512 Soccer

Austin FC and the Austin Soccer Community

San Jose Earthquakes

Welcome Home, Austin FC

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After years of hard work by so many people, Austin FC finally kicked off at home on Saturday, June 19, 2021 against the San Jose Earthquakes, and it was glorious.

Austin FC supporters section for the first home match

The day at Q2 Stadium began with a huge crowd of supporters outside of the stadium singing and chanting and celebrating after greeting the bus with the players.

Outside of Q2 Stadium before the first game

When I got into Q2 Stadium I just walked around smiling – it was hard to believe it was real. Shortly after I took my seat it was game time and I had a nice view of Matthew McConaughey getting the crowd worked up.

The first home tifo of Austin FC was dazzling – I couldn’t believe it as I watched it go up.

The first Austin FC tifo at Q2 Stadium

The people on the tifo from left to right are Stevie Ray Vaughan, Raul Salinas, Matthew McConaughey, Barbara Jordan, Leslie, and Willie Nelson.

Jackie Venson played piano and performed the Black National Anthem, followed by Aaron Stephens playing the National Anthem on guitar.

Jackie Venson performing the Black National Anthem

Aaron Stephens playing the National Anthem on guitar.

Since it was the day before Father’s Day, Austin FC players with kids walked out with them for the introductions.

Austin FC players announced before the match starts

Finally, the action started and the stadium was rocking from the first to last second of the game. My watch said it got up to 95 decibels where I was sitting and others reported well in excess of 100.

Austin FC and San Jose battling nil nil.

While the match ended in a scoreless tie, it was an amazing night and the supporter’s section led the tempo for the whole 90 minutes and made it a unique, fantastic opening and memory.

After the match, it was so cool to see the team go in front of the supporter’s section to be serenaded by the fans with “True Love Will Find You in the End” in honor of legendary Austinite, Daniel Johnston.

True Love Will Find You in the End

Thank you, Mr. Precourt.

Austin FC Will Have 100% Capacity for the First Match at Q2 Stadium

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Austin FC and Austin Public Health (APH) announced attendance guidelines today for Q2 Stadium, and the stadium will be at full capacity for Austin FC’s home opener vs. the San Jose Earthquakes on June 19, 2021.

Austin FC Q2 Stadium Supporters Section

APH’s attendance guidelines for the 20,500+ seat Q2 Stadium also allow Q2 Stadium to operate at near full capacity for the recently announced U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) friendly vs. Nigeria on June 16, 2021.

All events scheduled for Q2 Stadium, including those scheduled beyond June, will operate under APH’s updated attendance guidelines until APH makes any amendments to the guidelines.

As a result of today’s announcement, Austin FC Season Ticket Members will receive a series of communications related to accessing tickets for the 2021 MLS regular season matches played at Q2 Stadium.

Austin FC Oak Collective Waitlist Members will also be informed about their opportunity to purchase single-match tickets.

More details about tickets for the USWNT friendly match vs. Nigeria on June 16, 2021, will be released by U.S. Soccer soon.

US Women’s National Team to Play First Match at Q2 Stadium on June 16

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The World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) will be playing in an exhibition match against Nigeria on Wednesday, June 16, at 8 PM CDT at Q2 Stadium.

USWNT at Q2 Stadium

The USWNT match versus Nigeria will be the first-ever match to be played at Q2 Stadium.

The match, which will be nationally televised on ESPN2, marks the debut of U.S. Soccer’s senior team in Austin, as neither the USWNT nor U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) has played a match here.

Three nights later on Saturday, June 19, Austin FC will play their MLS home opener against the San Jose Earthquakes at 8 PM CDT.

The June 16 match against Nigeria at Q2 Stadium will be the final USWNT international game before USWNT Head Coach Andonovski names the 18-player Olympic Team roster.

Ticket information for the June 16 match at Q2 Stadium will be released soon.

The Complete 2021 Austin FC Schedule Has Been Released

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The Austin FC inaugural season schedule is now out and it’s heavy on teams from the western conference this season.

Austin FC starts the first couple of months on the road with the very first match of the 2021 season at Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC).

The second match will be against the Colorado Rapids and it’s looking like there will be lots of Austin FC fans heading to Denver to see it.

Austin FC is also playing Columbus Crew SC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC, LA Galaxy, Minnesota United FC, Nashville SC, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

The first home game for Austin FC will be June 19 at Q2 Stadium against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Add the Austin FC matches to your calendar.

Austin FC Adds 5 Players to the Roster

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Austin FC fans anxious to find out who the club picks up in the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft on December 15 got treated to five announcements of new players yesterday during the half-day trade window.

Austin FC acquired defenders Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes), Ben Sweat (Inter Miami CF), and Julio Cascante (Portland Timbers), as well as midfielder Ulises Segura (D.C. United) and forward Jon Gallagher (Atlanta United).

Nick Lima
San Jose Earthquakes defender Nick Lima was acquired in a deal that sees Austin FC exchange $500,000 of General Allocation Money for the San Jose Homegrown fullback. Lima featured in 105 appearances with the Quakes across all competitions, registering seven goals and seven assists between the 2017-20 seasons.

Internationally, the Castro Valley, Calif., native has earned nine caps (six starts) and contributed three assists with the U.S. Men’s National Team, including appearances in Concacaf Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League. A product of the Quakes Academy, Lima played four years of college soccer at the University of California, Berkeley.

Ben Sweat
Austin FC traded $100,000 in General Allocation Money to Inter Miami CF in exchange for the right to sign 29-year-old defender Ben Sweat. Sweat played in 23 matches (20 starts) and added two assists during the 2020 season with the MLS expansion side. Before joining Miami as the first overall pick in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft, Sweat spent three seasons anchoring New York City FC’s backline (2017-19), featuring in 81 matches (71 starts) across all competitions and scoring one goal while tallying nine assists.

Prior to New York City FC, the Palm Harbor, Fla. native, spent the 2015-16 seasons playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the NASL, registering 34 caps (34 starts) across all competitions. In 2014, Sweat made seven starts for 3-USL Pro side and Columbus Crew SC affiliate Dayton Dutch Lions. The 6-foot-2 left-back was drafted by Columbus in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.

Sweat has earned two U.S. Men’s National Team caps, appearing in friendlies against Colombia and Peru.

Julio Cascante
Austin FC also picked up Costa Rican central defender Julio Cascante during the Half-Day Trade Window. The native of Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, was acquired from Portland Timbers in exchange for $250,000 of General Allocation Money.

Cascante, 27, spent the last three seasons with the Timbers (2018-20), scoring two goals and adding two assists in 51 matches (41 starts) across all competitions, and was crowned Champion of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020. Before joining MLS, Cascante played for Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa during the 2017-18 seasons and made 59 appearances (49 starts), including five appearances (three starts) in the Concacaf Champions League, while ranking among the team leaders in goals scored (9). Alongside Costa Rican and new Austin FC teammate Ulises Segura, the central defender helped Saprissa capture its 33rd Primera Division title, after winning the 2016/17 Torneo de Invierno.

Prior to joining Saprissa, Cascante spent three seasons (2013-16) with Costa Rican first-division Club C.F. Universidad de Costa Rica, making 42 appearances (37 starts). Cascante made his professional debut in 2011 with Primera Division side Orión FC. At the international level, he has earned one cap for the Costa Rica National Team, making a substitute appearance in a friendly against Nicaragua on Dec. 15, 2015. Cascante was also teammates with Segura in the Costa Rica U-22 squad that participated in the 2015 World Youth Festival where he made three appearances (three starts). He also made three appearances (three starts) with the Costa Rica U-23 team in the 2015 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Jon Gallagher
Austin FC also traded $175,000 of General Allocation Money for Atlanta United forward Jon Gallagher, who was part of the 2018 MLS Cup-winning roster during his tenure in Atlanta from 2018-20, making 16 regular-season appearances (11 starts) and scoring four goals. In 2019, Gallagher started eight matches and added one goal and one assist for Atlanta United 2 (USL) before being loaned to Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen FC, where he earned 31 caps and contributed one goal and three assists across all competitions in 2019-20. Gallagher played and started all six Europa League Qualifying matches for Aberdeen FC in 2019, where he produced three assists.

Atlanta United’s No. 14 pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, Gallagher played 29 matches for Atlanta United 2 (26 starts), leading the team in goals scored with six and adding five assists during the 2018 USL season. The Dundalk, Ireland native was drafted from Notre Dame after a decorated collegiate career, tallying 39 goals and 15 assists in 84 matches played, earning two All-ACC selections and a mention in the College Soccer News All-America Second Team and NSCAA All-South Region Second Team (2016).

Ulises Segura
Ulises Segura was acquired via trade with D.C. United in exchange for $150,000 of General Allocation Money. Segura spent the last three seasons (2018-20) with D.C. United, making 70 appearances across all competitions and contributing five goals and five assists. Prior to joining D.C. United, Segura, 27, helped Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa win two consecutive Torneo de Invierno Championships (2015-16, 2016-17) and spent one season with Club Sport Uruguay de Coronado (2014-15).

The Guadalupe, Costa Rica, native rose through the Deportivo Saprissa youth system, making his professional debut with “Los Morados” in 2014 and winning one Torneo de Verano title (2013-14). At the international level, Segura has made 10 appearances for the Costa Rica National Team, including two Concacaf Nation Leagues appearances and one Concacaf Gold Cup cap. Additionally, he made four appearances (two starts) for the Costa Rica U-22 squad in the 2015 World Youth Festival in Toulon, France, and two appearances in the 2015 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The five players secured in the MLS Half-Day Trade Window join previously announced acquisitions Rodney Redes and Cecilio Domínguez, both of whom competed in CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores while on loan to Paraguayan side Club Guaraní.

It’s so exciting to see the roster filling out for the inaugural Austin FC season in 2021.