Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff already earning high praise from club's captain

Austin FC’s midfield was thought to be the team’s deepest strength entering in the season, but the club’s options may be more plentiful than initially thought.

Owen Wolff — yes, the coach’s son — showed why he’s playing professional soccer at the age of 17 in his first extended duty for the club during Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake.

Coming on in the 60th minute to be part of a more defensive formation and strategy with the game tied 1-1 and El Tree down to 10 men after midfielder Daniel Pereira received a red card, Wolff more than held his own on the field and had one of the better touch-passes of the night when he directed a long ball in the box back to Sebastián Driussi, who narrowly missed a tying goal.

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“He’s very humble and works hard, and he’s earned his place on this team all on his own merits,” Austin FC captain and midfielder Alex Ring said. “I know it’s not easy for him as I know what people are saying with Josh being the coach, but he’s earned everything he has and likely would have gotten a bigger contract elsewhere. I’m happy for him as he’s got his head on straight and is a good kid. He had a very good shift (Saturday).”

Wolff — nicknamed “Teen Wolff” for obvious reasons, and presumably more in reference to the Michael J. Fox edition and not the subpar Jason Bateman one for those familiar with the 1980s movies — also took a couple of hard fouls Saturday with no issue.

Being the youngest player on the field and one who would still have a year of prep eligibility left as he doesn’t turn 18 until December, Wolff may be the target of the opposition at points, but Ring noted toughness won’t be an issue.

“He’s a grinder and is very physical in his training,” Ring said. “He’s also good at giving (hits) out to other guys in training, so I’m not worried about him in that respect.”

While Wolff won’t be starting any time soon, and with the impending return of winger Cecilio Domínguez, getting minutes may be even tougher to come by. The fact he’s an option on the bench is only a good thing for the club, especially for games like the one against LAFC where the team will be without Pereira in a key Western Conference matchup.

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“What we like as coaches is his ability to win duels,” Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said. “He’s a combative player, and I liked how he was able to carry on and get in some good spots to almost get us a couple goals at the end (Saturday). He competed well and battled well.”

With suspension over, Cecilio Domínguez working into game shape

Speaking of Domínguez, who was suspended by the MLS in early April and reinstated 12 days ago following a league and law-enforcement led investigation after a domestic dispute, Josh Wolff noted it will take him some time before he’s game-ready.

“He has to continue to get into shape,” he said. “He’s with us for part of our training sessions, then he’s on the side working on other things to try and build his fitness level. That’s the biggest thing, as he was out for five weeks, and that’s almost like an offseason.”

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The club has weathered its time without Domínguez well, going 4-2-1 in league matches, but as one of the team’s designated players — meaning his salary doesn’t count against the salary cap — he’s largely thought of as one of the top-five players on the club.

“He’s taking steps in the right direction to get back on the field,” Josh Wolff said, “but we’ll just take it day by day.”

Wednesday's match

Austin FC at Los Angeles FC, 9:30 p.m., KBVO, 97.5

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff showing maturity on field at 17