COVID-19 will impact MLS for many years to come.

In an astonishing announcement by the league, three of the four upcoming expansion teams’ inaugural season have each been delayed by one year.

• Austin FC–2021
• Charlotte–2022
• St. Louis–2023
• Sacramento–2023

Austin FC is the only new club to keep its original timeline—set to play competition soccer in 2021.

In a rare tweet from club President Andy Loughnane, he credited ownership and staff, stadium construction progress, sponsorship deals, and ticket demand by fans as keys to keeping Austin FC on track for 2021.

Honestly, the entire story caught us by surprise. We knew Charlotte was behind the eight ball in starting their club—just revealed their official team name—but we had no idea COVID-19 could delay Austin FC’s start by a year. 

For Verde fans, it would’ve been devastating to ride the pine a whole extra year after already waiting since the original January 2019 expansion announcement of Austin FC.

Okay, you can breathe now.