Vazquez on the 2025 MLS All-Star Team

June 28, 2025 by Shawn Collins

Major League Soccer has announced Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver and forward Brandon Vazquez as members of the league’s 2025 All-Star roster. Both Stuver and Vazquez will take part in the MLS All-Star Game on July 23 (8:00 p.m. CT) at Q2 Stadium.

Austin FC Head Coach Nico Estévez, along with his technical staff, will coach the MLS All-Stars against the LIGA MX All-Stars from Mexico’s top soccer league. Estévez worked in tandem with MLS to select 12 total players to the roster.

The 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin marks the first major professional sports all-star game in the city’s history. The match at Q2 Stadium will also be the first MLS All-Star Game held in Texas since 2010, and the first-ever MLS All-Star Game in a soccer-specific stadium within the Lone Star State.

Stuver has consistently been among the league’s top shot-stoppers in recent seasons, ranking in the top five for both saves (63) and clean sheets (7) in 2025. He led the league in saves in both 2023 and 2024. Stuver is Austin’s all-time leader in appearances with 163, tallying 37 total shutouts.

Vazquez leads Austin FC with eight goals across all competitions in his first season with Austin FC. He scored the winning goal in the team’s most recent match vs. New York Red Bulls. Vazquez earns his second career MLS All-Star selection after making the team in 2022, a season in which he also made the MLS Best XI.

Stuver and Vazquez are the third and fourth Austin FC players to be named MLS All-Stars following Sebastián Driussi in 2022 and Jon Gallagher in 2023.

Danish Defender Mikkel Desler to Austin FC

June 6, 2024 by Shawn Collins

Austin FC has announced an agreement to sign Danish defender Mikkel Desler. Desler joins Austin FC on a three-and-a-half-year guaranteed contract through the end of the 2027 season, with an additional option for 2028.

Desler will arrive in the United States pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 visa.

Desler is a free agent signing, having most recently played for Toulouse FC. In his first season with Toulouse in 2021/2022, he was named to the Ligue 2 Team of the Year while playing an instrumental role in helping the team win the Ligue 2 title and earn promotion to Ligue 1, the highest level of professional soccer in France.

The following season, Desler and Toulouse won the Coupe de France, the country’s most prestigious cup competition, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

He went on to play seven of Toulouse’s eight Europa League matches in 2023/2024, scoring in a knockout round match vs. SL Benfica and playing all 90 minutes of the team’s 3-2 win over Liverpool FC.

In total, Desler registered three goals and nine assists in 103 appearances across all competitions for Toulouse.

Prior to joining Toulouse, Desler played for Odense BK in his native Denmark from 2014 to 2019, and FK Haugesund of the Norwegian topflight from 2019 to 2021, compiling over 300 appearances during his career to date.

Desler will occupy Senior and International designations on the Austin FC roster. Desler is the second player signed by Austin FC ahead of the summer transfer window, in addition to Ghanaian winger Osman Bukari.

Both Desler and Bukari will be eligible to compete for Austin beginning July 18.