Austin FC winger Ethan Finlay looking for assists on, off the field versus Minnesota

There will be plenty of familiar faces on the field Sunday for Ethan Finlay.

Austin FC will host Minnesota United FC at Q2 Stadium, and for Finlay — an outside midfielder for El Tree — it will be a reunion of sorts. He spent the past five seasons playing for Minnesota, helping the Loons to three playoff appearances and a run to the U.S. Open Cup Final in 2019.

“I’m excited, and it’s a game that won’t be hard to get up for, for sure,” Finlay said last week. “When the schedule came out, I knew we were going to get them twice, and those are two games that I’ve penciled in and definitely want to get wins. You always feel when you leave somewhere that whether you had a good or bad time there, you want to get the better of them down the road.”

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One of El Tree’s more notable offseason free-agent acquisitions, Finlay has had a positive impact on the club through the season’s first six weeks. He’s appeared in all five matches, starting the last two against Seattle and San Jose, and he scored two goals during a 5-1 win over Miami while generally faring well on the field.

But Austin FC coach Josh Wolff noted that Finlay has brought more to the club than his playing ability.

“Ethan brings calm, quality and a good understanding of what we want to do in games,” he said. “In training, he lends his ear and voice to younger players, which is really important when you’re wanting to develop a group. He understands sometimes he’ll start and sometimes he’ll come off the bench, and he takes both of those responsibilities seriously — and that’s a good role model for our younger guys. He’s a good voice in the locker room and a character piece as well.”

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As Austin FC tries to post a win for the first time in three matches, Finlay will provide a bit of a scouting edge against his former club, which enters the game with the same 2-1-2 record and eight points that El Tree has.

“I can tell guys what some of the strengths and weaknesses of certain players are and what the philosophy is of how they want to play,” Finlay said. “A lot of their stuff is going to be played through (midfielder Emanuel Reynoso) — and that’s apparent to anyone who’s watched them play. I’ll definitely help guys whether I’m on the field or not and help prepare guys if they have questions. But I think our group does a good job with scouting in general.”

Finlay, who will turn 32 in August, has had an impressive MLS career.

After a prestigious collegiate career at Creighton, where he was an All-American, he spent his first six seasons playing for Columbus, where Wolff first worked with him as an assistant for three seasons. He was traded to Minnesota before the 2017 season, and his contract runs through the 2023 season with El Tree.

Wolff said getting Finlay’s thoughts on his old team going into Sunday was a no-brainer.

“They have some players that we’re not as familiar with that he’s been able to give us information on as to what (their playing styles) are,” he said. “He has direct knowledge of the coaching staff and how they prepare and their ideas against certain opponents, including us. He was there a number of years, and there’s things he can deliver with some ideas and clarity, and any little bit of information is helpful.”

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With winger Cecilio Domínguez suspended by MLS on Friday, "pending an investigation into possible off-field misconduct," Finlay is likely to see more minutes. If Austin FC comes away with a win, you can probably give an unofficial assist to Finlay.

“They have a good group,” he said. “I’ll add some personal stuff to help in preparation, but that said, it is just another game, and I don’t want to let the passion get in the way of having a good performance for the team.”

Sunday's game

Austin FC vs. Minnesota United FC, Q2 Stadium, 6:30 p.m., FS1

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC winger Ethan Finlay looks forward to match against Minnesota