The Sixties had the Summer of Love. Bryan Adams had the Summer of ’69. Here in 2024, we may be smack in the middle of the Summer of Verde. It’s been a long, long time since Austin FC was the subject of so much optimism.
The brunt of that, of course, stems from the club’s back-to-back upset victories over Mexican giants in the Leagues Cup last week, first against Pumas UNAM and then over CF Monterrey. Between the two of them, 12 Liga MX titles and an 0-2 record vs. the Verde and Black. (Austin FC’s next Leagues Cup matchup, against LAFC, kicked off Wednesday night after this column went to press.*)
But that’s not all ATX fans have to buzz about. The club has seen an immediate uptick in form since the addition of its three midseason signings: winger Osman Bukari and defenders Mikkel Desler and Oleksandr Svatok. And it hasn’t necessarily even come from their performances on the field (especially in Bukari’s case, as the Ghanaian DP’s most notable moment as an ATX player to date involved being shown a red card against Pumas).
Rather, it’s the fact that, for the first time all season, Austin FC resembles a complete outfit. What had been a glorified skeleton crew for the first two-thirds of the season is now a more or less respectable roster, and that’s elevated everyone’s level of play.
According to head coach Josh Wolff, the club has benefited simply from adding bodies. Competitiveness in practice has cranked up several notches, and Wolff has found added flexibility in the roster to tinker in ways that previously were not possible, like moving Jon Gallagher from right back to left winger.
“Those things have helped the group immensely,” Wolff said.
But the most exciting aspect might just be that more additions could be on the way.
“There’s discussions everywhere,” Wolff said. “I think this has been the first time we’ve been this active [in the transfer window], which has been a big, big positive … I think it’s given us, certainly, different qualities, a little bit more life, certainly quality and depth. So we just think there’s more opportunity.”
That should come as music to ATX fans’ ears, as sporting director Rodolfo Borrell continues to reshape the roster for the stretch run to the MLS Cup Playoffs. Once the club’s journey in Leagues Cup comes to a close, Austin FC will embark on a nine-game sprint to the end of the regular season, where any and all reinforcements will have huge value.
The obvious area of need, as it is with so many MLS clubs, is the striker position. Gyasi Zardes has gotten hot of late, scoring four goals in his last six games, but consistency has rarely been his MO. Diego Rubio has been relegated to bench duty. Austin FC has also been a frequent name in the recent transfer rumor mill, reportedly showing interest in multiple strikers on the market.
For the past 12 months, Austin fans could only sit by and watch as Borrell took a wrecking ball to a roster that once showed promise. But all that demolition wasn’t for nothing. It was done strategically, with a purpose in mind. The Summer of Verde is the first step of that purpose.
Editor’s note: Austin FC fell 2-0 to LAFC away at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night in the Leagues Cup Round of 32. They return to regular season play against Nashville SC on Saturday, August 24 at GEODIS Park.
This article appears in August 9 • 2024.
