Hello and welcome everybody to The Total Soccer Show.

My name is Taylor Rockwell, and I have spent the last 24 hours reading way too much about American soccer teams because we're continuing our preview of the 2022 MLS season, which kicks off this weekend.

Yesterday, we made it through the entire Eastern conference.

Today, we go west.

14 teams to preview. There are coaching changes, new faces, big signings, reasons for optimism

for some, reasons for anger for others. To break it down, I'm joined by two fine fellows. Up first is

Mr. Joe Lowry. Hi, Joe. Hello, Taylor. Hello, and Mr. Graham Ruffin. Hello, Graham.

Hello.

There's no rhyming, no clever introductions, no side questions. We've exhausted all of these categories. We've just got MLS to be discussed, and Joe has a class to get to. Because of time constraints, we're going to jump right into it. as I said, previewing each team, taking a look at some of the changes, some of the tactics,

some of the changes,

some of the tactics, some of the coaches, and maybe getting a prediction or two for each club. We're going to start with Austin FC. Top of the table, Joe. I'm assuming that's where they will stay for the season. Oh, for sure, for sure, for sure. That would make Josh Wolf and Claudia Rana and the rest of that Austin crew quite happy.

I don't think we're likely to see Austin stick up top for too long this That would make Josh Wolfe and Claudia Arena and the rest of that Austin crew quite happy.

I don't think we're likely to see Austin stick up top for too long this season.

They finished 12th, second to last, and the Western Conference last year.

In terms of offseason changes and shifts and moves, they lost Thomas Pachitino.

He's moved back to South America.

He was not a success for them last season. Centralwood fielders moved back, I believe, to Argentina. Matt Beasler retired, so he's no longer a presence in the middle of their back line. Austin, in terms of key arrivals and additions, they did most of their business for this window. This sounds weird, but they did most of their business for this window last season. bringing Sebastian Deweese, who's an attacking midfieler they got from Zen at St. Petersburg in Russia. They brought him in midseason and Musa Jite as well as striker. They brought him in midseason and they both played the last maybe third of the year in Austin. And they have talent. They have real talent. I'll talk more about Drisie later. This offseason, though, they did bring in Johann Valencia, excuse me, a Colombian central

defensive midfielder, 25 years old, likes to cover ground, is good at covering ground, likes to win

the ball, is good at winning the ball. That's huge for Austin. Last year, they came out under

Josh Wolf in their first ever season, and they played with the ball.

They were a high-volume possession team, fourth-most possession in MLS last year in year one for them.

They started the season in a 4-33, played out of a 4-2-3-1 quite a bit more as the season went on, and that's the shape for me that makes the most sense for them this season,

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