Troy Bryant

Coronavirus hits MLS and Austin FC fans

MLS shuts down for the foreseeable future and the entire soccer world has come to a screeching halt. COVID-19 is a bitch.

At the time of this post, the earliest major league soccer starts back is mid May. MLS Cup is now planned for December 2020.

Early in March, we were tracking MLS stadium fan attendance for 2020 and could immediately see a 6,000-7,000 seat drop off in attendance at coronavirus hot spots like Seattle and San Jose, even before limitations on large gatherings went into effect.  

mls-attend-wk2

To compare it to Week 1 MLS attendance, check out our previous post.

Even though Austin FC doesn’t officially kick off until 2021, how could this affect the club?

  • Josh Wolff has to shut down scouting players outside of the U.S., limiting his opportunity to access and sign overseas players.
  • Construction on the stadium could be halted if things get worse. The training facility groundbreaking could also be delayed.
  • MLS Expansion draft could be pushed back or even cancelled. Austin and Charlotte wouldn’t get an opportunity to sign unprotected MLS players.
  • Hiring of key Austin FC staff could be put on hold. We’re just speculating here, but the club still has many key staff to hire. 
  • Austin FC’s jersey was to be released in late 2020. Will COVID19 cause delays at Adidas to produce the jerseys and ship them to stores?

What’s Next?

We understand everyone’s circumstances are different. At Capital City Soccer our intention is to push through and keep providing unique Austin FC content to fans.

In addition, we’re supporting local businesses and organizations by purchasing beer-to-go from breweries nearby Austin FC stadium and buying merch from the club’s independent supporter’s group, Austin Anthem. 

Stay safe Austin FC fans!