Performance is rarely, if ever, about one thing in isolation. Athletes, coaches, and management teams need to be aware of all of the physiological and psychological factors that can have an impact on a team’s competition performances. Today’s guest believes that it is only when all these factors come together and work as a cohesive, collaborative system that excellence in high-performance sport is possible. Dave Tenney is the High Performance Director for Austin FC and has spent almost two decades in elite performance roles in the MLS and the NBA. Prior to joining Austin FC in their 2021 expan ..read more

Today we are joined by a young player with an extraordinarily humble, grounded mindset. Daniel Pereira wears the number six jersey for Austin FC and in this episode, we hear about his much anticipated first goal for the team! Dani fills us in on how he celebrated the win and how a photo of his goal made it into the Louvre via an Austin FC fan. Dani has made impressive progress from his first year into his second and he talks us through the steps of his development. We also hear some insights into his upbringing in Venezuela, his family’s move to the US, and his path to being drafted! Tune in t ..read more

Welcome back to another edition of Verde and Black! With us in conversation today we have Davy Arnaud, Assistant Coach at Houston Dynamo. We dive right in with Davy sharing his thoughts on the team’s position in comparison to last year, before talking layer dynamics, and Davy’s thoughts on Danny Pereira and Sebastian Driussi. Hear about his main goal for every game: predicting the opponent’s strategy and acting accordingly. We chat reflecting, tweaking, and game management, before asking Davy about his relationship with Josh, which spans more than 20 years. Finally, you’ll hear about his fonde ..read more

There is so much crucial work that goes on behind the scenes at a club, and today we shed some light on what some of that looks like. We are joined by Austin FC's very own Director of Sporting Operations, Andrew DiLallo! Andrew is kind enough to give us a real insider peek at what his job entails, talking about what he oversees, and how all the organizational pieces come together and contribute to team results. We also look back at Andrew's path to his current role, his days playing soccer in college, and how he made his way to Austin. Our guest makes sure to emphasize why relationships, with ..read more

For this rendition of Verde and Black, we are so happy to finally be joined by Austin’s spectacular Video Performance Analyst, Sam Lawson. Sam has had quite a journey in the space and he talks about the influence of football on his youth growing up in Germany which led to him discovering his passion for video analysis thereafter. We hear about how he cut his teeth in the field through experiences thereafter in the UK, New Zealand, and a role in collegiate sports in Missouri, USA. He gets into his later positions in US soccer involving a stint at the Olympics and an MLS job with Minnesota Unite ..read more

Welcome back to the Verde & Black podcast! Today we will be kicking off season two in the best way with Austin FC Head Coach Josh Wolff. Year one was filled with many learnings for the Austin team and we spend today hearing Josh's thoughts about the changes he has made and what the new season will bring. He talks about recent additions to the team and the effects they will have on team spirit and vital positions that were missing from the field last time around. We get into the spirit of parity at MLS, the role of consistency in success, and Josh’s thoughts on why many of Austin’s best gam ..read more

After an impressive performance and wonderful goal against LA Galaxy, McKinze Gaines has been the name on the lips of many Austin FC fans recently. Today we host a fun conversation with the new forward and get a little of his background, career path, and his ideas about his place in the team in the future. McKinze tells us about his time in Germany, some of the important points and decisions that he and his parents made, and why he is so excited to be back in his hometown now! Like any player, McKinze has had to deal with difficulties too, touching injuries and challenging periods of less game ..read more

On today’s episode, we are bringing you double trouble with Diego Fagundez and Hector Jimenez. You’ll hear why Diego considers being a professional soccer player to be the best job in the world, and how he wants to pass his passion on to his two children. He reveals the best and worst parts of his career, and the story of how he was approached to play for Austin FC. We also ask Diego what it felt like to score the first goal in club history, and he tells us why he wants to play for as long as his body allows him to. We talk fitness, connecting with fans, and his hope for the next season with A ..read more

For today’s episode, we are in conversation with NFL legend and Austin FC fan and supporter, Marshall Newhouse, and Austin FC broadcaster, Michael Lahoud. You’ll hear about Marshall’s experience of being a full-blown fan for the first time, and Michael lets us in on the instant insight he observed Marshall having from the first whistle. Marshall gives us his assessment of the past year at Austin FC and tells us why he believes you have to have a larger perspective of what it takes to win, before telling us what the difference is between soccer crowds and football crowds. He explains how his pa ..read more

Any good soccer team is built on a sturdy defense, and today we host one of the pillars of Austin FC's reliable back line, Matt Besler! We have a great conversation with the defender, hearing about his arrival in Austin, first impressions of the city and the club, and the immediate connection he felt to the supporters and the soccer culture in Austin. Matt also comments on what it has meant playing professionally for as long as he has, and the benefits of experience and growing in mental strength. We get into some thoughts about how reading the game becomes more of a part of a defender's acume ..read more