Let’s say Austin FC had the chance to pick up a new striker — or really, a new-to-them striker in the offseason. And let’s say two choices emerged who were, how do we say this, seasoned MLS veterans, each goalscoring centurions with more than 100 league goals to their credits.
One of them, who was available during the first part of Austin’s debut season, when he might have been a better idea than he is now, is looking to make MLS history in 2024 should he find a team. (This assumes his current team releases him, which is not yet official, but that’s the expectation.)
He’s third on the all-time MLS goalscoring list with 144 goals, and he’s only a few years removed from back-to-back 14 goal seasons.
The other, who is definitely available after a season in which he reinvented himself, just turned 30 in May and has scored 105 goals over six full seasons — not counting 2020 in which he was injured about an hour into the season opener right before the world turned upside down with the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s 249 combined goals in MLS from this pair — startling numbers when you consider that Austin FC’s leading MLS goal scorer is Sebastián Driussi, who has 38 in regular-season games (and 43 total, if you count playoffs and CCL matches). The next highest scorer on the Austin FC all-time list is Diego Fagundez, who has 15 MLS goals in 2 ½ seasons and isn’t even with the club anymore.
You have to get to Maxi Urruti, tied with Ethan Finlay and Alex Ring with 10 all-time regular-season goals for third — nine of which came in one season — to get to a true center forward on the list.
So, two strikers who have each more than 100 MLS career goals to their credit each need a new team … are you interested?
Here’s the catch.
