Jorge Alastuey belongs, and other takeaways from Austin FC's open practice
Przemysław Płacheta played before Austin FC fans for the first time on Saturday. Jorge Alastuey was also part of the practice, and looked especially poised.
Though it was much warmer and considerably less attended than Austin FC's first open practice, Saturday's training session for season ticket holders (and media) provided some helpful glimpses into the squad heading into the resumption of the 2026 MLS season on Wednesday.
Interim head coach Davy Arnaud was briefly mic'd up to let attendees know that the team was getting ready for its game — a rather obvious aim of practice, but an additional reminder that the Sounders (fresh off a 5-1 home loss to its Timbers rivals) are coming to Q2 Stadium on Wednesday.
Brandon Vázquez said in a post-match interview, alongside Jayden Nelson, and MC'd by Austin FC communications head Cameron Koubek, that during his summer break, he "got to recharge and got the knee back 100%." Yet both Vázquez and Jon Bell didn't participating in team drills or scrimmages — certainly something to ask Arnaud about ahead of Wednesday.
Here are my three takeaways from watching grown men exercise on Saturday.
Certainly, no one in a Verde training session is more eager to prove himself than Jorge Alastuey. Having expended his short-term call-ups already, the only way he can play for the first team is if the club signs him to a supplemental deal and uses an international slot. The first is doable — the club has done it this season already with Riley Thomas and Ervin Torres — but the second is unusual.
But Alastuey could be worth the international slot expenditure this season to give him the minutes to showcase him and allow him to get first-team experience. In drills and in scrimmage, he displayed crisp passes and goalkeeper-beating shots, and looked comfortable and confident.
Yes, he's 23 and La Masia-trained, so you'd expect a degree of confidence from him, but he's also in the weird spot that Valentin Nöel was in while starring for Austin FC II — but even more so. Nöel has settled into USL Championship — in fact, he's now Kipp Keller's teammate at New Mexico United (along with another former Austin FC player, Sofiane Djeffal, and former Arsenal player and USMNT hopeful Gedion Zelalem). While that's evidently Nöel's level, Alastuey's might be higher — but there's really only one way to find out.
Is Shemmy ready?
This was the first glimpse fans got of Przemysław Płacheta in action for Austin, and while he looked at times like a player who hasn't been with these new teammates this long – especially in two-on-two drills involving quick passes and shooting on small goals — he showed some of his reputed speed in the scrimmage, and had one particularly delicious half-volley finish for a goal late in the scrimmage.
How he'll be deployed and how often he'll be utilized are good questions for Arnaud to perhaps answer during Monday's media availability — the first in more than a month for a coach who told us he wanted to keep playing matches after a 3-0 loss to St. Louis City SC ended 11 of the worst days of Austin FC's existence.
This squad is now down a midfielder — and a significant one — with the departure of Dani Pereira, and to make room for Płacheta before the Pereira move, the club bought out Robert Taylor, who promptly moved to the LA Galaxy and actually appeared as a half-hour sub in their 3-0 loss to LAFC on Friday. Płacheta is more a winger than a central midfielder based on reputation, but Arnaud will need to figure out rotations and sub patterns minus a key piece. Based on what we saw Saturday, he might not instantly, seamlessly fit in with everything Verde does, but he'll have a role.
Stuver is still elite
In large part because of their role in the 2026 World Cup, Matt Freese and Maxime Crépeau are All-Star goalkeepers alongside Nashville's Brian Schwake. That does not seem particularly fair or right, especially when Brad Stuver remains in MLS. Yes, he's let in 31 goals this year — though Crépeau has let in 38 — with a defense that's an especially troubled first 15 matches in front of him. But he's once again among the league leaders in saves, and on Saturday, showed his form well with some strong saves against his teammates.
Damian Las is on a trajectory to be a starting goalkeeper on an MLS team, but given what Stuver showed Saturday compared to Las, it may not be with Austin FC. Stuver showed that he's more than capable to remain the Verde goalkeeper, and it might be prudent for a new sporting director to move Las to a club where he can get a true opportunity to start and the club can get something in return for developing him.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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Though it was much warmer and considerably less attended than Austin FC's first open practice, Saturday's training session for season ticket holders (and media) provided some helpful glimpses into the squad heading into the resumption of the 2026 MLS season on Wednesday.
Interim head coach Davy Arnaud was briefly mic'd up to let attendees know that the team was getting ready for its game — a rather obvious aim of practice, but an additional reminder that the Sounders (fresh off a 5-1 home loss to its Timbers rivals) are coming to Q2 Stadium on Wednesday.
Brandon Vázquez said in a post-match interview, alongside Jayden Nelson, and MC'd by Austin FC communications head Cameron Koubek, that during his summer break, he "got to recharge and got the knee back 100%." Yet both Vázquez and Jon Bell didn't participating in team drills or scrimmages — certainly something to ask Arnaud about ahead of Wednesday.
Here are my three takeaways from watching grown men exercise on Saturday.
Jorge Alastuey belongs
Certainly, no one in a Verde training session is more eager to prove himself than Jorge Alastuey. Having expended his short-term call-ups already, the only way he can play for the first team is if the club signs him to a supplemental deal and uses an international slot. The first is doable — the club has done it this season already with Riley Thomas and Ervin Torres — but the second is unusual.
But Alastuey could be worth the international slot expenditure this season to give him the minutes to showcase him and allow him to get first-team experience. In drills and in scrimmage, he displayed crisp passes and goalkeeper-beating shots, and looked comfortable and confident.
Yes, he's 23 and La Masia-trained, so you'd expect a degree of confidence from him, but he's also in the weird spot that Valentin Nöel was in while starring for Austin FC II — but even more so. Nöel has settled into USL Championship — in fact, he's now Kipp Keller's teammate at New Mexico United (along with another former Austin FC player, Sofiane Djeffal, and former Arsenal player and USMNT hopeful Gedion Zelalem). While that's evidently Nöel's level, Alastuey's might be higher — but there's really only one way to find out.
Is Shemmy ready?
This was the first glimpse fans got of Przemysław Płacheta in action for Austin, and while he looked at times like a player who hasn't been with these new teammates this long – especially in two-on-two drills involving quick passes and shooting on small goals — he showed some of his reputed speed in the scrimmage, and had one particularly delicious half-volley finish for a goal late in the scrimmage.
How he'll be deployed and how often he'll be utilized are good questions for Arnaud to perhaps answer during Monday's media availability — the first in more than a month for a coach who told us he wanted to keep playing matches after a 3-0 loss to St. Louis City SC ended 11 of the worst days of Austin FC's existence.
This squad is now down a midfielder — and a significant one — with the departure of Dani Pereira, and to make room for Płacheta before the Pereira move, the club bought out Robert Taylor, who promptly moved to the LA Galaxy and actually appeared as a half-hour sub in their 3-0 loss to LAFC on Friday. Płacheta is more a winger than a central midfielder based on reputation, but Arnaud will need to figure out rotations and sub patterns minus a key piece. Based on what we saw Saturday, he might not instantly, seamlessly fit in with everything Verde does, but he'll have a role.
Stuver is still elite
In large part because of their role in the 2026 World Cup, Matt Freese and Maxime Crépeau are All-Star goalkeepers alongside Nashville's Brian Schwake. That does not seem particularly fair or right, especially when Brad Stuver remains in MLS. Yes, he's let in 31 goals this year — though Crépeau has let in 38 — with a defense that's an especially troubled first 15 matches in front of him. But he's once again among the league leaders in saves, and on Saturday, showed his form well with some strong saves against his teammates.
Damian Las is on a trajectory to be a starting goalkeeper on an MLS team, but given what Stuver showed Saturday compared to Las, it may not be with Austin FC. Stuver showed that he's more than capable to remain the Verde goalkeeper, and it might be prudent for a new sporting director to move Las to a club where he can get a true opportunity to start and the club can get something in return for developing him.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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