Austin FC: Decisions Ahead for a Team on the Rise

Austin FC had a decent first season under head coach Nico Estévez, finishing sixth in the Western Conference. They made it to the playoffs but were quickly eliminated. Now, the team is facing some big decisions for the future. Rodolfo Borrell, the sporting director, has a lot on his plate. He needs to decide whether to keep or let go of six key players by November 26. These players include Julio Cascante, Ilie Sánchez, Dani Pereira, Brendan Hines-Ike, Stefan Cleveland, and Diego Rubio. Together, their salaries add up to nearly $2. 8 million. Keeping them all might not be the best move. Hines-Ike and Rubio are still valuable and affordable, so they should probably stay. Cascante, however, might be on his way out. He didn't play much this season despite being the highest-paid non-designated player. Sánchez is a leader on and off the field, but his salary might be too high for the team to justify keeping him. Cleveland's future depends on whether Damian Las, the young goalkeeper who had a great season on loan, stays or goes. If Las leaves, Cleveland could return as the backup. Pereira is another interesting case. The team needs to decide if they want to extend his contract or sell his rights to another club for some extra money. Owen Wolff, the young star, could also be a target for other teams. Selling him would bring in a lot of money, but it would be a big loss for the team. The designated player spots are all filled, but none of them had a great season. The team needs to figure out how to improve this group. Borrell has been working hard to build a strong scouting team and manage the salary cap. Now, it's time to make the right decisions.