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Austin FC notebook: Busy squad adds to firepower with Gyasi Zardes signing

colby gordon
·4 min read
Colorado Rapids forward Gyasi Zardes, center, celebrates during the first half of a September match against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Austin FC signed Zardes this week in an attempt to add more scoring punch.
Colorado Rapids forward Gyasi Zardes, center, celebrates during the first half of a September match against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Austin FC signed Zardes this week in an attempt to add more scoring punch.

It’s been a busy and noteworthy couple of days for Austin FC.

On Monday, the team announced the signing of veteran forward Gyasi Zardes to a three-year deal, and on Tuesday the club revealed that its MLS Next Pro team will be branded as “Austin FC II” and introduced former Inter Miami CF assistant Brett Uttley as its coach.

With the World Cup coming to an end in the next few days and the international transfer window for most leagues opening in early January — Argentina being a notable exception, with its not starting until Jan. 27 — we could see a lot more activity out of El Tree and other MLS clubs over the next six weeks.

Here's what Austin FC's been up to this offseason:

Zardes adds depth, scoring threat at forward

Zardes will be an experienced option at forward for El Tree alongside Maxi Urruti and Moussa Djitté.

A career MLS player, Zardes enters his 11th year in the league next season, having spent most of his time with the Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew. He broke into the league with Los Angeles, scoring 34 goals during five seasons before signing with Columbus in 2018.

More: Building defensive depth among Austin FC's most pressing offseason needs

The best year of his career came during his first season for the Crew, when he tallied 19 goals and was named the MLS comeback player of the year.

Austin FC's Manny Perez, left, bicycle kicks a shot past Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zardes during their June 27, 2021 match at Q2 Stadium. El Tree signed Zardes on Monday.
Austin FC's Manny Perez, left, bicycle kicks a shot past Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zardes during their June 27, 2021 match at Q2 Stadium. El Tree signed Zardes on Monday.

Scoring 54 times for Columbus in four-plus seasons, Zardes was traded early last year to Colorado, where he went on to find the net nine times, good for second-most on the team. At 31, Zardes may not be what he was five years ago, but he’s still a dangerous scorer who could challenge Urruti and Djitté to start.

It will be interesting to see what his salary is when those numbers are released by the MLSPA in the spring, but with Austin FC in CONCACAF Champions League and having the potential to play around 50 matches next year, fans should expect to see plenty of him during 2023.

More: Why signing veteran players has paid off so far for Austin FC

Welcome, Austin FC II

MLS Next Pro will act as a bridge league for clubs between their first teams and academies. For all intents and purposes, it's the minor league of the MLS.

Teams such as Austin FC II will feature first-team reserve players struggling to get playing time, older and more talented academy players on amateur contracts, and players who are signed on professional contracts directly to it. Austin FC II will be one of 28 teams in the league, all of whom are affiliated with an MLS club except for Rochester New York FC.

MLS Next Pro will be the third level of U.S. professional soccer, below the MLS and USL Championship, and has a 24-game regular season with an eight-team playoff tournament. Austin FC II will train at the St. David’s Performance Center with the first team and academy.

Uttley was an assistant for the Seattle Sounders and Rio Grande Valley FC prior to his three years in Miami. He played collegiately at Qunnipiac and Rhode Island and professionally in Sweden before entering coaching.

Keeping veterans, signing youngsters

Austin FC re-signed reserve defender Hector Jimenez to a one-year deal, agreed to a new four-year contract with starting left back Jon Gallagher and signed goalkeeper Brad Stuver to a new three-year contract.

Giving Gallagher, who took over the left back position in late May, and Stuver, who has been phenomenal the last two years, new deals was a no-brainer, but signing Jimenez to another year was a bit of a surprise since he’s 34.

Austin FC also recently signed forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez, who spent last season on Seattle’s MLS Next Pro affiliate, to a one-year deal while selecting midfielder Sofiane Djeffal with the first pick of the MLS re-entry draft.

El Tree traded cash and the 26th pick to D.C. United in exchange for the top pick.

Djeffal, 23, made 28 appearances for D.C. United last year after playing four years at Oregon State, while Ocampo-Chávez, 20, scored nine times this past season and has played professionally in Austria.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: So far, Austin FC has made some big offseason news, signings