All eyes are on Pedro de la Vega, but what about Austin FC?

Austin FC fans on reddit noticed that the MLS Season Pass preview for the Seattle Sounders game only highlighted the Sounders and the young Argentine Designated Player Pedro De La Vega, who made his debut last weekend and scored a penalty against LAFC. Although the Sounders fell 2-1 on the road, they'll host Austin FC tonight. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer expects De La Vega to come off the bench since he's only played a total of 30 minutes and isn’t ready to play a full 90-minute match.

Seattle has a total of 7 players listed as unavailable tonight, including a questionable Peruvian, Raúl Ruidíaz.

Now, let's focus on Austin FC.

Despite losing to Minnesota United at home last Saturday and facing a tough challenge at Lumen Field, Austin FC is gearing up for their first away match of the 2024 season.

The Verde and Black only has 2 players listed as "OUT": their two center backs, Leo Väisänen and the newest signing Brendan Hines-Ike (likely due to fitness, as he mentioned during a media press conference on February 16 that he was getting up to speed after consecutive injuries). There's also a questionable status for Sebastian Driussi, who shouldn't risk further injury, especially considering it's only the second game of the season.

So, what does Austin FC have to offer, and why should fans get excited despite a weakened defensive line? A repeat of GK Brad Stuver performance last weekend after an outstanding night, making a total of 8 saves.

Fans should also be excited about forward Diego Rubio, winger Jáder Obrian, and left-back Guillermo Biro, all of whom debuted for the club and could see minutes today. Biro, the Brazilian, scored the first goal of the season and may do it again.

There are also promising young talents called up from Austin FC II, including defenders Salvatore Mazzaferro and Antonio Gomez, and midfielder Valentin Noël, all on short-term agreements from their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate. According to the MLS rule, they can only play a maximum of 2 out of the 4 games they are listed for each season.

Here's a brief rundown of the young talent:

• Salvatore Mazzaferro: The 22-year-old Canadian, who plays for Austin FC II, was a starter last season and scored 3 goals in 28 regular season matches. He helped ATX II win the 2023 MLS Next Pro Cup in their inaugural season and joined the first team during preseason in January.

• Valentin Noël: The 24-year-old French midfielder, also from Austin FC II, was a starter last season and scored 8 goals and had 4 assists in all 28 regular season matches. He scored ATX II's second goal to help win the 2023 MLS Next Pro Cup and earned MLS NEXT Pro Cup MVP in his inaugural season. He also had an impressive run with the first team, scoring goals against NYCFC and Cincinnati.

• Antonio Gomez: The 22-year-old Las Vegas native played soccer for California Baptist University from 2020 to 2023, making 71 appearances. He earned honors in 2021 and 2022 and was part of the winning team in 2023. Gomez led in minutes played for three straight seasons.

CJ Frodrey, a former ATXII player who has made the jump to the first team, could also be in contention to earn minutes tonight.

Here are a few things to get excited about tonight, even if MLS commentators don't highlight the visiting club.