As USMNT records another shutout at Q2 Stadium, Austin soccer fans hope it keeps returning
Austin continues to make its case to be a regular stop for the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.
The U.S. men defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in an almost full Q2 Stadium on Thursday night in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, and local soccer fans — and some not so local — say they hope it keeps coming back.
“I’ve lived here for 30 years and watched all the professional development teams play from all the way back to the Austin Psychedelics in the ’90s,” said Dustin Hindman, who wore a USMNT jersey and stocking cap. “And so I love the fact that we have this stadium. I love the fact that we have Austin FC and the fact that we get the U.S. national team men and women coming here.”
The U.S. men had sold out their three previous matches at Q2 Stadium. Thursday’s contest drew slightly more than 19,800 and was roughly 900 short of a sellout.
A chilly night and a nonmarquee opponent probably kept the stadium from being full, but the match still prompted Jorge Acosta and his two kids to drive in from Odessa.
He noted that it was a rare opportunity to see the team because it usually doesn’t play in Texas.
“My boys are big USA fans, so I wanted to bring them here,” Acosta said. “I like the atmosphere. It’s not packed, but it’s comfortable. Most international games, it’s ridiculous just to get in the restroom.”
Nathan Morgan is a local business owner and lifelong Austinite who said he isn’t much of a soccer fan, but he used the opportunity to take some of his employees to the game.
“I really didn’t even know the national team was playing, so I just bought a handful of tickets,” Morgan said. “It’s something else the city has to embrace, and it brings cultures together from around the world.”
As for the game itself, it went as expected from a results standpoint.
The U.S. dominated possession and the end scoreline, but it got all three of its goals after the 80th minute.
Forward Ricardo Pepi, a former FC Dallas player, came on as a sub and broke the scoreless tie. It was his fifth goal in three appearances at Q2 Stadium.
“Being local and being from Texas, I felt there was no way I wasn’t going to score tonight,” said Pepi, who is from El Paso. “It’s amazing to score in Texas, and I was going to score today.”
Antonee Robinson and Giovanni Reyna also found the net for the USMNT, which still hasn’t yielded a goal at Q2 Stadium.
Though Austin might never get a top-tier USMNT game due to Q2 Stadium’s small capacity, it won’t be a surprise if the city annually gets to host a match.
Fans certainly want that to be the case.
“I love us jumping on international trends as opposed to being stuck on USA trends,” Austin resident Ed Cohen said after buying a drink and an Icee at the concession stand. “I think all the international people coming in in the digital community and bringing in Formula One and football into our society and it tipping into mainstream culture” have increased local interest in soccer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin soccer fans hope USMNT keeps coming back after win at Q2
