AUSTIN, Texas — For some followers who produced the trek to central Texas from Ohio, there was no way they would pass up the very first game towards the enlargement group of former Columbus owner Anthony Precourt, who tried out to transfer the Crew to Austin.

The interactions among Crew and Austin followers have been minimal to on the net through and after the Conserve The Crew movement due to the geographical length of the two fanbases, so there was mainly a basic curiosity of the vibe in the city and around Big League Soccer’s 27th club.

But the atmosphere of the very first match concerning the Crew and Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Sunday was a sizeable attract to the far more than 50 fans who traveled to the match.

“We wanted to go to the recreation as soon as it popped up on the schedule,” stated Ryan Carpenter, who traveled from Columbus. “With anything that happened, we needed to see what it was all about. We just preferred to working experience Austin, and in point, we are in like with it.”

Austin allowed the Nordecke admirer group to purchase near to 50 tickets for about $73 each ahead of presenting additional tickets in the times leading up to the match for $53.

“I bear in mind looking at the $73 and wondering, perfectly, what did I expect?” Crew admirer Trevor Sabo stated.

When Austin was discovered as one particular of the two groups from the Western Meeting the Crew would perform this time in a geo-pleasant MLS schedule, Sabo was not confident if he’d have a opportunity to go because of the coronavirus pandemic. When he found out Austin would have absent tickets for Crew fans, he did not be reluctant.

To him, and quite a few Crew followers, it can be an chance to channel the animosity toward Precourt and Austin FC president Andy Loughnane into a match.