Will Austin FC finally return to the MLS Cup playoffs this season after a two-year absence? We won’t find out for another eight months or so (the MLS season is absurdly, brutally long), and the early returns – a 1-0 win at home followed by a 1-0 loss on the road to start the year – haven’t exactly spoiled the mystery yet.
On paper, the new roster is built to win. ATXFC has the maximum three designated players, all in the heart of their primes between 26 and 29 years old. There’s veteran leadership in the form of Ilie Sánchez, Brad Stuver, and Julio Cascante, and even the club’s younger pieces are mostly highly experienced for their age.
Most of Austin’s impact players are known quantities. We have a pretty good idea of what they can do. A few, though, are wild cards. These are the players that will go a long way toward determining whether this version of Austin FC reaches its full potential this season.
Osman Bukari
Two of Austin FC’s three DPs, Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni, are brand-new to the club. However, they are proven goalscorers with years of evidence to back that up. There’s little reason to doubt their ability to do the same in Verde.
Osman Bukari is a different story. While we know the dynamic winger can score goals – he’s done so in the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup, and he scored Austin FC’s first of the 2025 season – that’s not what the club most needs from him. Rather, Bukari’s top priority should be to create as many chances as possible for ATXFC’s $20+ million pair of strikers.
Bukari is excellent at taking on defenders 1-v-1 and getting into dangerous areas. It’s the next step – passing up a low-quality shot in favor of a high-quality pass – that the Ghanaian seems to struggle with.
Uzuni’s injection to the starting lineup, which could come this Saturday against the Colorado Rapids at Q2, will likely allow Bukari to switch from the left wing to the right, where he is more comfortable. That should help. Increased familiarity with his teammates as the season progresses will as well.
Owen Wolff
Speaking of creating chances, 20-year-old Wolff is clearly destined to have a significant role in that area based on what we’ve seen so far.
Austin’s lone Wolff this season has already been designated by coach Nico Estévez as the set-piece taker for corner kicks and indirect free kicks, trusting in the homegrown player’s passing ability.
But it’s from open play where Wolff can really lift the club. With Sebastián Driussi no longer in the fold, ATXFC will be desperate for some raw skill and unpredictability in attacking midfield. Wolff is far from a finished product there, but he continues to take strides and has looked impressive in his minutes so far this season.
Guilherme Biro
Gone are the days when fullbacks would run up and down the pitch in a straight line for 90 minutes, never straying more than 10 yards away from the sideline. Case in point: Austin FC’s left back, Guilherme Biro.
Estévez, who says he likes to use his fullbacks in as many ways as possible, has given Biro the freedom to practically moonlight as a midfielder when Austin FC has possession, regularly drifting toward the center of the pitch and often arriving late into the final third as a shooting option.
There’s inherent risk in doing this – in the event the opponent regains possession and starts a counter attack, Biro would likely be out of position. The Brazilian will have to pick his spots wisely and be effective enough to reward Estévez for his trust.
This article appears in March 7 • 2025.