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Finnish Defender Leo Väisänen Signs With Austin FC

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Austin FC has announced an agreement with Swedish club IF Elfsborg for the transfer of defender Leo Väisänen.

Leo Väisänen joins Austin FC

Väisänen joins Austin FC on a four-year contract through the end of the 2026 season, with an option for the 2027 season.

Väisänen comes to Austin after spending the last three years with IF Elfsborg of Sweden’s Allsvenskan. Väisänen made 94 appearances for Elfsborg, recording four goals and four assists.

The 25-year-old center-back, who stands at 6’2″, has made 23 appearances for the Finland senior men’s national team, including playing in seven UEFA Nations League matches, six FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and one match at UEFA EURO 2020.

As a young player, Väisänen spent time in the academy system of the Finnish club HJK Helsinki, making his professional debut in 2016.

Väisänen then played two seasons each with RoPS, then of the Finnish Veikkausliiga, and FC Den Bosch of the Dutch Eerste Divisie before joining Elfsborg.

New Contract, DP Role for Alex Ring at Austin FC

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Austin FC has announced a new contract with midfielder and Captain Alex Ring.

The deal includes two guaranteed years in 2022 and 2023 with two options in 2024 and 2025.

During the 2021 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, Alex Ring made 31 appearances, all of which were starts.

He scored four goals and tallied three assists last season, and led all Austin FC players in multiple defensive categories, including tackles (43), duels (301), and interceptions (52), with his interceptions total ranking third-most among all MLS midfielders.

A native of Helsinki, Finland, Ring enters the 2022 season with five years of MLS experience. A constant presence on the pitch throughout Austin FC’s inaugural season, his 2,708 minutes played in 2021 ranked first among all Austin FC outfield players.

Prior to joining Austin FC, Ring played four seasons with New York City FC, making 113 appearances with the club.

Ring has made 44 appearances for Finland at the senior international level and scored two goals for his country.

Get your Alex Ring jersey at MLSstore.com.