The Albanian Designated Player now has four goals in the tournament, nearly matching his six across the entire 2026 MLS regular season — a surge that has breathed life into a club sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Uzuni finds his rhythm in new role
Austin’s tactical shift to a back three has unlocked Uzuni in a free attacking midfield role underneath striker Christian Ramírez. The setup plays to his instincts as a late arriver in the box, and the results have followed. After a first-half hat-trick powered a 3-0 win over Puebla earlier in the competition, Uzuni delivered again when Austin trailed América midway through the second half, sweeping a clinical finish into the side netting to force the shootout.
Interim head coach Davy Arnaud praised the 29-year-old’s intensity and willingness to grind for the team, even when his own performance falls short of his standards.
“I love Myrto. I love the way that he plays, and I love his intensity,” Arnaud said. “He can be fiery at times, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. It’s a passionate game. To play at a high level, you gotta be on that line.”
“He can disagree with certain things or not be happy with his performance, but he never doesn’t work for the team ever,” Arnaud added. “I have so much time for that. I have so much respect for that, because to me, there’s nothing more important.”
A clean slate for a struggling side
2026 has tested Austin. A sluggish start left them rooted near the foot of the Western Conference, prompting the club to hire former Philadelphia Union boss Jim Curtin to take over after the season concludes. In the meantime, Arnaud has used Leagues Cup as a reset button — a fresh tournament where everyone starts at zero and the league table stops mattering.
The approach has worked. Austin has advanced through the knockout rounds with growing confidence, and the locker room belief Arnaud references is showing on the pitch. The Verde & Black have rediscovered the ability to grind out results against quality opposition, beating Liga MX’s Club América in a pressure-filled shootout after Uzuni’s equalizer.
“I think it was a fresh start for us coming into this. We know we’re in a difficult position in the league. That’s no secret,” Arnaud said. “But I think what this competition has done for us, it’s given us a reset. Everyone starts at zero… These guys have a belief, and they see that they can win games, and that’s a powerful thing.”
“When you get momentum, you have this real feeling in the locker room that they can win games, they have each other’s back. This is the most important thing.”
What Happens Next
Austin FC carry tournament momentum into the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, where the competition stiffens and the margin for error shrinks. Uzuni’s form — four goals in the tournament and counting — gives Arnaud a genuine threat at the top of the pitch, and the back-three setup appears settled heading into the next round. Beyond Leagues Cup, Austin’s coaching transition looms: Curtin arrives after the season, but a deep tournament run would hand him a roster playing with confidence and a clear tactical identity. For a club desperate to salvage something from a difficult 2026, the knockout stage has become the place to do it.
— James Okafor, sports desk, AXO News