Austin FC II is set to begin its defense of the MLS NEXT Pro title on home turf. ATXFC II welcomes Tacoma Defiance to Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center on Friday, March 15 for a 8:00 p.m. kickoff. For those who can’t make it out, the match will also stream live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Austin FC II Outlook
ATXFC II had a historic inaugural campaign in 2023, winning the MLS NEXT Pro title under Head Coach Brett Uttley. In doing so, they also became the first team in MLS or MLS NEXT Pro history to win four consecutive away playoff matches en route to a championship.
Key contributors return in every area of the pitch this season. Midfielder Micah Burton and winger CJ Fodrey, who are both also eligible to compete in MLS matches as well, were both consistent contributors in 2023. Forward Sebastién Pineau is back after leading the team in goals last year, while Bobosi Byaruhanga, Alonso Ramírez, Steeve Louis Jean, Cheick Touré, and Sal Mazzaferro are all still with the squad, among others.
Among the exciting new faces are winger Jimmy Farkarlun, defenders Antonio Gomez and Rubén Bonachera, and goalkeepers Marcus Alstrup and Aaron Cervantes. Six Austin FC Academy players are with ATXFC II on amateur agreements to begin the season, offering the chance for those players to gain their first taste of professional soccer.
ATXFC II split its two regular season meetings with Tacoma last year, but had the last laugh by beating Tacoma in the second round of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
Tacoma Defiance Outlook
Tacoma finished second in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference in 2023, amassing 57 points with a record of 14-9-5. The Defiance have a new leader at the helm in Hervé Diese, who takes over as head coach after holding assistant coaching roles at CF Montréal and Angel City FC.
Last year, Tacoma’s 36 goals conceded marked the second-best defensive record in the MLSNP Western Conference, trailing only the 23 allowed by Austin FC II. Both teams’ aptitude at the back was encapsulated by the two most recent meetings between the sides, which each ended with a 1-0 scoreline.
The Defiance were good on the road last year, losing only three games outside of Washington. But one of those three was at Parmer Field last April, where ATXFC II tied for the best goal difference in MLSNP in 2023.
