MLS Next U19: Cap City upset Austin FC with De La Cruz's banger

<p>The 2026-2027 MLS Next season is officially underway, and between now and June, the top boys' teams in the country will go against each other week in, week out, fighting for victories on the field.</p>   <p>Prep Soccer Texas continues to follow the league in the Lone Star State, providing the best coverage in the region, with match recaps, performance recaps, photo galleries, and social media posts that highlight the hard work and impressive talent of local players.</p>   <p>On Saturday, October 3, [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] hosted crosstown opponents [program_tooltip program_id='283624' first='Capital' last='City SC'] at St. David's Performance Center for a U19 matchup. Capital City walked away with a big 1-0 victory, earned thanks to an incredible goal scored by winger [player_tooltip player_id='338125' first='Kike' last='De La Cruz'], a former [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] player, in the 85th minute of action.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DeFYa4YiZc6/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">De La Cruz was only on the field for just over 25 minutes, but that was more than enough time for him to decide the match with a beautiful shot from the edge of the penalty box. He played as an inverted winger on the right and was very efficient every time he had the ball, going at defenders and making plays on the right side of his team's attack. De La Cruz was an important weapon in transition, too, staying wide to be an option and pushing the tempo with strong runs out wide and good diagonal passes. He also did a good job of keeping the ball in the final third and relieving [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC']'s pressure in the final minutes of the match.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Perez was the engine in Capital City's midfield and stood out with his high intensity and two-way performance. He was very involved when his team had the ball, either dropping to engage in their playmaking or stepping forward to find space to operate between the lines. Perez was dangerous when he got into the final third, beating defenders off the dribble and infiltrating into the right side of the box. He was very active defensively, too, knowing exactly when to jump from the team's second line of defense to press opponents higher up on the field.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Doane led Capital City to a clean sheet against a strong [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] offense. The right-sided center back worked very well with partner Ty Rouen, and the two combined to neutralize most of the attacking plays built by their opponents. Doane did well in the air and also showed good mobility to step up and cover his teammates when he had to. The center back was very comfortable and confident on the ball, playing long passes out of the back and taking the space in front of him when he had a chance.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Originally a center forward, Peale spent most of the match on the left wing and was Austin's most dangerous player in the match. With Capital City very compact defensively, he did a good job of staying wide and found space behind their backline with well-timed runs. Peale also moved very well off the ball, occasionally coming inside to find pockets of space in the final third to get on the ball and make plays. He also contributed defensively, frequently dropping back and supporting his teammates when they attempted to win the ball back.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">A center back, Ayala was mostly used as a defensive midfielder in the match. He did a good job of shielding Austin's backline and stood out for his positioning, which consistently kept him near the action. Ayala also showed a strong game in possession, working well in tight spaces, delivering intelligent first-time passes, and moving very well off the ball, at times dropping between the center backs and, on other occasions, working between the lines. He moved to center back in the final portion of the second half and used his passing ability to help Austin circulate the ball as they looked for space.</p>

The 2026-2027 MLS Next season is officially underway, and between now and June, the top boys' teams in the country will go against each other week in, week out, fighting for victories on the field.