The new year started with some new impact signings and ended with a bold take on preseason.
Remember when Fafà Picault not signing with Austin FC dominated our thoughts?
That's how we closed out 2024. What a difference a month makes. (For one thing, Austin's got four new players signed! For another, Verde All Day has an entirely new URL and is on an entirely new platform!)
Welcome to this new regular feature, The Backpass, which we project will exist in two forms each month: One for all subscribers (free included) showing all the stories and podcasts we did during the month (in case you missed any), and a special version for Premium subscribers showing all of those with various footnotes and annotations to add an extra layer and to put everything into a better narrative.
This one's full of charts, and it emphasized what a good signing he was. He's shown himself to be even better than we thought, and judging from how preseason's progressing, I'll be shocked if he's not captain when that gets decided in mid-February.
Having been wary of signing reports in the wake of the Fafà Saga, we looked at charts for who was then Verde's potential new starting No. 9. As you can see from the next two posts, this was not a deep dive we regretted.
I've only been cold covering Austin FC a handful of times: The 2022 opener against FC Cincinnati (which was Vázquez's first visit to Q2 Stadium), the open practice (which we'll get to), and then this excursion into an extreme-for-Austin evening (with real temps in the low 40s but feeling like the mid-to-high 30s). Come to think of it, all three of these cold-weather events involved Vázquez.)
Long after people forget what Vázquez said – though we've kept it here for posterity – they'll remember sporting director Rodolfo Borrell tearing up at the end of this press conference and being supported by Vázquez in a genuinely touching moment. The rest of the month revealed just how much work Borrell was doing to make all the incoming and outgoing roster moves fit together.
Austin FC was involved in two transfer sagas in January; the first of those involved Granada and Albanian international striker/winger Myrto Uzuni, who at this point was enough of a rumored-to-be-coming player that we did a deep dive. (Again, most of our deep dives have been rewarded this season with subsequent signings.)
While Austin was trying to bring Uzuni in, it was also trying to usher star midfielder Sebastián Driussi out. This media availability started with Borrell expressing his displeasure with Driussi skipping the first few days of training, and made clear that he didn't have permission to do so, and then head coach Nico Estévez added observations about disrespect that were maybe a little spicier than we'd expected from him. Not that Austin media was complaining!
We had some feelings about Driussi leaving. Complicated feelings. It also felt that, even though his departure wasn't official, it was imminent enough to merit this level of eulogy for his Austin tenure.
The big thing that jumped out to me when I got this news was the contract length: Through 2029 with an option for 2030. Something about a contract that went into the next decade sent me. I think he'll be a good project, and it's good to have a U22 player back on the roster now that Kolmanič aged out.
A touching moment to remember (Austin FC Communications)
The outside press conference before the open practice in 34-degree weather was a thing to endure (should have brought gloves), but this is where we learned about different formation configurations from Estévez and were charmed by Sánchez.
This signing indicated that Verde might not be after a true string-pulling No. 10. Šabović, as a No. 8 who seems to do a lot of varied things well, could end up being one of the main chance creators for the team this year. He's less known and so far less knowable than some of the other players, so he'll be one to watch as the season starts to determine what he'll bring. But he could be more key to a successful 2025 than you maybe initially expected.
We got the official word about Uzuni, and given that he's the third and final designated player, and those three players are all along the front line, it's clear where Borrell is stacking talent. It's a reasonable thing to do in MLS.
This was a roster move cooked up by famed MLS writer Matt Doyle, and it's probably not something that will actually ever materialize ... but he could also be a missing link in the roster that Borrell is trying to build. It's certainly tempting.
We did it, friends. We secured an early morning appointment with Austin FC's new head coach, set up a makeshift recording station, got off about half a dozen questions in a little more than the 20 minutes allotted, and walked away knowing more about the club and how Estévez will approach it.
With each passing week, I'm more optimistic. (I'm loath to do predictions, but should Uzuni get to the U.S. relatively soon, I don't think third in the West is out of the question.)
Oh, also, he could have been insulting about the way he started talking about people that discuss formations and how there's an extra layer of complexity beyond that short hand for how teams set up their players, but he was very charming in his answer.
At Emergency Podcast, we love a cold open, and this was one of the better ones we've ever done. Musty cultural reference to start things off? Check. Declaring a kit leak emergency with palpable delight? Check. Extensive expounding on Blue's Clues? Check.
We were incredibly grateful to be granted this interview, and the podcast includes one bonus question and answer that wasn't part of the written version.
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.
Remember when Fafà Picault not signing with Austin FC dominated our thoughts?
That's how we closed out 2024. What a difference a month makes. (For one thing, Austin's got four new players signed! For another, Verde All Day has an entirely new URL and is on an entirely new platform!)
Welcome to this new regular feature, The Backpass, which we project will exist in two forms each month: One for all subscribers (free included) showing all the stories and podcasts we did during the month (in case you missed any), and a special version for Premium subscribers showing all of those with various footnotes and annotations to add an extra layer and to put everything into a better narrative.
This month, everyone gets the Premium treatment!
Stories
Jan. 1: Time to get Ilie: What to expect from Austin FC's newest addition
This one's full of charts, and it emphasized what a good signing he was. He's shown himself to be even better than we thought, and judging from how preseason's progressing, I'll be shocked if he's not captain when that gets decided in mid-February.
Jan. 2: We might regret this later: A deep dive on anticipated (but not yet official) Austin FC signing Brandon Vázquez
Having been wary of signing reports in the wake of the Fafà Saga, we looked at charts for who was then Verde's potential new starting No. 9. As you can see from the next two posts, this was not a deep dive we regretted.
Jan. 6: 'Let's make some history together': Why I'm glad I joined a bunch of Austin FC fans to freeze with Brandon Vázquez on Monday evening
I've only been cold covering Austin FC a handful of times: The 2022 opener against FC Cincinnati (which was Vázquez's first visit to Q2 Stadium), the open practice (which we'll get to), and then this excursion into an extreme-for-Austin evening (with real temps in the low 40s but feeling like the mid-to-high 30s). Come to think of it, all three of these cold-weather events involved Vázquez.)
Jan. 7: Crying in the club: Three takeaways from the Brandon Vázquez introductory press conference
Long after people forget what Vázquez said – though we've kept it here for posterity – they'll remember sporting director Rodolfo Borrell tearing up at the end of this press conference and being supported by Vázquez in a genuinely touching moment. The rest of the month revealed just how much work Borrell was doing to make all the incoming and outgoing roster moves fit together.
Jan. 11: Yeah, it's time: A glimpse at new Austin FC transfer rumor subject Myrto Uzuni
Austin FC was involved in two transfer sagas in January; the first of those involved Granada and Albanian international striker/winger Myrto Uzuni, who at this point was enough of a rumored-to-be-coming player that we did a deep dive. (Again, most of our deep dives have been rewarded this season with subsequent signings.)
Jan. 13: 'Falta de respeto': Rodolfo Borrell and Nico Estevez talk about all the Austin FC players who made it to training and the one who didn't
While Austin was trying to bring Uzuni in, it was also trying to usher star midfielder Sebastián Driussi out. This media availability started with Borrell expressing his displeasure with Driussi skipping the first few days of training, and made clear that he didn't have permission to do so, and then head coach Nico Estévez added observations about disrespect that were maybe a little spicier than we'd expected from him. Not that Austin media was complaining!
Jan. 15: The limbo we're in: Waiting for the official end of the Reyna-Wolff-Driussi era
We had some feelings about Driussi leaving. Complicated feelings. It also felt that, even though his departure wasn't official, it was imminent enough to merit this level of eulogy for his Austin tenure.
Jan. 16: One for (far into) the future: Austin FC signs Nicolas Dubersarsky to contract touching the next decade
The big thing that jumped out to me when I got this news was the contract length: Through 2029 with an option for 2030. Something about a contract that went into the next decade sent me. I think he'll be a good project, and it's good to have a U22 player back on the roster now that Kolmanič aged out.
Jan. 19: Are we now two-forward? Learning about Austin FC's possible 4-4-2 future from a refreshingly open Nico Estévez
The outside press conference before the open practice in 34-degree weather was a thing to endure (should have brought gloves), but this is where we learned about different formation configurations from Estévez and were charmed by Sánchez.
Jan. 21: Making sense of the Besard Šabović signing: Who is he and what does he bring to Austin FC?
This signing indicated that Verde might not be after a true string-pulling No. 10. Šabović, as a No. 8 who seems to do a lot of varied things well, could end up being one of the main chance creators for the team this year. He's less known and so far less knowable than some of the other players, so he'll be one to watch as the season starts to determine what he'll bring. But he could be more key to a successful 2025 than you maybe initially expected.
Jan. 25: Myrto Uzuni is Verde, and a heliocentric No. 10 is probably not
We got the official word about Uzuni, and given that he's the third and final designated player, and those three players are all along the front line, it's clear where Borrell is stacking talent. It's a reasonable thing to do in MLS.
Jan. 26: We ponder an intriguing question: Would Eduard Atuesta in Verde make sense?
This was a roster move cooked up by famed MLS writer Matt Doyle, and it's probably not something that will actually ever materialize ... but he could also be a missing link in the roster that Borrell is trying to build. It's certainly tempting.
Jan. 28: Breakfast with Nico: An early morning interview with Austin FC's new head coach
We did it, friends. We secured an early morning appointment with Austin FC's new head coach, set up a makeshift recording station, got off about half a dozen questions in a little more than the 20 minutes allotted, and walked away knowing more about the club and how Estévez will approach it.
With each passing week, I'm more optimistic. (I'm loath to do predictions, but should Uzuni get to the U.S. relatively soon, I don't think third in the West is out of the question.)
Oh, also, he could have been insulting about the way he started talking about people that discuss formations and how there's an extra layer of complexity beyond that short hand for how teams set up their players, but he was very charming in his answer.
Jan. 30: 'Preseason is a liar': Highlights from the latest Austin FC preseason media availability
In which we learned (or reified) that preseason results have little bearing on how the season will go.
Podcasts
Episode 29 (Jan. 4): We Have 2024 Green Smoke but No 2025 Green Smoke As of Yet Emergency
First podcast of 2025, in which we were not-so-patiently looking for new signings.
Episode 30 (Jan. 18): Driussi, Dubersarsky, Uzuni with Tiger, and a Mowed Lawn Electric Watermelon Emergency
This is the episode with the "interview with Rodolfo Borrell" that some of our listeners really enjoyed ...
Episode 31 (Jan. 25): Annual Ridiculous Kit Leak Emergency (The Emergency Tradition We Love)
At Emergency Podcast, we love a cold open, and this was one of the better ones we've ever done. Musty cultural reference to start things off? Check. Declaring a kit leak emergency with palpable delight? Check. Extensive expounding on Blue's Clues? Check.
Episode 32 (Jan. 29): They Let Us Talk to Nico Estevez Emergency
We were incredibly grateful to be granted this interview, and the podcast includes one bonus question and answer that wasn't part of the written version.
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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