OPEN CUP REVIEW
Ive been a soccer fan for all of my living memory and have lived in Austin since 2002. I went to local soccer matches at House Park and even made treks up to Round Rock to see local teams play.
When Austin started its quest to gain an MLS team, and that quest gained steam, I didn’t quite believe it. I didn’t think of Austin as a city that has more sports than minor leagues and the University of Texas (which is more of a pro sport than most pro sports teams). So much so that even after the club was announced, colors picked, and a logo design made, I bought one of the first runs of t-shirts because, as I told people, “If somehow this doesn’t happen, it’s the ultimate collector’s item.”
To have a new team in a sport you love, starting in your city is a rare experience, even moreso as US Pro-Sports have reached a cap on the number of franchises they can have (they all seem to be settling at 32). To be able to get involved with a supporter’s group like Los Verdes (Shoutout to Derek Ensign for sending me an invite on Twitter) only made me more excited for when the team formed, started signing players, and eventually, a pre-season match.
I was there at Verde Hill, watching Austin FC play Houston Dynamo, barely able to tell who the players were or much of what was happening, but the dozens of us who were there will never forget the sense of camaraderie and community we had. We got updates on Slack on what was actually happening as the club had a broadcast through their website, and for the first time, a group of Austin FC fans got to cheer on their team, and when Tomas Pochettino scored a free kick, everyone collectively lost their minds. I recognize the privilege of a new club. Being able to start new traditions, to truthfully be able to say things like “I’ve watched every minute this club has ever played.” I could never love or care about a club more than I care about Austin FC.
So it’s with those thoughts and feelings that I showed up to Q2 on Wednesday and watched Austin FC’s most important match in club history. It was the first time the team participated in a match where they could take home a trophy at the end of it. I was there in the Supporters’ Section, seeing some of the same people I’ve seen for seasons, but the vibes were different. The pageantry and focus of the US Soccer World was here, at Q2, in front of the supporters’ culture that has been built.
I said on Suffering from Joy a couple of weeks ago after Austin beat Minnesota United in the Semi-Final:
“It’s a special privilege for us to be able to host the US Open Cup Final. I can’t be more excited about it. The idea that this team I’ve followed since its inception could win its first trophy on its home field and I would be able to watch in person is the reason why we are sports fans. I also realize the idea that this team I’ve followed since its inception could lose their first ever final on their home field while they watch in person is why this Podcast exists.”
Unfortunately, Wednesday was a reminder that soccer is a cruel sport. Austin FC played well enough to win, creating more and better chances than Nashville did. The biggest difference between the two teams is that Nashville had their chances fall to Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar (the second-best strike force in MLS behind LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min), and Austin FC had their chances fall to Myrto Uzuni and Diego Rubio.
I am incredibly proud of our fanbase and our club. The energy and passion on display for all of US Soccer to see, along with the incredible tifo, is what makes this fan base the best in the league.
WRITTEN BY: SCOTT SPECHT FOR WAATV
