Austin FC's Jon Gallagher enters 2023 season in a happy place with club, future
It’s been a busy offseason for Jon Gallagher.
Getting married to his longtime girlfriend was the highlight in his personal life, while professionally, the defender made a commitment to spend the peak years of his career with Austin FC.
Gallagher, who will turn 27 in less than a month, signed a guaranteed four-year deal with El Tree almost immediately after the club’s loss in the Western Conference final in early November, signaling an eagerness in both himself and Austin FC to continue the relationship.
“It was a pretty easy decision on my end,” Gallagher said. “In terms of the environment and culture of the club, I feel like there’s no better place to play soccer in the MLS. Then you add on the fact that we were so competitive last year and the growth we made, that made me excited for the future of the club, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Gallagher had a breakout year in 2022, making a position change from being an attacking player to left back before the season, then essentially taking over the starting spot for the last half of the year.
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After being on one-year contracts the first five years of his career with Atlanta — from which he was loaned out for a season to Scottish side Aberdeen — and Austin, Gallagher now has peace of mind about stability and his financial situation.
“It makes a massive difference at this stage of my life when you start thinking about family,” he said. “I’ve worked really hard to get to this point in my career, and it’s just a nice safety net to have guaranteed years. It’s nice to have that weight off your shoulders, have that security, and settle in and focus on how I can grow at this club and not just fight for my career.”
Having a full year under his belt at left back should make a big difference for Gallagher heading into this season.
While he was good for El Tree last season, the experience he now has should enable him to compete to be one of the better players at the position in the MLS.
“We pulled up video of last year’s training camp, and it was funny watching it and wondering what I was doing,” Gallagher said with a chuckle. “But that was only my second week of playing fullback, and I was still learning. Now I’m more used to it, and it’s more second-nature, and thankfully we have a good coaching staff that’s critical and always helping us to get better.”
Though he’s mainly focused on helping Austin FC win trophies, Gallagher doesn’t shy away from having high goals for himself.
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He's a native of Ireland, and playing for his national team has always been in the back of his mind. He knows for that to occur, he’ll have to improve and excel for El Tree.
“Whether it’s certain statistics I want to hit on things like duel percentage, I try to leave no stone unturned,” he said. “I have a whole sheet mapped out of goals, and if I can play better, those things will open up opportunities for me.”
It looked as if Austin FC’s entire defense would return from a year ago for most of the offseason, but that changed when center back Ruben Gabrielsen — arguably the heart and soul of the back line — asked for a move back to his native Norway for family reasons.
El Tree signed Finnish international Leo Väisänen to replace Gabrielsen, but Gallagher said the way Austin FC defends is more than just about the back line and goalie Brad Stuver.
“The special thing about how this team plays is how collective of a group we are and how we defend as 11 players on the field,” he said. “We’ve obviously signed some new pieces, and hopefully they can get up to speed with the way we want to play, but at the end of the day it’s how the group can play.”
As El Tree prepares for its return to Austin after spending the past two weeks training in Florida, Gallagher is ready and thankful for what he hopes will be a great next four years — and maybe more — both personally and professionally.
“We bought a house here, and I’ve been really lucky as I’ve made some really good friends on this team,” he said. “My wife works in Austin and just got a new job here, so she’s settled in nicely. I’m not old, but I’m getting older, and to have guaranteed years is nice to have in professional sports for any athlete. But it won't make me less hungry on the field.”
Austin FC signs defender Amro Tarek
Austin FC announced Friday that it has signed free agent defender Amro Tarek to a one-year deal for the 2023 season with an option for 2024.
Tarek, 30, plays primarily center back. He was born in Los Angeles but moved to Egypt at an early age and has dual citizenship. He won't hold an international designation on Austin FC's roster; he has made two appearances on the Egyptian senior men's national team. He has spent the majority of his 12-year professional career with various MLS clubs and the Egyptian Premier League.
After loans with Columbus Crew (2016) and Orlando City SC (2018), Tarek played in 2019-21 with the New York Red Bulls, making 45 appearnaces.
“’I’m excited by the opportunity to play for Austin FC and to help the team toward its goal of winning trophies this season,” Tarek said. “Everything I have seen about the club, from the fans and the facilities to the players and the coaching staff, has been first class, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Leagues Cup opponents are set for Austin FC
Austin FC found out its Leagues Cup group stage opponents last week.
El Tree will face Mexican squads Mazatlán FC and FC Juárez of Liga MX, with the top two teams in the group advancing to the knockout stage. The Leagues Cup features all 29 MLS teams and 18 Liga MX teams and will take place July 21 through Aug. 19 as both leagues will pause their regular season.
Games will be played only in the U.S. and Canada, and as a seeded MLS team, Austin FC will host all three matches in the group. Dates and times have not been announced.