- Former Finland international Alexander Ring has his contract extended for the 2024 season.
- Experienced Argentinian striker Maxi Urruti is among nine players to leave.
Austin FC’s twelfth-place finish in last season’s MLS Western Conference left fans wondering whether wholesale changes would be made in order to improve this term.
Just 10 wins and 9 draws from their 34 games last season saw them finish on 39 points, three ahead of LA Galaxy and 12 ahead of Colorado who finished bottom.
The 55 goals conceded in last season’s competition was the division’s third worst, with only Portland and LA Galaxy conceding more. The 49 goals scored was a respectable achievement and put them 8 goals ahead of eventual second-place finishers Seattle.
This gave head coach Josh Wolff a lot to think about as he attempted to create a squad for 2024 that would stop shipping as many goals.
Austin FC 2024 Roster
The Austin 2024 roster won’t be too different with 18 players remaining under contract. Most importantly, 2022 and 2023’s top goal scorer Sebastián Driussi remains contracted until the end of the 2025 season, with Austin retaining an option for an additional year.
Austin FC. Photo/AP News
Sebastián Driussi is entering the peak of his career at 27 years old, and the Argentinian’s experience at River Plate and Zenit Saint Petersburg have shaped a dangerous and creative player.
Another important player for Austin is the 32-year-old target man Gyasi Zardes. The physical presence of Zardes makes Austin a challenge for any defense.
Owen Wolff’s performances for Austin have received a lot of attention. At only 18, he has already featured more than 50 times for the team managed by his father Josh. Rumors of a move to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven go to show that this isn’t the case of another nepo-baby getting an unfair advantage.
Other key players that Austin has held onto include Leo Väisänen, the 26-year-old Finland international center-back who impressed on his debut season for the club last year and will hope to build on that in 2024.
Irish right-sided player Jon Gallagher has chipped in with some important goals and finished last season as joint top in assists along with Venezuelan midfielder Daniel Pereira.
Although odds aren’t out yet, sports fans will be keen to explore the best Texas sports mobile sites when the new season kicks off to see whether Josh Wolff’s squad has the potential to compete in the MLS this season. While they’ve never won an MLS Cup, and their odds weren’t impressive last season, Driussi was an early favorite for the Golden Boot last season. His 11 goals ultimately fell quite short of winner Denis Bouanga’s 20, but perhaps better things are in store for the coming season with other changes to the line-up.
Here’s a full look at the new season line-up:
- GK – Matt Bersano
- GK – Damian Las
- GK – Brad Stuver
- DF – Julio Cascante
- DF – Jon Gallagher
- DF – Matt Hedges
- DF – Žan Kolmanič
- DF – Nick Lima
- DF – Leo Väisänen
- MF – Sebastián Driussi
- MF – Ethan Finlay
- MF – CJ Fodrey
- MF – Daniel Pereira
- MF – Emiliano Rigoni
- MF – Alex Ring
- MF – Jhojan Valencia
- MF – Owen Wolff
- ATT – Gyasi Zardes
- LOAN – Jhohan Romaña
- LOAN – Moussa Djitté
Austin FC’s 2024 Contract Extension
Austin FC looks set to start the season with 20 contracted players following a few notable changes. The first is that experienced midfielder Alex Ring’s contract was automatically extended for the season.
You can earn handsomely with Soccer affiliate programs. Photo/Unsplash/WesleyTingey
Despite being stripped of his Captain duty in February, Ring’s experience has made him a regular in the team’s midfield.
Other players to have their contracts extended include Daniel Pereira and Damian Las. Daniel Pereira is a current Venezuelan international and at just 23, is a great prospect for Austin.
Damian Las is another young player with a lot of potential. The 21-year-old goalkeeper signed for Austin from English Premier League side Fulham in 2022 and played for the reserve team in 2023 where he was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Contract Options Not Exercised for the 2024 Season
Unsurprisingly, after such a disappointing season, Austin has made the decision to allow nine players to leave. These include Charlie Asensio, Memo Rodriguez, Will Bruin, Kipp Keller, Sofiane Djeffal, Adam Lundkvist, Rodney Redes, and Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez.
Maxi Urruti signed for Austin in 2022 and has been a regular fixture in the team for the last two seasons. Austin decided not to exercise the one-year contract option and Urruti will be moving on.
Some younger players who are unlikely to feature have also been allowed to find new clubs, including 21-year-old Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez and 23-year-olds Charlie Asensio, Kipp Keller, and Rodney Redes.
Experienced Swedish full-back Adam Lundqvist and veteran striker Will Bruin will also be moving on. Bruin made just 19 appearances for Austin after signing from the Seattle Sounders last season.
Players Loaned Out
24-year-old Senegalese forward is currently on loan at Moussa Djitté until July 2024. The young striker has the record for being the first Austin FC player to score a hat trick in the MLS, so is still a fan favorite.
Colombian defender Jhohan Romaña is on loan to Club Olimpia until the last day of December when he will rejoin his Austin teammates.
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