Where we left off last year
2025 season: 47 points, 6th in the Western Conference, 15th in MLS
Despite splashing major sums to sign Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni as Designated Players, 2025 was largely a disappointment for Austin FC.
They fell in the U.S. Open Cup final at their own venue, were bounced from the first round of the postseason, and their big-money stars never clicked. Uzuni and Vazquez turned out to be redundant in the attack when used together, which wasn't as often as anyone in Austin hoped due to Vazquez's ACL injury midway through the year.
Perhaps there's a lesson in Austin FC's 2025 tale: just because you drop a couple of bags of cash at the top of your roster doesn't mean you're in for a good year.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Facundo Torres, W: Austin FC’s ownership certainly hasn’t been shy about spending big sums of money. Last winter, it was Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni who joined for eight-figure transfer fees. This time around, it was Torres who arrived from Palmeiras for a reported $9.5 million fee. The former Orlando City standout will bring goals to Austin — he scored 14 in each of his last two seasons with the Lions. He’ll also be a clear upgrade on Osman Bukari on the right side of Nico Estevez’s attack. How, exactly, he fits alongside Austin’s existing DPs and elevates his teammates is closer to an open question.
- Joseph Rosales, LB: Acquired from Minnesota United in a $1.5 million cash trade, Rosales is poised to give Nico Estevez’s team some real juice on the left side of the attack. The Honduran brings some question marks with him to Texas — he served a three-game suspension last year for violating a non-discrimination policy — and was sent off in a crucial playoff meeting with the Seattle Sounders last year. Still, few outside backs are more creative than the 25-year-old, a quality desperately needed in Austin.
