Austin FC II goalkeeper Damian Las has been a standout in the club’s inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign. The 21-year-old leads the league in clean sheets (7) and has the highest save percentage among all goalkeepers (81.3%) through ATXFC II’s 15 matches in MLSNP so far this campaign. Las has made a total of 39 saves across those matches. He recorded a personal season-high five saves in ATXFCII’s 3-0 win over North Texas SC on April 12, in which Las also recorded his first clean sheet of the season. His impressive performances earned him MLSNP Goalkeeper of the Month honors for March/April.
“The most important thing is being able to help my team, to make saves and create chances for our team, to try to stay positive and commanding in the back and be able to help my team get three points and a clean sheet,” Las said. “I'm happy with some of the recognition but for me, the most important is being able to help and do my job.”
As the season reaches its halfway point, Las hopes to continue his strong form and achieve success as a team.
“My individual goal is to get as many clean sheets as I can this season and to be one of the best keepers in the league,” Las said. “Show myself the most I can at the highest level, each game, and as a team to reach the finals and win at all.”
Las has enjoyed a remarkable debut season with the Verde & Black so far, playing every possible minute of the 2023 campaign thus far. He credits his success this season to the support of his teammates and the ATXFC II staff and says the opportunity to receive consistent minutes has elevated him to a new level along with a newfound confidence.
“Seriously, Austin FC II has helped me so much to grow, not only on the field but off the field as well,” Las said. “Before joining Austin, I came back from a serious injury, and now, playing games, it has really helped me create more confidence and belief in myself to continue working harder and stay consistent, just taking it day-by-day, to keep improving and stay at a high level.”
ATXFC II Head Coach Brett Uttley says Las has been important for the team on the field this season, reacting decisively in big moments and coming up big when called upon.
“He's the anchor back there,” Uttley said. “One of the biggest challenges as a goalkeeper is to go large portions of the game without really having to make a big save and then the last 15 minutes, boom, all of a sudden he's got to come alive. He's shown that time and time again, whether it's on set pieces, breakaways, or reaction-type saves. He's been huge for us, and it's a real pleasure to work with him.”
Along with the impressive displays that Las has shown in goal this season, Uttley admires the leadership role that Las has stepped into over the course of the season.
“He brings leadership every single day he's with us. In terms of helping the players, we have a younger squad, so utilizing the experience that he has with the first team and transmitting that to our group is huge for us,” Uttley said. “They're looking toward him as a leader, so that adds an element of responsibility to him and he's welcomed it with open arms. He's vocal on the field off the field. It's a testament to the culture that the club has built over the last three years or so; everyone's open to being led and showing leadership as well and he’s a great example of that.”
As the goalkeeping coach for ATXFC II, Jason Grubb has spent a significant amount of time working with Las this season. An admirer of Las’s professionalism both on and off the field, Grubb said he brings a level of maturity to the group.
“He’s extremely dedicated to his craft, extremely dedicated to his goalkeeping,” Grubb said. “He's willing to listen, learn, and take in information, but his professionalism both on and off the field and his dedication and desire to want to improve and impact the game in a positive way is of a very, very high level.”
Grubb says that on the field, in Las’ position as a goalkeeper leading the back line, his relationships with his teammates are congruent with the team’s success.
“When we talk about defending, it’s all 11 players,” Grubb said. “We attack with 11, but we defend with 11.”
Grubb stressed the importance of having a goalkeeper form those partnerships with his backline, which he says in Las’ case have been terrific, to better understand one another and find balance in each other's playing styles.
“He's got two center halves in front of him in Kipp [Keller] and Sal [Mazzaferro] who have been consistently in the team as well, who performed at a very, very good level for us,” Grubb said. “That helps in regards to the performances because you know what the players in front of you are going to do and what they're not going to do because they have that relationship.”
Grubb credits Las and the backline’s efforts this season to the team’s success but noted that the club’s philosophy plays an underlying role in their achievements so far.
“I think all in all, the unit has worked very, very well together,” Grubb said. “But I can't stress enough the clean sheets have come not just because of Damian and the back four, it’s come because of the result of the team effort and the way that we're set up to want to defend and it's a big part of our roots here at the club.”
