'A lot of heightened emotions': What to expect from Austin FC's journey to Frisco
With a win on Saturday, Austin FC can do something it hasn't done since 2022. (The match also will decide second place in the Copa Tejas race.)
On Saturday night, Austin FC heads to Frisco to face FC Dallas in what is technically a Copa Tejas matchup, albeit a pointless one — given that Houston secured the title when Verde and Dallas drew in their recent August 16 match.
Should Austin FC win in the shadow of giant trucks at Toyota Stadium, the team will not only get the consolation of second place in the final 2025 Copa Tejas standings, it will secure its second-best season ever based on surpassing 2024's 42-point total. A draw would get Verde to exactly 42 points with five matches to go.
And should Austin win, it would extend its current win streak to three ahead of its crucial U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday against Minnesota United FC — which would be the team's first three-match win streak of the season and its first since 2022, when it secured two separate four-match win streaks in that marquee season.
But judging from what Brad Stuver told media on Wednesday, the team's neither celebratory about the recent pair of wins nor content to just beat FC Dallas in Frisco — which it's never done in its five-year history.
"After two wins, you have to realize that your work isn't done," he said. "After a few draws and losses, you can come in and have a chip on your shoulder, but after two wins, the idea is not to get complacent. The idea is that to be a good team, to be a great team, you have to maintain that same energy. You have to maintain that same desire to get results. The best teams go into every game with the same mentality, regardless of the result they have last this week," before adding that the team needs to make sure their "emotions are right."
Speaking of emotions, he also predicted, with the air of heightened intensity this part of the season brings, feelings will be on display for a series that has often brought them about — even though Jesus Ferreira, who is the series' Golden Boot leader with six goals and consternation leader with more than one of those goals, has moved on to Seattle. (He'll be part of the narrative for the upcoming home match on Sept. 21.)
"There's a lot of heightened emotions, especially from them being at home, especially [them] being below the playoff line right now, we know that they play five in the back," Stuver said. "We know that they have center backs that are good on set pieces. They have good service in transition. So I'm expecting, if the game is tied or close, that in the last 20 to 25 minutes, you're going to start seeing a lot of players crowding the back line, probably five or six guys on that back line, trying to get a result ... We just kind of have to be ready for that.
"For me, it's about managing the first 60 minutes to make sure that we're in a position that we can weather the storm, whether that's putting one goal in and keeping them shut out, or if it's being tied and countering them when they do that," he added. "It doesn't really matter to me, but just knowing that that's going to be a possibility, and knowing that we need to be ready for whatever they throw at us, we can make the game plan but we can kind of throw it out the window in exchange."
'It's always special'
Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez reiterated his excitement about returning to his former home stadium.
"It's always special," he reflected. "To go a place where you've lived, you've raised your kids, worked there, had a lot of days working with a lot of nice people around and also game days with the fans and some moments that we will remember. You always try to remember the positives ones, the ones that were good and everyone was happy ... it's a great feeling to work players where you and your family had a good time."
But he also emphasized he'll take a professional approach to the match, looking to build on a stretch of the season in which they've registered almost two points a match.
"Since June, we have 21 points in 11 games, and we have scored much more goals. Also, we've lost only two games in those 11," he said of the 6W 2L 3D stretch which did, indeed, start with June 7's away win in Colorado. "I think that shows a lot of consistency. A lot of players are understanding better what we asked them every day, and ... we just have to be very consistent and keep pushing. In these six games, we could have a bad game. It's not like everything is going to go perfect, but we know now that when something doesn't go our way the way, that we need to respond."
The playoff picture
Saturday's match won't officially decide anything on its own: Austin FC's not quite in a place where it can clinch a playoff spot, and FC Dallas — currently in 12th in the West on 31 points — can't be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of what happens this weekend.
FCD is close, though; they're only four points ahead of both Kansas City and St. Louis (albeit with a game in hand on both teams), and St. Louis does have possible playoff scenario exits this weekend, though it does start with their losing or drawing against Montréal (which can, as Austin fans know all too well, happen).
These are the other matches that have a bearing on the race for the bottom five playoff places, in case you want to go multiview on Saturday night:
No. 11 Real Salt Lake (31 points, 7 matches remaining) hosting No. 13 Sporting Kansas City (27 points, 5 matches remaining), 8:35 pm CT
No. 6 Portland Timbers FC (39 points, 6 matches remaining hosting East No. 10 New York Red Bulls (40 points, 5 matches remaining), 9:30 pm CT
Note that the top three teams in the West feature in arguably the two best matches of the night; No. 3 Vancouver hosts Supporters' Shield leaders Philadelphia (8:35 pm CT), while No. 1 San Diego hosts No. 2 Minnesota (9:30 pm CT).
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
Dejan Joveljić has 16 goals for an SKC team no longer coached by Peter Vermes. That's the tip of the intel iceberg we've gathered ahead of Sunday evening's match.
We learned a little bit more about Nicky Beloko's brief sojourn in Austin, and quite a bit about why Austin FC's sporting director didn't bring in more players during the summer transfer window.
On Saturday night, Austin FC heads to Frisco to face FC Dallas in what is technically a Copa Tejas matchup, albeit a pointless one — given that Houston secured the title when Verde and Dallas drew in their recent August 16 match.
Should Austin FC win in the shadow of giant trucks at Toyota Stadium, the team will not only get the consolation of second place in the final 2025 Copa Tejas standings, it will secure its second-best season ever based on surpassing 2024's 42-point total. A draw would get Verde to exactly 42 points with five matches to go.
And should Austin win, it would extend its current win streak to three ahead of its crucial U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday against Minnesota United FC — which would be the team's first three-match win streak of the season and its first since 2022, when it secured two separate four-match win streaks in that marquee season.
But judging from what Brad Stuver told media on Wednesday, the team's neither celebratory about the recent pair of wins nor content to just beat FC Dallas in Frisco — which it's never done in its five-year history.
"After two wins, you have to realize that your work isn't done," he said. "After a few draws and losses, you can come in and have a chip on your shoulder, but after two wins, the idea is not to get complacent. The idea is that to be a good team, to be a great team, you have to maintain that same energy. You have to maintain that same desire to get results. The best teams go into every game with the same mentality, regardless of the result they have last this week," before adding that the team needs to make sure their "emotions are right."
Speaking of emotions, he also predicted, with the air of heightened intensity this part of the season brings, feelings will be on display for a series that has often brought them about — even though Jesus Ferreira, who is the series' Golden Boot leader with six goals and consternation leader with more than one of those goals, has moved on to Seattle. (He'll be part of the narrative for the upcoming home match on Sept. 21.)
"There's a lot of heightened emotions, especially from them being at home, especially [them] being below the playoff line right now, we know that they play five in the back," Stuver said. "We know that they have center backs that are good on set pieces. They have good service in transition. So I'm expecting, if the game is tied or close, that in the last 20 to 25 minutes, you're going to start seeing a lot of players crowding the back line, probably five or six guys on that back line, trying to get a result ... We just kind of have to be ready for that.
"For me, it's about managing the first 60 minutes to make sure that we're in a position that we can weather the storm, whether that's putting one goal in and keeping them shut out, or if it's being tied and countering them when they do that," he added. "It doesn't really matter to me, but just knowing that that's going to be a possibility, and knowing that we need to be ready for whatever they throw at us, we can make the game plan but we can kind of throw it out the window in exchange."
'It's always special'
Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez reiterated his excitement about returning to his former home stadium.
"It's always special," he reflected. "To go a place where you've lived, you've raised your kids, worked there, had a lot of days working with a lot of nice people around and also game days with the fans and some moments that we will remember. You always try to remember the positives ones, the ones that were good and everyone was happy ... it's a great feeling to work players where you and your family had a good time."
But he also emphasized he'll take a professional approach to the match, looking to build on a stretch of the season in which they've registered almost two points a match.
"Since June, we have 21 points in 11 games, and we have scored much more goals. Also, we've lost only two games in those 11," he said of the 6W 2L 3D stretch which did, indeed, start with June 7's away win in Colorado. "I think that shows a lot of consistency. A lot of players are understanding better what we asked them every day, and ... we just have to be very consistent and keep pushing. In these six games, we could have a bad game. It's not like everything is going to go perfect, but we know now that when something doesn't go our way the way, that we need to respond."
The playoff picture
Saturday's match won't officially decide anything on its own: Austin FC's not quite in a place where it can clinch a playoff spot, and FC Dallas — currently in 12th in the West on 31 points — can't be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of what happens this weekend.
FCD is close, though; they're only four points ahead of both Kansas City and St. Louis (albeit with a game in hand on both teams), and St. Louis does have possible playoff scenario exits this weekend, though it does start with their losing or drawing against Montréal (which can, as Austin fans know all too well, happen).
These are the other matches that have a bearing on the race for the bottom five playoff places, in case you want to go multiview on Saturday night:
Note that the top three teams in the West feature in arguably the two best matches of the night; No. 3 Vancouver hosts Supporters' Shield leaders Philadelphia (8:35 pm CT), while No. 1 San Diego hosts No. 2 Minnesota (9:30 pm CT).
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
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