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Austin FC

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by UncleTupelo1 (talk | contribs) at 16:32, 4 February 2021 (→Current roster: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2021/02/04/austin-fc-sign-free-agent-forward-aaron-schoenfeld-ahead-2021-mls-season). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with Austin Bold FC, the second-division soccer team that started play in 2019 at Circuit of the Americas.

Austin FC
FoundedJanuary 15, 2019 (5 years ago) (January 15, 2019)[1]
StadiumQ2 Stadium
Austin, Texas
Capacity20,500
OwnerTwo Oak Ventures, LLC
ChairmanAnthony Precourt
Head coachJosh Wolff
LeagueMajor League Soccer
Websitehttps://www.austinfc.com
Current season

Austin FC is a professional soccer franchise based in Austin, Texas.[2] The club will begin play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2021, and will open a new stadium in north central Austin the same year.[3]

History

Austin FC will be the first top-division major professional sports team in the Austin area. The city's previous experience with professional soccer includes the Austin Aztex FC, which moved to Orlando in 2008 and eventually become MLS side Orlando City SC, the 2011 reincarnation of the Austin Aztex which went on indefinite hiatus following the 2015 Memorial Day floods washing out their venue at House Park, and Austin Bold FC, which play in the second division USL Championship at Circuit of the Americas.[4][5]

In October 2017, Columbus Crew SC operator Precourt Sports Ventures announced their intention to move the group's MLS franchise rights to Austin for the 2019 MLS season.[6]

On August 22, 2018, the group unveiled the name and badge for the club at an event at the North Door on Austin's east side.[7][8] The crest was designed by local Austin brand studio The Butler Bros, who explained the badge as including the signature color "Bright Verde" to "project the vibrancy and creative energy of Austin", intertwined oaks that "stand for the bond between Club and City", and the four roots uniting all compass directions of Austin, North, East, South, and West.[9][10]

In October 2018, an Ohio-based group which includes Jimmy and Dee Haslam, owners of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns, and Columbus-based physician and businessman Pete Edwards, announced their intentions to acquire Columbus Crew to keep the team from moving. MLS officials stated that if the transfer of the Crew's operating rights were successful, Austin FC would be established as an expansion team operated by Precourt to begin play by 2021.[11][12]

On December 19, 2018, Precourt Sports Ventures and the City of Austin reached a financing agreement for a new soccer-specific stadium to be constructed at McKalla Place, which is projected to open by early 2021.[2] Nine days after finalizing the stadium deal, Precourt Sports Ventures reached an agreement in principle to transfer the operating rights of the Columbus Crew SC to the Haslam and Edwards families in January 2019.[13]

On January 15, 2019, Austin FC was officially announced as an MLS club with a 2021 start date.[14][15][16] In July 2019, the ownership group was renamed to Two Oak Ventures and later expanded to include local celebrities and businesspeople.[17][18]

Josh Wolff was named the club's first head coach on July 23, 2019[19] and Claudio Reyna was announced as their sporting director on November 21.[20]

Stadium

Austin FC will be the operators of a new stadium at McKalla Place. The stadium, built on public land and owned by the City of Austin, is planned to be privately financed by Two Oak Ventures. The lease was signed on December 19, 2018. The stadium will seat 20,500 and will field its first Austin FC game in April 2021.[21][22]

The club announced plans for a $45 million, privately funded training facility, the St. David's Performance Center, on November 13, 2019. The performance center, located in the Parmer Pond development in northeast Austin, will have four full size soccer fields, one with a 1,000 capacity seating section, in addition to a 30,000 square foot indoor facility.[23]

Club culture

Austin FC currently has four supporters' groups, Austin Anthem,[24] Los Verdes, Burnt Orange Brigade, along with a group from New Braunfels, Oak Army New Braunfels.[25]

Sponsorship

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor Ref.
2021– Adidas Yeti Netspend [26]

Ownership and management

Austin FC is owned by Two Oak Ventures, formerly known as Precourt Sports Ventures, which is led by CEO Anthony Precourt.[17] Other investing partners in Two Oak Ventures include actor Matthew McConaughey, local entrepreneur Eduardo Margain, Dell executive Marius Haas, and energy entrepreneur Bryan Sheffield.[18]

Players

Current roster

As of February 4, 2021
No. Position Player Nation
— GK Brady Scott  United States
— GK Brad Stuver  United States
— GK Andrew Tarbell  United States
— DF Matt Besler  United States
— DF Ben Sweat  United States
— DF Nick Lima  United States
— DF Julio Cascante  Costa Rica
— DF Jhohan Romaña  Colombia
— MF Diego Fagúndez  Uruguay
— MF Daniel Pereira (GA)  Venezuela
— MF Alexander Ring  Finland
— MF Ulises Segura  Costa Rica
— MF Jared Stroud  United States
— MF Hector Jiménez  United States
— FW Cecilio Domínguez (DP)  Paraguay
— FW Jon Gallagher  Ireland
— FW Danny Hoesen  Netherlands
— FW Kekuta Manneh  Gambia
— FW Rodney Redes  Paraguay
— FW Aaron Schoenfeld  United States

Staff

Current technical staff

Executive
Majority owner & CEO Anthony Precourt
Sporting director Claudio Reyna
Chief scout Manuel Junco
Coaching staff
Head coach Josh Wolff
Assistant coach Davy Arnaud
Assistant coach Rodrigo Ríos
Assistant coach Nolan Sheldon

Last updated: November 20, 2020
Source: [citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise announced in 2018 but will not begin play until 2021.
  2. ^ a b "City of Austin, Precourt Sports Ventures announce stadium deal agreement". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. December 19, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Austin FC announces lease agreement for Austin office space near McKalla Place Stadium site" (PDF) (Press release). Austin FC. December 19, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  4. ^ Salazar, Daniel (January 15, 2019). "It's official: Austin has its first major league sports franchise, MLS commissioner announces". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. ^ West, Phil (January 3, 2019). "Austin soccer stadium opponents file petition seeking May vote". ProSoccerUSA.com. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Wahl, Grant (October 16, 2017). "Columbus Crew Angling Toward Relocation to Austin in 2019". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  7. ^ "Precourt Sports Ventures reveals badge for potential Austin MLS club". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. August 22, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Bils, Chris (August 23, 2018). "City's MLS franchise to be dubbed Austin FC". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  9. ^ West, Phil (August 23, 2018). "Austin FC: Precourt Sports Ventures unveils new name, logo for proposed Texas MLS team". ProSoccerUSA. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  10. ^ Barbaro, Nick (August 22, 2018). "MLS2ATX reveals team name, logo, colors, and more". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Cleveland Browns owners emerge as potential buyers of Columbus Crew SC". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. October 12, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Clarke-Madison, Mike; Sanders, Austin; Barbaro, Nick (October 12, 2018). "MLS in Austin: Everybody Wins!". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  13. ^ "Agreement reached for Haslam, Edwards families to operate Columbus Crew SC". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  14. ^ Bogert, Tom (January 15, 2019). "Austin FC to begin MLS play in 2021 as league's 27th club". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  15. ^ Creditor, Avi (January 15, 2019). "MLS officially welcomes Austin FC as 27th franchise". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Bils, Chris; Bohls, Kirk (January 15, 2019). "Austin FC officially announced as 27th MLS club with 'local roots'". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Two Oak Ventures to own and operate Austin FC and attract local investors". MLSsoccer.com. July 17, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  18. ^ a b West, Phil (August 23, 2019). "Matthew McConaughey among four locals joining Austin FC ownership group". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  19. ^ "Austin FC name Josh Wolff first head coach | MLSsoccer.com".
  20. ^ "Claudio Reyna Departs New York City FC to Join Austin FC; Technical Director David Lee Promoted to Sporting Director | New York City FC".
  21. ^ "10414 McKalla Place". AustinTexas.gov. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  22. ^ Bils, Chris. "Rising stadium signals that Austin FC, MLS are on their way". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  23. ^ https://austinfc.cdn.prismic.io/austinfc/323e2bec-6c42-41f3-bd12-cdc32aec077c_Austin+FC+plans+SDPC+111219.pdf
  24. ^ Bils, Chris (January 9, 2019). "Austin FC reveals details for 'Legendary Announcement' next week, including sweepstakes". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  25. ^ Bils, Chris (June 20, 2020). "Soccer notebook: For supporters, the price for Austin FC tickets is alright, alright, alright". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  26. ^ "Austin FC enter multi-year deal with YETI to be official jersey sponsor". MLSsoccer.com. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
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