The Verde Report: Austin FC Leads Texas' Soccer Renaissance

Diego Fagúndez of Austin FC battles Samuel Junqua of the Houston Dynamo during a 2021 match at Q2 Stadium (Courtesy of Austin FC)

Don't let all the football stadiums fool you: Texas is as big of a soccer hotbed as any place in the nation. The state is likely to house at least two venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and when it does, odds are more than a few Texans will pop up on the U.S. roster. Thankfully, the Lone Star State's Major League Soccer teams are starting to do its fútbol pedigree some justice.

After the first two months of the MLS season, Austin FC, FC Dallas, and the Houston Dynamo sit second, fourth, and seventh in the Western Conference standings, respectively. And if I dare point this out so early into the year, those are all playoff-eligible positions. Quite a collective step forward from last season when Dallas, Austin, and Houston monopolized the bottom three spots in the West. In fact, through eight weeks this season, the three Texas clubs have already combined for 12 wins, more than half of their combined total after the entire 2021 campaign.

With all three clubs showing marked improvement against the league at large, they're now beginning to set their sights on each other in what is shaping up to be a thrilling seasonlong tussle for the coveted Copa Tejas. Dallas and Houston kicked off the trivalry last weekend with a banger in Frisco. After conceding a first-half goal to the Dynamo and new Designated Player Sebastián Ferreira, FC Dallas scored in the 87th minute and in the third minute of stoppage time to steal the win and send Houston back to the bayou.

And here's where Austin FC joins the chat. The Verde and Black have an afternoon date (12:30pm) with the Dynamo at PNC Stadium this Saturday, April 30, and two points to prove while they're there: First, that they can win a match on the road without pulling a three-goal rabbit out of their hat in the final 10 minutes, and second, that they are in fact the most improved of three highly improved Texas teams.

"We definitely want to be the best in Texas," coach Josh Wolff reiterated recently. "That's something that our players talk about [and] our fans hold in high regard."

Saturday's match will also mark the return of Maxi Urruti to PNC Stadium, his home field during the 2021 season. The striker has been a revelation so far in the Verde and Black with four goals to start the season. He and Argentine compatriot Sebastián Driussi – the league's top scorer with six goals – have combined for half of Austin FC's league-leading tally of 20.

Lately, the goals have come in the continued absence of star winger Cecilio Domínguez. Last Wednesday, a report from ESPN's Jeff Carlisle shed light on the cause of MLS's investigation into, and indefinite suspension of, the Paraguayan DP. According to that report, the investigation concerns "possible instances of verbal and emotional abuse directed by the player toward his ex-partner." While the Austin Police Department was notified of the situation, Carlisle's report said that there is no open criminal investigation related to Domínguez and no further follow-up or court proceedings down the line.