Austin Football Club (Austin FC) is the first professional sports team to compete in a top division from Travis Country. The 2021 season was its inaugural season, but due to COVID-19, the season started a month later than usual on April 17 and ended on Nov. 7. Austin FC’s home field is the new Q2 Stadium, located in North Austin. Austinites loved the team before the season even started, buying their green and black t-shirts, hats, scarves, and flags all plastered with the live oak logo en masse. The team spread their roots deeper into Austin culture and community as the season went on, and in the future, those roots will continue to grow. 

One of the key factors for a successful team is skilled players. A few players this season stood out as competitors and leaders. Captain Alexander Ring, a Finnish defensive midfielder  who wears number eight, has played for Major League Soccer (MLS) teams since 2017. As one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, Ring was picked for the 2018 MLS All-Star game, a match that takes place between the All-Star team from the U.S. ‘s league and another team from abroad. This season, he was at times positioned in a more offensive role, scoring four goals and three assists in total. His exceptional performance in the game against the Houston Dynamo on Oct. 24 enabled him to be selected for the MLS Team of the Week for Week 32, meaning that for that week he was recognized as being the best in his position. Ring succeeded in fulfilling fan’s expectations of him this season with his precision and solid defense, as well as offense. 

Tomás Pochettino, a central midfielder signed from Argentina’s Club Talleres for $2.5 million, also played a significant role this season. He wears number seven and made 29 key passes and scored two goals this season. His offensive skill in a game against the Houston Dynamo earned him MLS Player of the Week for Week 17. Going forward, fans expect that Pochettino will take on a bigger offensive role and that his skills on the field will continue to develop.

On the other hand, the team suffered this season due to a loss of outstanding athletes like Danny Hoesen. Hoesen, a striker who wears number nine, was expected to be on the front lines for offense this season. But in October of last year, he sustained muscle tears and underwent surgery to repair them. Hoesen was cleared to play through the 2021 season, but unfortunately he only played the initial five games before sustaining a hip injury. Because of his value as an offensive player and a guaranteed goalscorer, his presence this inaugural season was intended to jumpstart the team to many victories. Later into the season, Austin FC brought in Senegalese striker #99 Moussa Djitte and Austinite forward #23 McKinzie Gaines, who both started to fill that gap.

Similarly, Ben Sweat was expected to be a top defender and starter this season before sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the game against the Colorado Rapids on April 24. He underwent surgery and missed out on the remainder of the season. Sweat was lined up to be one of the leading defensive players, but on Nov. 30 it was announced that his contract option for next season had been declined by the club. It was announced that seven other players would be leaving before 2022 as well, meaning Austin FC has 19 players registered for next season so far.

This season, Austin FC played a total of 34 games. They celebrated nine wins this season, lost 21, and ended four in draws. Fans still took to the road for away games to show their crazy support for the team. They were ranked 21 out of 27 teams from both Eastern and Western conferences in MLS during preseason, which feels adequate for an inaugural season. Next season and the seasons following, fans want to see improvement in all aspects of the team. With more wins comes more reason for celebration. Austin FC finished their satisfactory season on Nov. 7, ending in spot 12 out of 13 in the Western Conference. 

As for competition, a rival arose in FC Dallas. Austin FC’s first match against FC Dallas ended in a crushing 2-0 loss for Austin FC and its hundreds of traveling fans. According to captain Alex Ring, they played well the first half, but were sluggish in the second. The second match, a home game at Q2, offered the team a chance for revenge and redemption after a new winning streak, but unfortunately they were met with another loss, this time by a score of 3-5. Their final game against FC Dallas ended in a close game 2-1, but Austin FC still lost, losing their chance to win the Copa Tejas Trophy (the winner has the most head-to-head points against the other two Texas teams). Hopefully in next year’s season the team will make a comeback, building off of key players like #41 goalkeeper Brad Stuver, #14 forward Diego Fagundez, and #25 attacking midfielder Sebastian Driussi.

Although Austin FC didn’t do as well as the players or fans hoped, they will continue to be supported. Fans packed into the Q2 Stadium at every home game, chanting and cheering for the team, and they will continue to do so for many seasons to come. Fans and supporters of Austin FC like Los Verdes, an independent group that follows the team and creates enthusiasm and team spirit through their colorful green clothing and boosting chants, fill the crowd with energy and positivity. Austin has been a welcoming community for the professional soccer team, and the team has welcomed Austin in return, adapting to cultural traditions and embracing the lively city.