Austin FC still have over three weeks until they host the first home game in Club history, but if you tuned into their match on Sunday against Nashville SC you may have been mistaken about which team was actually at home.
Hundreds of Austin supporters made their way up to Nashville last weekend in a trip dubbed #NashVerde and it was clear they made an impact. During many parts of the match the only supporters you could hear were those from Austin.
All three of Austin FC’s Supporters Groups -- Austin Anthem, La Murga, Los Verdes -- collaborated to bring together an away day experience few have seen in MLS. Of course this wasn’t the first match that Austin supporters have traveled to, as there have been some at every match, but this trip -- along with Colorado -- had the largest attendance so far.
“I’ve been blown away by the level of excitement that we’ve seen and honestly how easy it has been to get people to travel to these games because it’s not easy,” said Katie Ensign, a board member of Los Verdes. Ensign -- who is part of the team that coordinates away travel -- grew up playing soccer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area but never felt a connection to any team before Austin FC.
The weekend started on Saturday night when Austin supporters took over Nashville bar The Dogwood and even hung out with some members of the Nashville supporters group The Roadies.
“The best part about the trip was that no one was concerned about which Supporters Group you’re a part of,” said Brad Tillery, a member of Los Verdes. “We’re here for Austin FC. And we’re all here to party and chant and cheer. It’s about the Club and it’s about representing your city the right way.”
Sunday saw the supporters march down over two miles down Broadway -- the main strip in Nashville -- to raucous applause.
“People were stopping on the sidewalk taking pictures of us and recording videos. People were leaning over balconies at bars,” said Tillery. “Random folks would give you a high five and they were dancing along with us.”
Once they arrived they made their presence known inside Nissan Stadium and chanted and cheered for all 90 minutes, despite not having any drums, banners or flags. According to Tillery, Austin supporters even received an ovation walking out of the stadium after Nashville won 1-0.
Of course Austin is still waiting to host their first home match on June 19 against the San Jose Earthquakes after starting their expansion season with eight-straight road matches. It will be the first time a top division professional sports team hosts a match in the Texas capital.
“I think the energy on 6/19 -- and throughout the season -- is going to be off the charts. I don’t think that most of MLS understands what’s about to happen.”
Tillery, like Ensign, is not a native to the Austin area. He grew up on SEC college football and is a rabid Auburn fan. But having a team like Austin FC will no doubt bring these kind of people closer to the city they now call home.
“It’s truly going to be the first time that something for the entire city is happening. There’s so many people like myself -- who now live in Austin -- that don’t have a connection with the University of Texas or Texas A&M… This is the first time, especially as this city continues to grow and blend, that everyone will be brought together.”
