Still in Austin.
I attended my first MLS match the other night at Q2 Stadium.
My only other experience with professional soccer is limited to the old MISL’s Baltimore Blast back in the 1980s when what was then the Civic Center would pack the crowds for home games.
San Diego Sockers @ Baltimore Blast – May 19, 1983 – Game 4 – Championship Series
Now, North American soccer is dominated by the Major Soccer League (MSL) featuring twenty-nine teams in cities such as Washington, St. Louis, Chicago, Orlando, Montreal, Portland…and Austin.
Last week, a light rail ride from downtown took us to Q2 Stadium just north of the city. Currently, the light rail stops at the Kramer station north of the stadium and fans must walk a few blocks to the venue but work is in progress to have a stop directly in front of Q2 by next season.
On the way to the game we encountered severe storms in the area. From the train, as we were pulling in to the Kramer station, I caught some decent flashes of lightning…
The game was already on a one-hour delay due to excessive heat. With the added weather delays, the match didn’t start until after 10:00pm. Lots of downtime before anything happened.
The stadium has a unique concession area that is completely non-contact.
ATX MRKT – Q2 Stadium
CBS Austin
GOAL !!!!!!!!!
We left at halftime due to the late hour and the fact that the last train back to downtown left around midnight. Austin went on to win the match, 3-0.
Fun fact: Matthew McConaughey is a part-owner of the team.
