Austin FC vs. Atlas FC: Ticket and parking information for the friendly at Q2 Stadium
Austin FC will host its first match of 2022 in a preseason friendly against Atlas FC at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Q2 Stadium in Austin.
In its inaugural season, Austin FC played 34 matches, compiling an overall record of 9-21-4.
Austin FC's season of firsts continued into the off-season as the team saw its first-ever retirement. Defender Matt Besler called it a career last November at the age of 34.
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The move came after Besler missed the last two months of the season with an injury. He had dealt with numerous injuries in the latter part of his career.
“Although my time in Austin was short, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude,” Besler wrote in a letter posted on the Austin FC website. “I truly enjoyed the experience of wearing the Verde and Black and representing this organization to the best of my ability. … We felt a part of this city from the moment we arrived and made memories we will carry with us forever.”
Austin FC announced in November it will retain captain Alex Ring for the 2022 season. In january, Austin FC announced it had signed Ring, a midfielder, to a two-year deal with club options for 2024 and 2025.
Earlier this month in the MLS SuperDraft, Austin FC selected defenders with its first two picks, taking Kipp Keller of St. Louis University with the No. 5 overall pick, then grabbing Charlie Asensio from Clemson in the second round.
Austin FC friendly opponent Atlas FC, winners of the 2021 Liga MX championship, are based in Guadalajara in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Their current title is the club's first since the 1950-51 season.
Atlas FC, founded in 1916, has helped set in motion the careers of some of the Mexican men's national teams best-known players, including El Tri defender Rafael Márquez, Andrés Guardado, and Jared Borgetti.
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How to get to Q2 Stadium for Austin FC home games
Q2 Stadium is in North Austin, close to where Burnet Road and West Braker Lane meet. It's not far from UT's J.J. Pickle Research Campus. However, to directly access the stadium, attendees have to use smaller streets: McKalla Place, West Road and Bright Verde Way.
Fans and residents traveling around the area should expect traffic to increase about an hour before and after each event, city spokeswoman Sara Henry said.
Team executives and city officials have mapped out some of the best routes for fans to get to the game and possibly avoid a hassle.
More: Austin FC signs MLS veteran midfielder Ethan Finlay to two-year deal
More details about accessing the stadium can be found on the city website.
Parking near Q2 Stadium
Austin FC fans are encouraged to make parking arrangements before heading to Q2 Stadium.
There's no fan parking in the neighborhoods east of Q2 Stadium.
There are 850 on-site parking spots, and all those have been assigned to team personnel and season ticket holders.
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Austin FC vs. Atlas FC: How to get tickets
Fans who aren't Austin FC season ticket members, or members of the Oak Collective waitlist, can buy tickets starting at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at two websites: www.austinfc.com and www.q2stadium.com.
Colby Gordon of the Austin American-Statesman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC vs. Atlas FC: How to attend the friendly at Q2 Stadium
