Every team is going to face obstacles throughout the course of a long season. The Austin FC Academy is no different. Over the weekend all three teams traveled east to Houston to face one of the other two MLS teams in Texas, Houston Dynamo, with the Houston teams coming away with victories in the three matches.
Austin’s U-15’s lost 3-1 but played very well in the first half according to Austin Academy GM Tyson Wahl. Austin created plenty of scoring chances in the first half but failed to convert any of them. Once the Dynamo scored, momentum shifted to the home side. Austin FC’s U-13s were facing probably the strongest opponent they face consistently, according to Wahl. They were able to get out to 1-0 lead but conceded two to finally go down 2-1 at the whistle. Austin FC’s U-14’s also conceded goals, ending their match on the wrong side of a 3-0 result.
This wasn’t the first time these two teams have faced off this spring, as Austin has previously gotten results in Houston -- including a clean sweep of all three age groups back in March.
“Our biggest takeaway was to ensure that our kids know that even though we have had a very strong spring, and we have had good results against Houston Dynamo and other clubs, you have to respect every team,” said Wahl. “Especially another MLS opponent.”
When dealing with players in these age groups, getting consistent performances from week-to-week is not always the easiest thing.
“We felt like we could have been a little bit more focused and made sure that we were at our best,” said Wahl. “I think it’s a good lesson for our kids that for them to perform at the level they want to, and at the standard they want to, they need to approach every game consistently.”
Next week will be another opportunity for the Austin FC Academy players to show that they consistently perform at the highest level as FC Dallas, the other Texas MLS team, comes to town. The last time FC Dallas and Austin faced off, ATXFC won two of three against their rivals.
While the season schedule continues, the focus for the U-15s is on Frisco, Texas, where the the inaugural MLS Next Cup will take place in June. At the time of writing, Austin FC’s U-15 team tops their league, putting them in good position to qualify for the inaugural tournament, taking place from June 25 - July 3.
