From day one, it’s been a party at Q2 Stadium when Austin FC play.
The verde in the crowd and the verde flashing lights when Austin score, the constant chanting and jumping and screaming in the stands. Every game, whether they were good, bad or indifferent.
Austin FC's players and staff have felt it. Now, they’re glad to reward the fans for that support with their first-ever Audi MLS Cup Playoffs game on Sunday, hosting Real Salt Lake in a Western Conference Round One matchup (3 pm ET | ABC, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN, TVA Sports in Canada).
“The fans sticking by us through our growing pains last year, they deserve to have a home playoff game,” club captain Alex Ring told MLSsoccer.com. “Our goal was to have a home playoff game [for them] and it’s a big advantage to play at Q2.”
The game sold out in less than five minutes, long before it was announced what day or time it would be held. Austin have sold out 34 consecutive MLS home matches, the league’s longest active streak.
“That game could be Thursday afternoon at 12 and it was going to sell out,” head coach Josh Wolff said. “These fans have shown exactly who they are and what they’re about. They love the team and the players, and the players reciprocate it. It’s an awesome city to be part of.”
Year two turnaround
Austin aimed to be in the playoffs this fall after a difficult inaugural season in 2021. Though the club showed positive signs in their game model and core players, ATX finished second to last in the Western Conference table with 31 points.
This year, Austin analyzed their needs and addressed those concerns. The result was a jump of 25 points, all the way up to second in the West.
“There were struggles in year one, which had to come with some level of expectation, but we built on what we learned from year one and we’re excited about what we were able to do in year two,” Wolff said. “It’s a culmination of many things: Learning from year one, making additions, players performing.”
Austin tweaked both the tactics (having Dani Pereira play as the defensive midfielder, thus freeing Ring to play more of a box-to-box role) as well as personnel. Maxi Urruti and Ruben Gabrielsen were signed and have been first-choice starters, while Ethan Finlay and Felipe Martins also joined as hugely important competition/rotation veterans.
“The main points were recognizing our gaps – tactically and physically, with the kind of players we needed,” Wolff said. “A regular schedule… COVID was not something I was prepared for. It was challenging but we learned from that. Winning is winning, losing is learning. We learned real quick.”
Austin’s first eight games of 2021 were on the road as the schedule was constructed to give ample time for Q2 Stadium to be finished and ready to go for their opener.
In addition to more normalcy, Ring also points to further continuity within the group during their second season together, aided in part by several players staying in Texas during the offseason voluntarily to work out and train together.
“We’re like a family here,” Ring said. “You bust your ass for one another on the field.”
MVP candidate
A full season of Sebastian Driussi didn’t hurt either, after the Argentine midfielder arrived in July 2021 from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.
“I knew last year\] we had something,” Wolff said. “I knew what we were doing was good enough. Now, validation comes from scoring goals and winning games, that was really lacking. That soured the group a little bit, but the last bit of the season with Sebastian, [Moussa \[Djitte\] and a more complete group, we had an understanding of what 2022 could be.”
The Austin talisman wrapped up a stellar 2022 campaign with 22 goals and seven assists. He was named one of the finalists for the Landon Donovan 2022 MLS MVP award.
“It was immediate when he got here,” Wolff said, regarding when he knew Driussi could be one of the best players in the league. “It was that clear. I’ve been in the league a long time, seen a lot of players. … He’s so special because of his mentality, humility and work rate. It’s incredible. That’s why he’s the MVP for me, plain and simple.”
Playoff ready?
Austin’s form dipped towards the end of the season after a hugely impressive and emotional 4-1 win over LAFC in late August, winning just once over their final seven games.
“We were in a bit of a slump; it was a weird place to be,” Ring said. “We qualified for the playoffs so early, but we weren’t good enough in that phase. Everyone has to admit to that. But the playoffs are here, this is what we’ve been working so hard for. I’m not worried for the team not being ready.”
Though the regular season ended with ATX a bit out of form, that one win came against Round One opponents Real Salt Lake, a convincing 3-0 result. The match pits former USMNT teammates Wolff and Pablo Mastroeni against each other again as managers.
“It’s going to be a battle, it’s going to be a fight,” Wolff said. “I know Pablo pretty well as a teammate, as a roommate. They’ll come ready to go. Our guys have to respect that and respond to that. I got nothing but respect for Pablo, he’s an incredible human being. Huge spirit, huge personality.
“His team is exactly what you’d expect. They work tirelessly, they’re aggressive going forward when they do go forward, but they know when they have to suffer, they suffer and when they want to enjoy it, they enjoy it. We want our guys to be ready for it.”
Wolff said he and Mastroeni have exchanged a few friendly texts ahead of Sunday’s match.
“I know he mentioned in the media that he liked that matchup,” Wolff said. “Well, we’ll make it as enjoyable as we can for him.”
Ring makes his return to the playoffs after missing the tournament for the first time in his MLS career, spending his first four seasons in North America with NYCFC.
“It definitely hurt not being in the playoffs,” the 31-year-old Finland native said, adding he was happy to watch his former teammates lift MLS Cup last year at Portland. “I stayed here instead of going back home. … It was hard. It’s hard to take when you’re used to success. It’s something I’ve carried with me this year.”
Media focus?
Austin FC haven’t been shy about poking fun at the media, pointing out what they believe to be unfavorable coverage during the year. Ring said it’s all part of the game.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t give a s--t about what people write,” Ring said. “It’s your job to cover and report, I respect that totally, but I don’t lose a wink of sleep [about what’s written]. It’s part of the business. I’m not too worried.”
Austin will be under a different spotlight in the playoffs now, with all eyes on them for their first playoff run, starting with a No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup on Sunday. If Austin win, they'll host either No. 3 FC Dallas or No. 6 Minnesota United FC in one of two Western Conference Semifinals.
“You guys do what you do, you have to do it,” said Wolff. “ … It’s not a matter of me valuing it or responding to it. All I did is to illustrate this is the way we’re thought of.”
