AUSTIN, Texas — Everything is bigger in Texas and that means soccer is almost back in Austin with not one, but two soccer teams.
Austin Bold FC will start play in March in the United Soccer League, a division just one under Major League Soccer, which is where Austin FC -- Austin's first major league sports team -- will start play in 2021.
Essentially, Austin Bold FC is Tier 2 of professional soccer in the United States.
The season starts away in Las Vegas and Reno. On March 30, the home opener will be at Circuit of the Americas at a new 5,000-seat stadium against in-state opponent, San Antonio FC.
KVUE caught up with Bold players and staff Tuesday, who said they're beyond excited about the upcoming season.
"(It's) very exciting looking forward to a great season, you know, it's a pretty cool thing to come into a new project and to be able to grow it from zero," said Diego Restrepo, a goalkeeper for Austin Bold FC.
"I'm telling you we have [a] great team and we have great players, so it's just going to show on the field, you know? Soccer speaks by itself," said French midfielder Thomas De Villardi, a former MLS player.
When asked about how the team believes they will fare in attendance once Austin FC starts play in a few years, players and staff said they're excited to be in a city with two teams and that they're glad the soccer culture is growing.
"The comparison is normal but, for me, we are soccer people. That's what we do. For me, it doesn't have 'this team and the other team.' For me, if I love the game of soccer then it's just about the game of soccer," said Austin Bold FC head coach Marcelo Serrano.
The players agree.
“We’re just embracing it, you know, trying to bring the community together and just great opportunity for everyone to enjoy soccer," said Restrepo.
The club's management also said they're focused on giving fans a great experience.
“I always said there was three things we needed to do to make this franchise successful. One is make the fans happy, the second was making the players happy, and the third making the ownership happy," said Roberto Silva, general manager of Austin Bold FC.
The club currently has 17 players on its roster and expects to sign more in the coming weeks.