AUSTIN, Texas — Losing is tough. Losing is not fun. Losing makes it hard to stay invested and keep believing.
Losing is also something that first-year MLS club Austin FC have managed to do quite often lately (11 of the last 13), which has led to frustration from all parties: the players, coach Wolff and the Verde faithful.
But to the Austin FC fans' credit, the support shown at home and on the road has been unwavering, something noted from the players and Wolff alike. Team captain Alex Ring has said "they don't deserve the fans right now."
In a letter titled "Keep Fighting," penned by Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver to the Austin FC fans, he's clear in the fact that the unconditional fandom has not been given in vain. Stuver pledged that this team is not done fighting for the 512. The letter was written and posted on the Austin FC website. It reads:
Dear Austin,
From the first moment we stepped foot in Austin, we heard your voices.
We felt your energy.
We embraced your passion.
As players, every single time we step on the field, we look into the stands and see you cheering us on. 360 degrees of Verde and Black, singing from the top of your lungs, smiles on your faces and beer raining down from under the bright lights.
Y’all have made Q2 Stadium a beacon of what supporting a club should look like. A shining light in a community that grows bigger by the day. Your energy is contagious. You’re talked about by every opposing team that has come to play here in Austin. We hear it from other players all the time. The world has taken notice.
Although results on the field have not been where we’d like them to be, we cannot put into words how grateful we are knowing we have your support. Every time we put on the Austin FC crest, we know that we are playing for all of you. We know that we represent more than just the name on the back of the jersey, we represent the crest displayed on our chest. The same one you wear on yours.
We will continue to work, continue to grow, and continue to improve to make y’all proud and to make the results worthy of your unwavering support. With nine games left in the season, we are not in the position that all of us had hoped but that does not mean we are in the position that we will finish. That is the beauty of this game. Regardless of what we have gone through this year, there is always another match, another opportunity on the horizon.
Our goal now is to push in this last stretch of games and prove to everyone what we are capable of. Together, we will accomplish anything we set our minds to. Together, we can make the next nine games a true reflection of not just who we are as individuals, but more importantly, who we are as a club.
Austin FC is more than just players. It is more than the technical staff. It is more than the stadium, the training ground, the supporters’ section, the banners, and the songs. It is more than what people assume we are. Austin FC is about the culture, and the direct representation of the community we call home.
We are a tight-knit group of people who look out for one another, we stand by each other regardless of the circumstances and we rally behind each other in the good times and the bad. We embrace the road ahead knowing that it will not be easy, but we face that challenge with hundreds and thousands of people at our side willing to battle for one another. With this mentality, we push into this last stretch of games and I know that y’all will be right there with us; unyielding.
We will fight for the 512.
Verde hasta la muerte.
Brad Stuver #41
Austin FC take on LA Galaxy for the second time this season, and the first time at home, on Sunday, Sept. 26.
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