Austin FC II will begin its fourth MLS NEXT Pro season at home this Sunday, March 1, under the lights at Parmer Field. The Verde & Black host Minnesota United FC 2 for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff. The match will be available to watch on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Austin FC II Outlook
Austin FC II kicks off another season with aspirations to return to the playoffs after narrow misses in the past two seasons. The Verde & Black added seven new signees in the offseason including MLS SuperDraft picks Stefan Dobrijevic and Patrick Cayelli, free agents Ibrahima Sall and Erik Lauta, former FC Ingolstadt U19 defender Neo Che, former Weymouth FC defender Evan Watt, and defender Dren Dobruna from the University of Dayton.
ATXFCII is also under new management as former Austin FC Academy U-16 head coach Jason Shackell became ATXFCII’s second-ever head coach. Shackell is supported by assistant coach Omar Jarun and goalkeeper coach Peter Davis.
The Verde & Black will look to establish Parmer Field as a home fortress early in the campaign to boost their playoff credentials.
Minnesota United FC 2 Outlook
Minnesota United FC 2 comes off a historic playoff run, making an appearance in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference Final against Colorado Rapids 2. Ultimately, MNUFC 2 fell short in the final, finishing the season as Western Conference runners-up.
Similar to ATXFCII, MNUFC 2 begins its fifth MLS NEXT Pro season under a former assistant coach and new head coach Fanendo Adi. Former head coach Jeremy Hall left to coach the United States Youth National Team following the conclusion of the Loons’ 2025 season.
Last season, the Verde & Black struggled against MNUFC2 only picking up 2 of the 9 possible points. They will look to reverse that trend in 2026.
