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Austin FC player and club grades for the 2024 MLS season

(This story has been updated to correct a spelling/typo error.)

Austin FC will watch the MLS playoffs from home for the second straight year. The Verde & Black (11-14-9, 42 points) fell five points shy of the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after failing to produce results when it mattered most in the last nine games.

Here are our player grades for the season. Note that, as with our first-half grades, a player's salary factors into his grade, so Sebastián Driussi ($6 million) is not on the same grade scale as Hector Jiménez ($89,700).

Austin FC player grades for 2024

Brad Stuver: A-

The team's undisputed MVP, 33-year-old Stuver, had his best year as a pro in goal. He led the MLS with 143 saves and played every minute of league play for the second straight year. There were a few games – Nashville being the most blatant – in which Stuver almost single-handedly gave Austin FC three points. It's a shame that the club missed out on a phenomenal performance thanks to a goalkeeper who is still underrated in the league.

Brendan Hines-Ike: B+

Hines-Ike earned around $200,000 and was one of the best players of the offseason. He joined the team in mid-February and made a seamless transition to becoming a full-time starter. There were a few mishaps in the second half of the season, but it was still an outstanding season for the 29-year-old central defender.

Mikkel Desler: B+

The summer transfer window signing and right-back of the future has been exceptional for the most part in his ten appearances. He missed the last three games due to injury.

Guilherme Biro: B

Like Hines-Ike, Biro was picked up cheaply in the offseason and developed into a full-time starter and solid performer at left back. At times his decisions left a lot to be desired, but at 24 years old he is only in the prime of his career.

Owen Wolff: B

This was the final season for the “Teen Wolff” nickname: Wolff turns 20 in December. Wolff, still on his rookie contract with a salary of less than $130,000, performed consistently well and showed the flexibility to three playing different positions, sometimes even in the same game. He also showed maturity in dealing with a situation in which it seemed likely that his father would be sacked as the club's coach. The midfielder, who was named to the league's 22 under 22 list for the second year in a row, appears to be well on his way to playing in Europe at 23 years old.

Dani Pereira: B

Pereira was better in the first half of the season than in the second – perhaps the constant back and forth of the Venezuelan national team took a physical toll on him? Even though he had a salary of less than $140,000 and was still on his rookie contract, he was a steal in center field and played very well for long stretches.

Jader Obrian: B

The 29-year-old winger, another great offseason signing who ended up leading the team with seven goals, seemed to fade a bit in the second half. The club is wise to bring him back for at least two more seasons and the new coach needs to have him on the field at the same time as Osman Bukari and Driussi.

Jon Gallagher: B

The 28-year-old Gallagher can play in up to five different positions and has been crucial in the first 31 games to keep the club on the edge of the playoffs. Earning $375,000, he far exceeded his contract and followed up his 2023 All-Star campaign with another great year.

Hector Jiménez: B-

At 35 years old and essentially at the league level – I still think Austin FC owner Anthony Precourt should have bumped him up to $100,000 for sheer optics – the defender is in what may be his last Season as a professional he did everything that could be expected of him. Don't be surprised to see him on a second team or academy coaching staff next year.

CJ Fodrey: B-

The young midfielder – he still can't buy alcohol – spent most of his time in the second team, but when he was on the field he brought energy and a high work rate. 20-year-old Fodrey is probably at least another year away from being a regular first-team player and it will be exciting to watch his progress in 2025.

Osman Bukari: B-

That may be a bit unfair since Bukari only joined the club at the end of July, but he probably has a big salary and needs to get better in the future. The winger showed what he can be in some games while being a non-factor in others.

Alex Ring: C+

Ringe's grade would be higher if he wasn't making $1.6 million. He had a good season and was one of the few Austin FC players who might have been even better in the second half. Since he turns 34 in April, there is no chance of the club bringing him back on a salary anywhere close to his current salary. However, if he can agree to a salary of around $550,000, the midfielder is definitely worth another one-year deal.

More: Austin FC coach, players face uncertain future ahead of MLS Decision Day

Diego Rubio: C+

Injuries hampered Rubio early in the summer, then he seemed to fall out of favor with the coaching staff. At least that's what his playing time suggested. If he was healthy, then it was a coaching mistake on Wolff's part not to use him again. Rubio's work rate is unmatched and he is a thorn in the side of the defense. But with just four goals, it will be difficult to justify the striker's return for a $400,000 salary.

Matt Hedges: C

Hedges had arguably the strangest campaign at the club. He played a lot early on, then went almost four months without seeing the field, then became a regular player in late summer and then didn't play in the last three games. When he was on the field, he was good for the most part. Was he worth the $570,000 salary? This is a coin toss. It would be a surprise if the club exercised his contract option for next year.

Julio Cascante: C

The center back, another player who was much better in the first half of the year than the second, is criticized for his high salary of $775,000. Like Pereira, the 31-year-old could be exhausted after playing quite a bit for the Costa Rica national team over the summer and fall.

Jhojan Valencia: C

Similar to Pereira and Cascante, he was better in the first half of the season. He's well placed on the pitch, but rarely creates anything memorable – which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a defensive midfielder. He would probably be ranked a little higher if he didn't make $500,000.

Leo Väisänen: C-

There's a saying in sporting tryouts that “you can't make the club in a hurry”, and although Väisänen doesn't have to worry about being in the team with a guaranteed contract, he has been injured for far too long. When he's on the field he's good. But the club paid him $655,000 for 13 appearances, only two of which came after mid-July. In an unforgettable season for the club, Väisänen was largely an afterthought.

Sebastian Driussi: D+

This grade is largely due to Driussi's gigantic salary and the fact that the team's star midfielder failed to make it through the second half of the season, scoring just two goals in league play, due to the high expectations placed on him. There were long stretches this summer where he had little influence. Whether he was dealing with a nagging injury is unclear, but the club needs him to do what he showed in the spring and in the last three games. Driussi is the best player in the team and while it is unrealistic to expect him to be able to repeat his season in 2022, he needs to score far more than seven league goals like he did this season.

Gyasi Zardes: D

Another high salary for low performance – $1 million for three goals from a striker is painfully paltry – the club should use its annual exemption in 2025 to buy him out to clear a roster spot and pursue a young striker. Why did Wolff continue to play him over the last two seasons when it was painfully clear he wasn't effective? That probably contributed to Wolff losing his job. Zardes is a great person and quote and seems good in the dressing room, but his contract has had a major impact on the club over the last two years.

Ethan Finlay: Incomplete

The first half of his season was cut short by injury, and by the time Bukari joined the team at the end of July, Finlay had almost no playing opportunities left. When healthy, Finlay is a quality backup option. But the club probably won't want to pay $300,000 for someone who rarely gets on the field and turns 35 in 2025. The best interview on the team and seemingly a good presence in the locker room, we hope Finlay returns for another year.

Zan Kolmanic: Incomplete

Since he was out for most of the first half due to injury, he was overtaken by Biro as the starting left-back. Like Rubio, Kolmanic appeared to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff in the second half of the season; he finished with just 15 appearances.

Oleksandr Svatok: Incomplete

The early returns are good for the centre-back, who has made four starts and another appearance in which he played half-time in the summer.

Stefan Cleveland: Incomplete

He played well in his only appearance, which came during a surprise win over Pumas UNAM in the League Cup. Paying $220,000 for a backup goaltender seems a bit much, although that's not Cleveland's concern.

Reception: B+

There is little wrong with what Rodolfo Borrell has done so far, although it was a mistake not to sign a striker in the summer transfer window when it was clear the club desperately needed one. Nevertheless, Borrell has said he will not panic and is playing for the long term, and the club appears to be very well placed with him as coach.

Owner: A-

Led by Anthony Precourt, it's an ownership group that spends money and tries to win. Bukari and Desler wouldn't have been cheap signings, and the purchase of Emiliano Rigoni in the spring was a sign that getting out of bad signings as an owner pays off.

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