If there’s one thing that terrifies the suits running Major League Soccer, it’s a team like Austin FC. That is, a team so stuck in the nether regions of the league’s standings – we’re talking months, not weeks at this point – that the idea of sniffing even a chance at a championship is utterly laughable.
The league is terrified that a team that arrives in such a state, lacking anything of consequence to play for, will struggle to keep its stadium remotely full and fade into general irrelevance as fans lose interest.
To combat this fear, MLS has developed an addiction to expanding its playoff format. It’s done so four times since 2010, ballooning postseason play from eight teams to 18. And multiple reports last month suggested that the league seeks to further expand its playoffs to 20 teams (out of 30!) by 2028. The idea being, the more playoff places up for grabs in any given year, the longer it’ll take before struggling teams feel like their postseason hopes are dead and buried.
And so, in spite of everything, Austin FC still can’t be completely written off from the 2026 playoff hunt in the Western Conference. The league’s format is such that it doesn’t allow teams like Austin FC to turn the page to next season with 10 matches still to play. As a result, you get quotes like the following from ATX interim coach Davy Arnaud over the weekend, following a 1-1 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes that saw the club’s points-per-game figure fall to 1.09, fifth-lowest in MLS.
“The playoffs aren’t by any means out of reach for us,” Arnaud asserted. He later added, “My hope is that [fans] can feel how much the players care and how much they’re giving to that to [our] goal, which is making the playoffs.”
It’s a fine thing to say, but the club’s own actions paint a different picture. The outgoing transfers of Owen Wolff, Jayden Nelson, and Dani Pereira this summer, compared to just a single incoming free transfer of Przemysław Płacheta, make it clear that the club’s true top priority is rebuilding ahead of the start of a new era in 2027, when incoming permanent head coach Jim Curtin takes the controls.
However, that doesn’t mean the final 10 games of the 2026 season are valueless for the Verde and Black. Whether or not an unlikely last-ditch charge into the playoff picture is in the cards, the club can still benefit greatly in the long run based on how these last two months go.
First and foremost, the club must continue the development of ascendant young prospects Mateja Djordević, Micah Burton, Chris Applewhite, and Ervin Torres. While the first three are still working to establish themselves as legitimate first team options, Torres has already carved out a significant role for himself in the ATXFC midfield and has flashed legitimate difference-making potential with three goal contributions so far in his rookie season. Torres, in particular, must get every possible opportunity to gain experience while the stakes are relatively low.
On the other end of the roster, the club’s three designated players should use the remainder of the season to develop comfort and confidence in a Verde shirt. In particular, Brandon Vázquez must find a way to rediscover his nose for goal after returning this year from knee surgery. The American striker has been more involved in the attack of late, but continues to squander the scoring chances that fall his way.
Myrto Uzuni has put together a minor breakout season in Austin with 10 goals across all competitions, but he must use this time to hone his conformability alongside Vázquez, while Facundo Torres continues to chase the form that made him an indispensable attacking force for Orlando City prior to joining Austin.
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 September 11 • 2026.
