After breaking through with four goals in its last match at Q2 Stadium, Austin FC is on the hunt for another three points on Wednesday when LAFC come to town. The Verde & Black pummeled the Portland Timbers in its last match to the tune of a 4-1 win in front of a boisterous crowd.
Austin FC Outlook
Austin FC’s first two home matches resulted in points but no goals for the home side. That changed drastically last Thursday. Josh Wolff’s team broke out in a big way against Portland, scoring two early goals to take an early lead and adding two insurance goals late to put an exclamation point on the first home win in Club history.
Jon Gallagher’s name will forever be etched in the record book as the Irishman scored the first Austin FC goal in Q2 Stadium history. He got some help from
Tomás Pochettino, who delivered a nice pass after playing a 1-2 with Gallagher. Diego Fagundez scored Austin’s second goal after Julio Cascante’s clearing header landed at the feet of Cecilio Domínguez.
Alex Ring added the third off of Austin’s first set-piece goal and Hector Jiménez put a cherry on top after faking out a defender to create a big chance. The four goals were the most Austin has ever scored in a match.
The win put ATXFC closer to the playoff line as it now sits in 10th place on 13 points with Houston Dynamo FC currently holding onto the seventh spot with 15 points. A win on Wednesday would vault Austin past LAFC, who is in fifth place on 15 points.
LAFC Outlook
It’s been an up-and-down start to the season for Bob Bradley’s team, but a win on Saturday put them in fifth place for the moment.
LAFC collected three points over the weekend thanks to 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. It was LAFC’s first road win of the season and the Black & Gold will be looking to match that effort as it hits the road again.
2018 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Carlos Vela has yet to really get going this season, scoring just one goal in eight games. 2020 MLS Golden Boot winner Diego Rossi has not matched the pace he put up last season as he has three goals in nine matches.
With the team’s stars struggling to score goals, LAFC have been buoyed by a defense that has conceded just 12 goals in 11 matches. 20-year-old Tomas Romero has recently taken over the starting goalkeeper spot, while center backs Jesus David Murillo and Eddie Segura have been a formidable pair along the backline.
Probable LAFC Lineup
(4-3-2-1, R-L)
- GK: Tomas Romero; Kim Moon-Hwan, Jesus David Murillo, Eddie Segura, Marco Farfan; Jose Cifuentes, Eduard Atuesta, Latif Blessing; Carlos Vela, Corey Baird, Diego Rossi
