A spirited eight-match unbeaten run from mid-August to late September temporarily rescued Austin FC’s 2026 season from death’s door. A three-match losing streak since all but killed it off for good.
Earlier this month, we warned in these pages of the daunting stretch that awaited Austin FC following the early October international break, during which the club would have to battle Nashville SC, LAFC, and the Vancouver Whitecaps – three of the best teams in MLS – consecutively over the course of eight grueling days. Our estimation was that the Verde and Black needed to somehow scratch together a minimum of four points during that week in order to remain squarely in the playoff mix. The club captured none.
After a 4-1 loss at home to Nashville, Austin suffered a 3-1 defeat in Los Angeles before returning home last Saturday to come up on the short end of a tight 2-1 contest against Vancouver.
“They’re good teams. They’re very good teams, and against these very good teams, you have to be performing at a top level from the start of the game, which we haven’t been,” ATX interim head coach Davy Arnaud said.
The losing streak has had Austin FC stuck on 31 points for the season, in 14th place out of 15, eight points back of the final playoff spot. With four matches remaining, it would take close to a perfect finish to the season for the club to change its fate.
Fortunately, the scariest teams are in the rearview mirror. Austin finishes at Sporting Kansas City, home against Real Salt Lake, at LA Galaxy, and finally home against the Portland Timbers. All of those clubs have lost more matches than they’ve won.
Sporting KC in particular is having a historically dreadful season, having amassed an MLS-worst 22 points with a -39 goal differential that, if not improved upon, would set the worst end-of-season mark the league has seen since at least 2019.
Anything less than a win on Saturday at Sporting Park would effectively end Austin FC’s season, and deservedly so.
La Murga’s Continued Absence Felt
For the second consecutive Austin FC home match, the Q2 Stadium atmosphere was noticeably muted as supporter band La Murga de Austin remained absent while locked in a dispute with club brass over issues related to ICE.
The club acknowledged the discourse in an Oct. 16 statement and expressed empathy toward its concerned supporters. “As a result of our discussions, several actions are already underway,” the statement read, though no further details were given about those actions.
They were, evidently, not enough to satisfy La Murga members’ concerns. As a result, Austin FC’s usual home field advantage was noticeably dulled.
“It’s very clear. It’s quiet compared to what it normally is,” Arnaud said. “In these games, you would hope that everyone is behind the team and inspiring the team. In these tough games, especially playing at home, you need that. That gives you the extra energy, the extra boost and, I mean, yeah, we’re missing that.”
Brad Stuver, a dedicated community advocate when not playing goalkeeper for Austin FC, spoke on the complexities of the situation.
“I think we’re all highly cognizant and aware of what’s happening, not just in our community but in communities across the country. I think, from a personal standpoint, it’s tragic,” Stuver said. “When it comes to what’s going on with the fans and the club, I mean, everyone has their own way of protesting. I don’t think there’s ever one correct way to protest. I’m never going to tell someone they’re wrong for trying to stand up for what they believe is right… and obviously the number one goal of all of us, every single one of us, is the safety of our community members.”
For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle’s Austin FC hub. Sign up for The Verde Report newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, and follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.
This article appears in October 23 • 2026.
