Credit: photo by Eric Goodman

In an effort to keep the sellout crowds moving through the turnstiles and concourses during the 2023 season, Austin FC plans to debut new match day technology at the season opener. That includes “magnetometers” at the entrance gates to streamline security screening, as well as Amazon’s uncanny “Just Walk Out” technology at the ATX Market concessions area, which bypasses normal checkout lines. You swipe a credit card on entry, grab all the beer and snacks you want, and – literally – just walk out with it. It knows how much to bill you. Freaky.

In terms of food and drink, new additions to the menu include Kerbey Lane queso, ceviche from local Latin joint Casa Chapala, a potent tequila-based espresso martini, and a sorely needed third hydration station to fill up those water bottles, handy during midafternoon matches throughout the summer.

This article appears in February 24 • 2023.

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Eric Goodman has covered Austin FC for the Austin Chronicle since before the club first kicked a ball in 2021. His column, The Verde Report, continues the Chronicle's decades-long tradition of soccer-focused commentary, serving as a spiritual successor to Nick Barbaro's Soccer Watch column. Eric has also covered multiple Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups as a freelance sports journalist, and is a two-time Emmy-winning producer.