Austin FC will make its MLS debut as a team Saturday against the Los Angeles Football Club.
The match starts at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on Fox, but if you don’t have cable, here are some ways you can watch a live stream of LAFC vs Austin FC online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Fox (live in most markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch LAFC vs Austin FC live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to re-watch most games within three days of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” Fox (live in most markets) is included in every bundle, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch LAFC vs Austin FC live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
Fox (live in select markets) is included in Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with Fox, plus you can get $10 off your first month, and get Showtime, Starz, and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch LAFC vs Austin FC live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Fox (live in most markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch LAFC vs Austin FC live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
LAFC vs Austin FC Preview
LAFC finished with a 9-8-5 mark in a shortened season last year, while Austin will be making its inaugural debut here. Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey is the owner of Austin FC, while Will Ferrell is part-owner of Los Angeles FC, so this match promises to be a star-studded affair.
McConaughey, who is originally from Austin, revealed what he hoped the new franchise would establish in his hometown. “It is important to us that our players understand that Austin is not for rent. Don’t come here with a renter’s attitude,” McConaughey told the Austin-American Statesman. “They need some ownership as an Austin FC player. We want them to reach out into the community through community service projects and being a part of the city.”
Former player Josh Wolff has been named Austin’s manager, and he says his team is as ready as it will ever be. “Of course, I feel ready,” Wolff told The Statesman. “You try to be as prepared as possible and utilize your staff and have some good discussions about what the game will look like. I also have good friends in the league that I can bounce ideas off of and look for criticism from because this is about growth. Our team will grow throughout the year, and I will grow as a coach during the year.”
Wolff also said he’s planning on using this game as a measuring stick for his new group. “It’s a little bit of everything. It’s nerve-wracking. It’s exciting. It’s worrying about if we’re prepared or if we’re overanalyzing,” Wolff added. “It’s a balance. It’ll be good to push through the first game and then reflect on that and see (where we are).”
On the other side, L.A. has had two preseason games, both against New England, and it came away with two draws. Manager Bob Bradley said his team will have to work on its focus moving forward.
“As we’ve gone through preseason there are too many moments when we’re careless and treating plays without the necessary understanding of the moment,” Bradley said. “We’ve gotten into trouble in some of these situations.”
Here’s a look at the potential starting lineups for both squads:
LAFC: Tristan Blackmon, Eddie Segura, Jesus David Murillo, Diego Palacios; Latif Blessing, Eduard Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye; Carlos Vela, Corey Baird, Diego Rossi, GK: Pablo Sisniega
Austin FC: Zan Kolmanic, Nick Lima, Rodney Redes, Freddy Kleemann, Tomas Pochettino, Jared Stroud, Sebastian Berhalter, Aaron Schoenfeld, Kekuta Manneh, Diego Fagundez, GK: Andrew Tarbell.