2023 Austin FC season

Immediately following the 2022 season, Austin FC started their preparation for the 2023 MLS Season. On November 7, 2022, Austin FC announced multiple roster decision influencing the 2023 season. Jared Stroud was traded to St. Louis City SC,[5] Hector Jiménez's contract is being allowed to expire, Washington Corozo's transfer option was not exercised, and options were declined on Danny Hoesen, Felipe Martins, Freddy Kleemann, Andrew Tarbell, and Will Pulisic.[6]

Austin FC continued shaping their 2023 team during the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft, when they traded with DC United for the first selection in that draft for $50,000 general allocation money. With the first selection Austin FC chose midfielder Sofiane Djeffal from DC United.[7] On the same day, Austin FC announced that they selected Forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez from the End-of-Year Waiver list from the Seattle Sounders, where he had spent time with the MLS Next Pro club Tacoma Defiance.[8] On November 29, 2022, Austin FC and Ocampo-Chavez came to terms on a one-year guarantee through the 2023 season, with a two-year team option through 2025.[9]

In December Austin FC continued to work on their 2023 roster announcing on December 8, 2022 they had resigned Hector Jiménez [10] and announced on December 12, 2022 that hey had acquired Gyasi Zardes through free agency.[11] The 2023 MLS SuperDraft was held on December 21, 2022 and Austin FC picked up CJ Fodrey (GA)[12] and Valentin Noel[13] in the first round, Jackson Walti in the second round, and Salvatore Mazzaferro in the third round.

Austin FC started the new year by strengthening their goalkeeping corps, adding Matt Bersano from the free agent list.[14] Austin FC strengthened their defensive unit on January 4, 2023 by acquiring Leo Väisänen from IF Elfsborg.[15] One day after signing Väisänen, Austin FC announced that Ruben Gabrielsen will be leaving the team after just one year and moving to Lillestrøm SK[16] Continuing to shape the team for 2023 season, Austin FC announced on 6 January 2023 that they had come to an agreement to transfer Tomás Pochettino to Brazilian side Fortaleza Esporte Clube.[17] Adding more depth to their defensive formation, Austin FC announced on January 10, 2023 they had signed Adam Lundqvist from their cross-state rival Houston Dynamo for $500,000 GAM over the 2023-2024 seasons.[18] Looking to build their defense for the longest MLS season to date, Austin FC announced they had signed Amro Tarek as a free agent on January 27, 2023.[19] On January 31, 2023, Austin FC announced Moussa Djitté had been loaned to AC Ajaccio on a short term loan through the end of the Ligue 1 season, with an option to purchase at the end of the season.[20] After a trial period for a Veteran striker, Austin FC announced on February 10, 2023 that they had signed Will Bruin to a one year contract, with an option for a second year.[21] The club extended Sebastian Driussi for three years with a fourth-year option on February 14 and named him the next captain. [22] Days before the first match of the season Austin FC extended Diego Fagúndez for three years with a fourth year option, finalizing preseason moves for the team[23]

Austin FC started the 2023 season with a 3-2 loss to St. Louis City SC in the latter's inaugural match. Julio Cascante was subbed off in the 11th minute after suffering an adductor strain injury that sidelined him for more than two months. Austin quickly rebounded with a 1-0 win over CF Montreal where Maximiliano Urruti scored the game-winner the 88th minute. After the first leg against Violette, the Verde and Black returned to MLS competition against RSL where Owen Wolff scored his first professional goal and the match-winner in the 33rd minute in a 2-1 victory. Austin then suffered their first road loss of the season in a 2–0 defeat to their cross-state rivals, the Houston Dynamo. Ending the month of March with a 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, Austin FC sat in the middle of the table for both the western conference and Supporters Shield standings heading into the second month of the season.[24] At this point, Jon Gallagher led the team with 3 goals, while prized striker Sebastian Driussi had 1 goal in the opening match against St. Louis while Diego Fagundez, Emiliano Rigoni, Gyasi Zardes, Ethan Finlay, and Will Bruin hadn't scored in the first 5 league matches for the club. On March 22, the club announced Aleksandar Radovanović was signed on a short term loan from K.V. Kortrijk through June 30, 2023 with an option to buy.[25]

After a two week break, Austin FC continued the season on the road against LAFC and lost 3–0 on the back of a hat-trick by Denis Bouanga in the first Western Conference Final rematch.[26] Adding to the backline's struggles, Austin suffered another blow to the defense; on April 13, the team announced Žan Kolmanič injured his ACL during training and had season-ending surgery.[27] Austin continued to struggle offensively in a home fixture against Vancouver, where they lost Fagundez for a month to a groin injury in a 0-0 draw, and then lost to the LA Galaxy 2-0 the following week.[28][29] El Tree ended the month with a 2-2 comeback draw at home against the San Jose Earthquakes. Rigoni scored his first goal for the club in the 40th minute, and Driussi scored for the first time since the opening match to equalize in the 78th minute.[30]

Outside of league play, Austin FC travelled to the Dominican Republic to take on the Haitian side Violette AC for their first ever CONCACAF Champions League match, which they lost 3-0 on March 7. Miche-Naider Chéry notched a first half brace for Violette, beating Amro Tarek on two headers. Tarek then had an own-goal early in the second half to ruin any chance of an Austin comeback. A week later, after beating RSL, Austin FC faced Violette in the return fixture at Q2 Stadium. Despite taking 35 shots and Driussi scoring a brace, Austin FC fell in the series on an aggregate score of 3–2. Their 2023 CONCACAF Champions League run came to a premature end in what was arguably the biggest upset in the history of the competition; because of the political unrest in Haiti, Violette hadn't played a competitive match in 290 days before the first leg.

Austin FC earned their second straight 2–2 comeback draw, but this time against the Portland Timbers on May 6. Jon Gallagher scored his 4th goal of the season to lead all MLS defenders on a cross from Emiliano Rigoni. Will Bruin was later subbed into the game and the former Sounder could not have scored his first goal with the Verde and Black in a more timely fashion, tying the match with Austin's latest away goal in their short history in the second minute of stoppage time on a cross from Owen Wolff.[31] However, before the Portland match, Driussi suffered a groin injury of his own and would also miss a month. After the Portland match, Wolff was called up to the U-20 team for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and would spend up to a month away from the club.[32] The following week, Rodney Redes was sent off for earning two yellow cards against FC Dallas, and Jesus Ferreira scored the match-winner in the 89th minute, to defeat the short-handed Austin FC 1-0.[33]

Austin entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 and were drawn against USL team New Mexico United for a home match on May 10 which they won 2-0 for their first-ever U.S. Open Cup victory. Redes tallied his first goal for the club to open the scoring in the 24th minute and Maxi Urruti added another. Rigoni had assists on both goals.[34] On May 11th, the Verde and Black were drawn to host the Chicago Fire in the round of 16.[35]

Numbers after plus–sign (+) denote appearances as a substitute.

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		MLS		MLS Cup		U.S. Open Cup		Continental[lower-alpha 1]		Other[lower-alpha 2]
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	USA	Brad Stuver	14	0	11+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	2+0	0	0+0	0
3	DF	EGY	Amro Tarek	1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
4	DF	USA	Kipp Keller	2	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	0+0	0
5	MF	COL	Jhojan Valencia	7	0	4+1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
6	MF	VEN	Daniel Pereira	13	0	11+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
7	FW	ARG	Emiliano Rigoni	14	1	11+0	1	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
8	MF	FIN	Alexander Ring	12	0	10+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
9	FW	USA	Gyasi Zardes	12	0	6+5	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
10	MF	ARG	Sebastián Driussi	10	4	9+0	2	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	2	0+0	0
11	FW	PAR	Rodney Redes	8	1	3+3	0	0+0	0	1+0	1	1+0	0	0+0	0
12	GK	USA	Damian Las	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
13	MF	USA	Ethan Finlay	14	0	3+8	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	2+0	0	0+0	0
14	MF	URU	Diego Fagúndez	9	0	5+2	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
15	DF	FIN	Leo Väisänen	12	0	10+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
16	DF	USA	Hector Jiménez	2	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
17	FW	IRL	Jon Gallagher	14	4	9+2	4	0+0	0	0+1	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
18	DF	CRC	Julio Cascante	4	0	3+0	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
19	MF	USA	CJ Fodrey	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
20	GK	USA	Matt Bersano	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
21	DF	SWE	Adam Lundqvist	11	0	3+5	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
22	MF	FRA	Sofiane Djeffal	4	0	0+2	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
23	DF	SVN	Žan Kolmanič	7	0	6+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
24	DF	USA	Nick Lima	13	0	5+5	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
26	DF	USA	Charlie Asensio	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
28	MF	USA	Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
28	FW	USA	Will Bruin	8	0	6+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
33	MF	USA	Owen Wolff	11	1	7+2	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
37	FW	ARG	Maximiliano Urruti	12	2	5+5	1	0+0	0	1+0	1	1+0	0	0+0	0
66	DF	SRB	Aleksandar Radovanović	2	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
	MF	USA	David Rodríguez	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0