Remember the last time Austin had a United Soccer League team? The Austin Aztex played their final season in 2015. Austin Bold FC will be the new team.
The United Soccer League is the second division of professional soccer in the U.S. one under Major League Soccer, the league where Austin FC expects to play no later than Spring 2021.
"We’ve been working so hard on this project for years now," said Roberto Silva, General Manager of Austin Bold FC.
Silva said there are very distinct differences between the Austin Aztex and the Austin Bold. For one, the team will be playing in a soccer specific stadium. The Aztex played at House Park, a high school stadium in Austin.
“If you go back to the Aztex as you commented, the Aztex played in a high school stadium with football lines, with bad turf, with a smaller field than regulation, so there’s so many challenges that that team had at that moment to succeed," said Silva.
The new stadium will be built at Circuit of the Americas, rightfully named Austin Bold stadium.
“When we’re talking about the Austin Bold FC now we’re talking about having a soccer specific stadium in a venue that’s a major league venue," said Silva.
Construction for the stands of the stadium started in early January.
Major League Soccer has a separate domestic tournament, the U.S. Open Cup that is played during the season. It involved both USL and MLS teams giving Austin Bold FC to possibly host a MLS team at the stadium if they qualify.
As for having two teams in the same city someday, Silva said he's not too worried.
“Hopefully we get the whole city to support us – to support soccer in Austin," said Silva.
Austin Bold FC will host their first game in March.