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USL Austin Bold FC

Preview: Austin Bold FC vs Sporting Kansas City II

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


Austin, TX - After two weeks away, we are back at Bold Stadium to take on Group E club Sporting Kansas City II tonight at 8:00 PM. Austin will want to bounce back from a tough loss after falling short against San Antonio FC the week prior. Only a point behind FC Tulsa for the final playoff spot in Group D, The Bold look to leapfrog Tulsa with a draw or a win. Marcelo Serrano will make sure to have his team well-drilled as potential points are no longer at a surplus with only three games left in the 2020 USL Championship season. Stream the match live on ESPN+ or listen on Sirius XM radio channel 157.

Mr. September

September isn't even over yet, but Beto Avila already is having a standout month. The Austin native bagged his first goal for The Bold in a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa, then followed it up with his first start for Austin against San Antonio FC the following week. To make it better, Avila capped that first start with a second goal of the season. Avila joined The Bold last year on an academy contract before signing a professional contract in 2020. There is no secret to Avila's success this season. It just takes hard work. Avila explained, "It feels great to know that all the hard work is finally paying back and I can't wait to score more."

Avila is an example of Austin Bold FC's club initiative to allow promising local players to train at a professional level. He may be one of the first success stories, but he isn't the last.

Beware of SKCII

Even though Sporting Kansas City II currently sits in last place in Group E, don't sleep on the MLS owned club. In both of their matches against Group D opponents, they came back with two big wins. They hosted OKC Energy FC on August 22 and sent them back to Oklahoma with a 3-0 loss. Then they followed that up by ending FC Tulsa's unbeaten start to the season the next game. The only thing between SKCII and more wins are goals conceded, as the youngsters have let in 23 goals this season. They lost their last three matches by just one goal. The addition of 2016 USL Goalkeeper of the Year Mitch Hildebrandt to the playing roster can go a long way to help SKCII change their defensive performances.

Je-Vaughn is Bold

The Bold add MLS and USL veteran Je-Vaughn Wtason for their final USL Championship playoff push. "I'm excited to be a part of Austin Bold and this wonderful organization. I'm just hoping I can come in and add to the chemistry the team already has and see if I can help push them towards the playoffs," said Watson. "I'm just coming here passing my experience and knowledge and see if I can help push these guys towards their goal of a championship."

In his native Jamaica, Watson began his playing career with the National Premier League side Sporting Central Academy in 2005. The Jamaican international moved to MLS in 2011, joining Houston Dynamo for two seasons. From 2011 to 2012, Watson made 41 appearances and helped Houston reach two consecutive MLS Cup finals. Watson moved to the other side of the Texas Derby after signing with FC Dallas in 2013. He became a staple of FC Dallas with over 4,000 minutes logged while he transitioned to a defender. Most recently, Watson played for OKC Energy during the 2019 season. Watson is a Jamaican international putting on the famous yellow jersey 88 times. During his time with the Reggae Boyz, Watson participated in every major international tournament for Jamaica, including 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup squads. Along with appearances in the 2015 Copa America and 2016 Copa America Centenario, Watson won the 2014 Caribbean Cup with fellow Austin Bold FC members Ryan Thompson and Jermaine Taylor.

Get to know Sporting Kansas City II by the numbers

Head Coach: Paulo Nagamura

2020 Record: 4-8-1 (W-L-D)

2020 Group C Standing: 4th (13 PTS)

Goals: 19

Top Goalscorer: Wilson Harris (7)

Goals Conceded: 23

Clean Sheets: 2

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