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USL Austin Bold FC

Preview: Austin Bold FC at Rio Grande Valley FC Toros

August 22, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Austin Bold FC News Release


Austin, TX - There's no time to rest for The Bold. Austin Bold FC is back on the road this Saturday to take on Rio Grande Valley FC Toros at H-E-B Park. The weekend's match will be the second meeting between the Copa Tejas rivals, with Austin coming out on top last time with a 4-1 victory at Bold Stadium. Marcelo Serrano will look to take home all three points after coming off two consecutive road draws, which were vital but keep The Bold just outside a playoff spot. Catch The Bold this Saturday on ESPN+ and cheer them on from the safety of your couch.

Shared Goals

Before USL Championship decided to freeze the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Bold's attacking line looked different with the likes of Kris Tyrpak and Andre Lima at the team's disposal to create chances. When those players decided not to participate in the season restart due to family health concerns, the squad stepped up. This reshuffle hasn't slowed down Serrano's men from finding the back of the net. Newcomer Billy Forbes has led the frontline expertly, scoring two goals and continuously being an offensive threat. The most exciting change has been the newfound scoring touch from Xavi Baez. After scoring his second goal of the week, Baez spoke on his recent form "I'm very happy to be able to score in two games in a row and to be able to help my team in this way. I'll continue to work harder and harder to help achieve our team goal. That the most important thing in this family that we have formed. I want to dedicate these goals to our fans who always support us, and we hope to celebrate together soon."

RGVFC's Slow Progress

The south Texas side has had a rough start to the 2020 USL Championship season. After eight matches, the Toros have yet to find a win with three draws and five losses. However, there are signs of change coming to the club. Last Saturday, RGV and OKC Energy FC played to a 0-0 draw in Oklahoma City, which was their first clean sheet since early July. Their defense received a season-long assurance when the club announced defenders Kyle Adams and Erik McCue will stay on loan with RGVFC from MLS club Houston Dynamo. 23-year old Adams has been a standout for the Toros. The center-back finished 2019 with 109 clearances, 22 blocks, 32 interceptions, and one goal. The Bold will have to work hard to break down Gerson Echeverry's defensive capable side.

Unbeaten in Three

Marcelo Serrano's men didn't start the USL Championship Return to Play the way they wanted to. With back to back losses to OKC Energy FC and San Antonio FC, The Bold had to roll up their sleeves and get to work; and that they did. In the last three matches, Austin has gone undefeated and put themselves just two points out of a playoff spot. Even with this positive uptick, Serrano feels his team still has room to improve. "We're still evolving and growing as a team from all the pandemic related changes. It takes time to build a new style with new players on the squad," said Serrano. "Hopefully, we can push until the end of the season."

Midfielder Baez shared similar sentiments after fighting back from a goal down twice against FC Tulsa on Wednesday night. "The team showed great personality, and we trust in the work we have done over the past few weeks. Today we were able to fight back from being down, and we're happy with the performance we gave, even though I think we deserved more. We will not be satisfied because we're better than this, and each game we're improving. We are on the right path, and we'll continue working with a lot of love. The Bold Familia is built for great things, and we played as a great family today."

Get to know Rio Grande Valley FC Toros by the numbers

Head Coach: Gerson Echeverry

2020 Record: 0-5-3 (W-L-D)

2020 Group D Standing: 5th (3 PTS)

Goals: 5

Top Goalscorers: Taiberson, Kembo Kibato, Luka Prpa, Deshane Beckford, Robert Castellanos (1)

Clean Sheets: 2

Goals Conceded: 15

Check out the Austin Bold FC Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 22, 2020


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