Following two consecutive road matches, Austin FC II returns home to Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center this Friday night to host Sporting Kansas City II. The match will kick off at 8:00 p.m. CT and stream live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Austin FC II Outlook
ATXFC II suffered a narrow defeat in its last outing, falling 2-1 away at St. Louis due to a 92nd minute winner by Wan Kuzain. The Verde & Black have an opportunity to bounce back in a big way though, as Friday night’s match is the first of back-to-back games in front of their home fans in Austin.
A bright spot in Sunday’s defeat was striker Sébastien Pineau’s team-high third goal of the season, capping off a lovely team move that saw Jimmy Farkarlun and Rubén Bonachera credited with assists.
Fans of both teams will remember the heated playoff encounter between Austin and Kansas City last season, after SKC II specifically picked Austin as their first-round opponent. ATXFC II went on to win 2-0, a victory that kickstarted the team’s run to the MLS NEXT Pro title.
Sporting Kansas City II Outlook
SKC II enters Friday’s match in fine form, having won 4 of its last 6 matches. With 16 points from their opening nine games, the team finds themselves in third place in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference.
Kansas City’s offense has propelled it to many of its early season wins. Its 20 goals scored are the most in the league to this point in the season. SKC II scored five goals in once match and four in two others, a stat Austin FC II’s backline will need to be wary of. Kamron Habibullah leads the way with seven goals to his name, and Beto Avila has chipped in five as well.
SKC II won two of its first three road matches in 2024. If ATXFC II can slow down their visitors’ high-flying attack, they could pick up a momentum-building result.
