Austin FC's seasoned goalkeeper, Brad Stuver, shared insights during Wednesday afternoon's press conference, revealing a blend of surprise and determination. When questioned about the team's goalkeeper competition, especially with four keepers previously on the roster (namely Stuver, Las, Cleveland, and Bersano), Stuver's candid remarks offered clarity on the club's evolving goalkeeping dynamics.

“Our goalkeeper group is great. I mean Stef joins us from Seattle. He's had plenty of good years there playing games in the MLS, and he's done extremely well. We're happy to have him here and integrate him into the team and get him up to speed on how we wanna play here. Damian [Las, now at USL club St. Louis] showed extremely well in MLS Next Pro. Matt Bersano still with us still good amount of MLS experience. So our goalkeeper group is amazing.

Stuver emphasized the competitive nature within the team. "I always pride myself on having a group of guys that no matter who's in goal the team is not gonna suffer, like anyone can step in and keep the level of that we're at and that's kind of the expectation of every position, right? As a professional team. As professional players."

Acknowledging the challenges of professional sports, Stuver added, "There's always going to be players that wanna see more playing time. Wanna get on the field and there's always gonna be players pushing for your job when you're the one on the field. So that's just the nature of the business. That's the nature of being a pro and ultimately makes all of us better. It drives all of us to kind of step up our game or stay consistently where we're at and push just a little bit more to try and help our team."

He concluded with a resolute declaration of his aspirations. "I think all the guys no matter whether they're young, old, new, old on this team. I think everyone is rising to the challenge this year and we all have the same goal in mind. I already told Josh. I told him at the beginning of last year. I'll him this year. I wanna play every game available." Stuver signed a contract in 2022 through the end of the 2025 season, with an option for the 2026 season.

Where’s Las in the plans?

Last year, Damian Las, a 21-year-old US youth international, garnered attention as he clinched the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Year award while contributing to Austin FC II's league title victory. However, the current season has seen Las loaned out to USL Championship side Louisville City FC for the entirety of 2024, with the possibility of a recall looming over his tenure. Las notably tallied an impressive 15 clean sheets in 31 matches and conceded a league-low 23 goals, showcasing his potential for excellence between the posts. Las’ contract with Austin FC runs through 2026, with an option for 2027 season.