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Austin FC is hoping to rebound from a largely disappointing 2025 campaign with some fresh offensive firepower.

Why it matters: Franchise owners spent big in the offseason, hoping to recapture the excitement surrounding the team in its pandemic-era early years.

The big picture: Empty green-colored seats at Q2 Stadium were hard to miss on telecasts last season as the team struggled to find an identity.

Flashback: Last year, star striker Brandon Vázquez tore an ACL midseason and featured forwards Myrto Uzuni and Osman Bukari never clicked in first-year head coach Nico Estévez's offense. 

Despite scoring the fewest goals in the Western Conference during the regular season, the Verde and Black landed a playoff spot but were easily vanquished by LAFC in the first round. 

Catch up quick: Facundo Torres is the team's latest big-money signing — acquired for a reported $9.5 million from Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras.

Torres, who is competing for a spot on Uruguay's World Cup roster, previously played three seasons for Orlando City FC, scoring 39 goals and adding 16 assists.

State of play: Other key signings include winger Jayden Nelson, acquired from Vancouver Whitecaps FC; defender Jon Bell, who has played on three other MLS teams; and Joseph Rosales, who spent the last five seasons with Minnesota United FC. 

Key departures: Bukari, defender Julio Cascante, winger Jáder Obrian and veteran forward Diego Rubio.

What they're saying: "The squad is getting better and better — but at the same time, everyone is getting better and better," Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell told reporters this week.

"Sometimes you bring players with an idea of what they can do, what they can deliver, for what they have done in the past and suddenly for whatever reason they come here and they don't perform the same — so then this is about reacting and trying to bring the the right pieces," he said about the team's offseason acquisitions.

The intrigue: Apple TV analysts pick Austin to finish sixth in the Western Conference — the same as last season. 

What we're watching: How long it will take Vázquez to return to pre-injury form. 

What's next: The team kicks off the season against Minnesota at 7:30pm Saturday at Q2 Stadium.

Go deeper: Austin FC tops $900 million in valuation

Austin FC looks to score more goals in 2026

Facundo Torres, acquired for a reported $9.5 million during the offseason, will replace Osman Bukari on the right wing.

Austin FC player Brandon Vázquez dribbles a soccer ball while looking down while two players from the San Jose Earthquakes chase him. 

Brandon Vázquez of Austin FC plays against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 8, 2025. Photo: Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Austin FC is hoping to rebound from a largely <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="disappointing 2025 campaign" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/06/13/austin-fcs-not-so-great-half-season" data-vars-content-id="168e442e-991e-4ea7-b58a-aa2bcbe8db8c" data-vars-headline="Austin FC looks to score more goals in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/06/13/austin-fcs-not-so-great-half-season" target="_self">disappointing 2025 campaign</a> with some fresh offensive firepower.Why it matters: Franchise owners spent big in the offseason, hoping to recapture the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="excitement surrounding the team" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/10/28/austin-fc-mls-playoffs" data-vars-content-id="168e442e-991e-4ea7-b58a-aa2bcbe8db8c" data-vars-headline="Austin FC looks to score more goals in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/10/28/austin-fc-mls-playoffs" target="_self">excitement surrounding the team</a> in its pandemic-era early years.

Sports

South Austin pastry fiends who have been missing Moonlight Bakery's cinnamon rolls, cookies and whole wheat breads have a new source for flaky dough.

Driving the news: Matok, Hebrew for "sweet," opened Tuesday in the old Moonlight spot, in a strip mall off South Lamar Boulevard, a few blocks south of the intersection with Oltorf Street.

Vibe check: The space is brighter than the old bakery, and there's an espresso machine and Parisian-style seating if you'd like to enjoy your treat on the premises.

The intrigue: You'll find a traditional plain croissant, but many of the offerings combine Middle Eastern flavors with French pastry techniques. And everything in the display case Tuesday morning was beautiful.

Yes, but: Matok's pastries are generally more expensive than Moonlight's, but where else can you get a knafeh croissant ($8 apiece)?

Pro tip: Ask them to warm it up and enjoy it in the shop with Persian tea. 

Six-word review: Crunchy and chewy, salty and savory.

Find Middle Eastern flavors at South Austin's newest bakery

Try the labneh za'atar bun and pair it with Persian tea.

Three pastries on white paper with red "matok" logo: left square puff topped with diced strawberries, middle twisted seeded bread, right square puff with shredded topping and powdered sugar.

Some of the pastries available at Matok. Photo: Bob Gee/Axios

South Austin pastry fiends who have been missing Moonlight Bakery&#x27;s cinnamon rolls, cookies and whole wheat breads have a new source for flaky dough.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Matok" data-vars-click-url="https://matokbakery.com/" data-vars-content-id="2eb4a55f-6572-4a85-9a7c-e0e44c1e2c38" data-vars-headline="Find Middle Eastern flavors at South Austin&#x27;s newest bakery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://matokbakery.com/" target="_blank">Matok</a>, Hebrew for &quot;sweet,&quot; opened Tuesday in the old Moonlight spot, in a strip mall off South Lamar Boulevard, a few blocks south of the intersection with Oltorf Street.

Food and Drink

Why it matters: Axios Texas readers have crowned the margarita as the best drink in the Lone Star State.

And it wasn't close. Margarita won each of its four matchups in our best drink bracket by wide margins.

The intrigue: The margarita's origins are murky. One version has it invented by Francisco "Pancho" Morales in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, in 1942 — just across the Rio Grande from El Paso.

Bartenders in Tijuana, Mexico, and Los Angeles also claimed to have invented the drink.

Yes, but: Texas played an undisputed role in the development of the frozen margarita as we know it today.

Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez adapted a soft serve ice cream machine in the 1970s to create the world's first known frozen margarita machine.

The machine is now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

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Margarita is the best drink in Texas

The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas in the 1970s.

A bracket that shows Axios readers' favorite Texas drink across four rounds. Margarita won the title, beating Unsweetened iced tea 66% in the final. Round 1's widest margin was Dr Pepper over Big Red, 90%. The closest matchup was Unsweetened iced tea over Shiner Bock, 51%, in the semifinals.

The people have spoken.Why it matters: Axios Texas readers have crowned the margarita as the best drink in the Lone Star State.

News

Another boot maker is preparing to open a storefront on South Congress Avenue.

Why it matters: The bustling commercial strip once known for an eclectic mix of locally owned shops and restaurants is now a destination for cowboy boots and Western apparel.

Last year, Austin Monthly called a 100-yard stretch of South Congress the boot capital of the world.  

Driving the news: Denver-based real estate developer Quannah Partners and Austin investor Fortum Ventures announced Tuesday that four retailers will occupy the space that was home to Vespaio and Chapulín restaurants.

They include the first U.S. outposts for Calgary-based Alberta Boot Company and its sister Western wear brand Cody & Sioux, as well as what will become the U.S. flagship store for Wrangler.

The stores are slated to open by the end of the year.

Catch up quick: There are already five boot sellers within blocks of the property, including the flagship store of Austin-based Tecovas.

Allens Boots opened in 1977. For decades, it was eclectic in its own right as the avenue evolved, sitting amid vintage stores, an art gallery and food trucks.

Luxury bootmaker Lucchese opened in 2024 in the space of longtime local women's clothing store Maya Star.

Also in 2024, Kendra Scott opened Yellow Rose across from her flagship jewelry store on South Congress, which sells Western-style jewelry, cowboy hats — and handcrafted boots.

What they're saying: "We're excited to welcome four exceptional retailers to 1612 South Congress," Doug Wiley, CEO of Quannah Partners, said in a statement. 

"Each of these brands has a strong identity and an authentic story, and together they reflect the quality, craftsmanship and originality that define South Congress."

More boots are coming to South Congress

There are already five boot sellers within blocks of the property.

Person with long brown hair wearing a black glove holds a red leather cowboy boot with cream decorative stitching, in a shop setting.

A sales associate at Tecovas on South Congress brands a boot. Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images

Another boot maker is preparing to open a storefront on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="South Congress Avenue" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/01/30/state-of-austin-retail" data-vars-content-id="a3fa4cbd-8f06-4944-81ba-8522c081c152" data-vars-headline="More boots are coming to South Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/01/30/state-of-austin-retail" target="_self">South Congress Avenue</a>.Why it matters: The bustling commercial strip once known for an eclectic mix of locally owned shops and restaurants is now a destination for cowboy boots and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Western apparel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/11/15/kendra-scott-new-store-south-congress" data-vars-content-id="a3fa4cbd-8f06-4944-81ba-8522c081c152" data-vars-headline="More boots are coming to South Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/11/15/kendra-scott-new-store-south-congress" target="_self">Western apparel</a>.

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Business

For the first time in seven years, Lake Travis has reached 100% of capacity.

Why it matters: The lake is the economic lifeblood for small businesses, a playground for area boaters and a source of drinking water for Austin.

Catch up quick: The deluge last week in the Hill Country — as much as 20 inches of rain fell in some spots — fed streams and rivers that flow into the Highland Lakes, the chain of lakes that serve as reservoirs for Central Texas.

Flooding left two people dead in Kerr and Uvalde counties. Authorities rescued more than 200 people.

The big picture: From Thursday to Friday, Lake Travis rose 10 feet, reaching 681 feet above sea level — considered full for water supply purposes by the Lower Colorado River. 

Water rose another few feet by Sunday into the "flood pool" and will be released over the coming days.

LCRA officials opened two flood gates at Mansfield Dam on Saturday and expect the gates to remain open for several days. Officials also planned to open a flood gate at Buchanan Dam on Sunday afternoon but decided against it.

Threat level: The city of Austin has banned all recreational activity on Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River below Longhorn Dam until 5pm Tuesday because of fast water flows and debris in the water. 

Travis County Judge Andy Brown on Saturday banned recreational boating on portions of Lake Travis and the Pedernales River because of submerged hazards and debris.

"Swimmers and boaters should stay aware of fast-moving currents and storm debris. Bacteria levels typically rise significantly after heavy rains and flooding, and swimmers should avoid murky, stagnant, smelly or oily water, as bacteria tends to congregate in those areas," LCRA cautioned in a news release Saturday.

The bottom line: Even if the lakes might be unsafe for boating and swimming for now, enjoy the views at a Lake Travis bar or restaurant. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that LCRA officials decided against opening the Buchanan Dam.

Lake Travis is full for the first time since 2019

The lake is the economic lifeblood for small businesses and drinking water source for Austin.

High rising brown water is shown along a green sign that says "Pedernales River" near Austin, Texas

The Pedernales River reached its highest level since 1979 on Thursday in Fredericksburg. The Pedernales flows into Lake Travis. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

For the first time in seven years, Lake Travis has reached 100% of capacity.Why it matters: The lake is the economic lifeblood for small businesses, a playground for area boaters and a source of drinking water for Austin.

A bracket that shows Axios readersâ favorite Texas drink across four rounds. Margarita won the title, beating Unsweetened iced tea 66% in the final. Round 1âs widest margin was Dr Pepper over Big Red, 90%. The closest matchup was Unsweetened iced tea over Shiner Bock, 51%, in the semifinals.

Bob Gee

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