Copa Tejas is tomorrow night in Frisco as FC Dallas hosts Austin FC at Toyota Stadium.

A FC Dallas win tomorrow will likely see them lift Copa Tejas for the first time in a couple of years, while anything else will see Austin come away with it for a third-straight season.

Today, we’re previewing the game with our pal Phil West from the Austin blog Verde All Day again. Some of you know the setup in these pieces by now; we asked three questions to get a better sense of the club FC Dallas is going to take on this weekend. Below are my questions to Phil and his responses. My answers to his questions will appear on his site later today.


BDS: Austin has made some big moves for the upcoming transfer window. How do you see the team incorporating those new players into the lineups? Will they be enough for a playoff push?

VAD: So, for those uninitiated, Austin's brought in three summer signings so far: Osman Bukari, a DP winger who was one of last year's fastest Champions League players with Red Star Belgrade; Mikkel Desler, a fullback from Ligue 1 side Toulouse who has been rumored to be coming in since January; and Oleksandr Svatok, a center back fresh from locking down Romelu Lukaku at the Euros for Ukraine. Svatok's not in the U.S. yet, but Bukari and Desler are already training with the team in Austin, and I expect them to quickly get worked into the starting lineup, though with Wolff, he's sometimes cautious about giving new players starts as they learn the system. But given that he put Matt Hedges in pretty much right away last summer, I think they'll get in as subs the first chance they get — which, you'll be happy to know, is Saturday and not tomorrow. They'll help with the playoff push, but Verde's schedule is a little hairy the rest of the way, so I think it might be settled on Decision Day and not before.

BDS: The Austin attack has been fairly limited in 2024 (only New England has scored fewer goals). What has gone on with this group this season that has led to such limited scoring? How does Josh Wolff change it?

VAD: Great question! We've been asking it all season! I think it's a combination of extra emphasis on defense, especially on the road (save for unusual games like, oh, the most recent one in Frisco), not having a No. 9 who can consistently create his own shot, and not having a true playmaking No. 10. Diego Rubio's arguably the best at both, and given his body of work this season, he's a great sub and a very fun 'houser but not the 15-goal striker Verde could really use. I looked at how bad the scoring numbers are just last week; they're also pretty dismal at key passes and progressive passes. Wolff's been harping on decision-making and execution in the final third from the players, but I suspect predictability in how they attack also factors into how other teams line up against them.

BDS: Speaking of Wolff, there has been a lot of back and forth on his status with the club in 2024. Where do fans stand on the whole #WolffOut situation now?

VAD: Well, considering fans finally got the #wolffout plane aloft on Saturday, even though it somehow rendered on the plane's banner as #wolfdut, that's where a lot of fans are. With Gregg Berhalter, Nico Estevez, and Luchi Gonzalez out of jobs in the last six weeks, it's amazing that Wolff's this remaining limb on the seemingly blighted Berhalter coaching tree. He's right around the playoff line, and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell has expressed confidence in him but also says Austin must make the playoffs. So, that might be the referendum on him staying past 2024, though I could also see a nosedive in a series of matches finally being enough to him to be shown the door. It's one of the storylines that hardcore fans are following.

BDS: How much do you think Copa Tejas means to the Austin players and fans?

VAD: I mean, two-time reigning Copa Tejas champions, am I right? Last year, Austin won it in the worst way possible (but the way I predicted once it was apparent that Austin wasn't going to win it through its own actions). This year, I think the players are going to want to beat Dallas outright to win it. We know, from something one of the players told us in an interview, winning it is on their list of goals for the year. I get where the Texas Derby matters more to Dallas, but for Austin, it is a chance to get over on two rivals, and I think there's reason enough now for Austin to hate both teams at least a little bit.


Thanks again to Phil for taking the time to answer some questions. Be sure to give him a follow or subscribe to his work by clicking the button below.