The Austin FC Academy finally had the opportunity to show off what their U15 squad can do on a national stage, making a run to the quarterfinals of the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup in Dallas area last week.
In the club’s first national academy tournament berth, Austin FC U15 knocked off two academy powerhouses, Barça Residency Academy and New York City FC, before losing out on penalties in the quarterfinal to Philadelphia Union U15. Union later went on to fall to Real Salt Lake in the Final.
Throughout the three games, the U15s did not concede a single goal during regular play.
“Our goalkeeping was very strong. Both of our goalkeepers have improved upon their distribution, and their confidence and ability to deal with more high pressure, more competitive games,” Austin FC Academy General Manager Tyson Wahl said of the defensive effort.
“Several players really stepped up and demonstrated a lot of leadership and physicality. Everyone raised their level in a lot of different ways, so added physicality, added leadership, is what it takes, when you play very meaningful games where, if you lose, there are consequences.”
Austin FC rolled over Barça Residency Academy — who have produced the likes of Schalke’s Matthew Hoppe, RB Leipzig’s Caden Clark and El Paso’s Diego Luna — 3-0, in the tournament’s opening round.
Then, the young Verde boys went on to beat another prestigious academy, NYCFC, 2-0 to make it to the quarterfinals. In the quarters, Austin could not find a way past Andrew Rick — later named goalkeeper of the tournament — and after an 0-0 draw, Austin fell to Union on penalties.
Wahl praised MLS NEXT for creating a framework that promotes stronger competition, and higher intensity matches for the country’s most elite youth academies.
“Our country needs to have a clear league that is the strongest, and one that has the most competitive teams, because for me, playing week in, week out with the best players against each other is going to be the best for the individual, the club and then our country as a whole,” he said. “We face a lot of challenges as a geographically large country, so any improvement with the efficiencies of travel, and also maintaining the best players on the best teams playing against each other as frequently as possible is going to help player development long term.”
While the club’s oldest age group is currently the U15 team, the club will also have a U17 team next year. Wahl believes that a homegrown, Austin-based talent will pull on the Verde and Black shirt for a first team match, sooner rather than later.
“I think we'll have players that are capable of being considered for the first team next year,” Wahl said. “But after that, a lot goes into actually signing the player, and them being emotionally capable of handling (the next level), being elite enough, and then the organization deciding to do so. So a lot of things have to fall into place, but I think we're making positive strides.”
While Austin has produced soccer talent well before the city got an MLS club and MLS academy, Wahl believes that Austin FC playing MLS matches in the city is an unprecedented step, and one that will heighten motivation for Austin’s best youngsters to make it to the next level.
“I think having a true professional pathway here in Austin, and the excitement with the organization and having the ability for an Austin-based player to be associated with a professional club of this magnitude, I think that is unprecedented,” Wahl said. “When young players watch Austin FC players at Q2 Stadium, that adds motivation and that adds reality to a potential pathway. Now they can dream about it as they watch their team on TV or in the stands.”