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(Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite spurts of greatness that surpassed their recent losses, Austin FC was unable to tab their first win against LAFC in a 2-1 defeat on Wednesday night.
Austin's first loss in the post-Houston era, in which they secured their spot at last in the West with a 3-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, was blissfully less eventful than the high-scoring losses of the last few weeks. The team seemed to flip the switch as Austin's Sebastian Driussi appeared to score in just the fourth minute of play, but the shot served only to rile up the crowd as the goal was called offsides.
Despite the scoreboard, Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said the team brought character and passion to the pitch that wasn't seen in Saturday's match.
"We talked candidly about (the Houston match)," Wolff said. "I think there was a little bit of that edginess that we needed and the energy and intensity that's required to play...winning isn't coming easy right now, and we've got to continue to grind and continue to push."
LAFC, which beat Austin FC for the club's first-ever regular season match in April, once again came out on top. The West Coast giants found their groove in the 58th minute with the first goal of the match. Austin keeper Brad Stuver saw himself one-on-one with LAFC's Christian Arango in a rare penalty kick after a handball was called on Diego Fagundez in the box, and he was unable to pull off another trademark save as the ball gently sunk into the net.
From the VAR offsides call to the penalty kick, Wolff said the match's refereeing decisions were jarring but served to light a fire under the team.
"It's frustrating, but there's a lot to be proud of from the effort and our ability to to compete," Wolff said. "We grabbed the equalizer, grabbed momentum...I think the guys' reactions, intensity and attitude was pretty good."
The match was not all losses for Stuver, however: the star keeper notched his 100th save with a crowd-pleasing dive in the 24th minute of play.
Right back Nick Lima said the numbers reflect Stuver's contributions to the team.
"He's a leader on and off the field," Lima said. "He was a strength for us in the beginning of the year and continues to be, so it would be nice if we could give him back what he's done and get the results that we deserve...all the kudos that he gets he deserves, and it doesn't go unnoticed in the locker room."
Fagundez, too, found redemption in the match shortly after the fateful handball as he scored his sixth goal for the team, tying the game off a rebound in the 67th minute of play. The fan-favorite is once again Austin FC's top scorer.
But LAFC wasn't done in Austin. The away team's Danny Musovski snuck past the Verde defense in the 81st minute of play to score the club's second goal and clinch the match.
Austin FC is now 0-3 against LAFC but managed to score for the first time against the West Coasters in the Wednesday match. The team has now lost fie of their last six matches as they sunk further into last place and lose hope at a first-season playoff run.
The Verde and Black will gear up once again on Saturday as they take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. The teams last matched up on June 19 in a scoreless draw for Austin FC's energetic home opener.
82' LAFC retakes the lead
In a play that Cheatsheet's Kyle Dalton said symbolizes Austin FC's entire season, a fast break by Austin FC makes it past the goalies keeper, rallies up the crowd and sees Austin crowd the box, but the shot slowly rolls just out of bounds.
Minutes later, LAFC's Danny Musovski utilizes his speed to break past the Austin FC defense, and this attempt proves true as LAFC regainst the lead. Despite a VAR offsides review, the goal is given to LAFC and the away team goes up 2-1.
Austin scores on a rebound!
That post assist, and @DiegolFagundez slams it in. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jtBSrt0If7
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) September 16, 2021
Just after LAFC's Kim Moon-Hwan fails to capitalize on a direct free kick, Austin FC bounced back with a goal of their own to tie up the match. While it was Cecilio Dominguez who made the first shot on goal, teammate Diego Fagundez was able to sink it into goal off a rebound to tie it 1-1. It's a great redemption for Fagundez after his handball and a new point of pride for Austin as they score against their first-match opponents for the first time.
58' LAFC scores on a PK
Arango from the spot! #LAFC have the opener in Austin! pic.twitter.com/TVBXCYyoJ3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 16, 2021
Looks like VAR is not on Austin FC's side tonight. In the 58th minute, a handball is called on Diego Fagundez in the penalty box as the ball hits his right arm. Stuck one-on-one for a rare penalty kick vs. Cristian Arango, keeper Brad Stuver can't predict the shot as it gently sinks into the bottom left corner. It's 1-0 LAFC with most of the second half to go.
46' Redes in for Stroud
It's been a blissfully uneventful first half for Austin FC after weeks of high-scoring losses, but the home team is still behind in scoring attempts. After Driussi's quick almost-goal was ruled offsides, Austin has made four shots to LAFC's 9, though both haven't had any shots on goal.
To add some spark to the offense, Wolff put winger Rodney Redes in for Stroud to kick off the second half. Redes will be looking for his long-awaited first MLS goal as Austin fights for their inaugural win against LAFC.
24' Stuv gets 100 saves!
Protecting his house. @brad_stuver's 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th save for #AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/c1jJjGzKSk
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) September 16, 2021
Austin keeper Brad Stuver's trademark save in the 24th minute of play didn't just crank up cheers from the crowd and keep the score 0-0: he also reached 100 saves. Looks like his highlight-worthy saves this season continue to pay off.
4' Driussi tries to turn the tides
(Austin FC/Twitter)
After Austin gave up a first minute goal on Saturday against the Dynamo, it seemed like ATXFC's Sebastian Driussi had flipped a switch with a goal of his own in the fourth minute of play. But the team's triumphant return to Q2 was short-lived: a VAR review ruled that Austin FC was offside. Still, that crowd-awakening shot may be what Austin needs to see intensity and drive return to the pitch.
Starting lineup released
Taking the pitch tonight against LAFC.#AustinFC x @YETICoolerspic.twitter.com/jsp4im9lQt
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) September 16, 2021
No Poch, no problem? Head coach Josh Wolff has taken DP Tomas Pochettino off of both the starting lineup and bench tonight. No word has been had on a possible injury.
Meanwhile, winger Jared Stroud and defensive midfielder Sebastian Berhalter have made a rare appearance in the starting XI. Berhalter will likely serve to clean up a back line that has given up more goals in the past few weeks, while Stroud will look to shake up an offense that doesn't always make a crack into goal.
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Popular
Over a year after its first loss, Austin FC was all smiles as it beat LAFC to take home the top MLS West spot Wednesday. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Austin FC, which has flirted with the top spot in the MLS West this season, has now solidly reached the summit just a year after its second-to-last first season finish. The new top dogs are now 7-2-3 overall.
Here's a look at three highlights from the match:
Flashback in LA
For many Austin FC fans and naysayers alike, the match was more than a fight for the MLS West throne: it also served as a symbol of how far the team has come.
The two clubs first met on the Banc of America pitch as Austin FC saw its first game and first loss all at once in a 2-0 battle last April. It was an exciting but shaky start to the club's first season, and the loss seemed to set the tone for the rest of its inaugural year as the club dipped to second to last in the conference.
If Austin's first season was hallmarked by its first match, then its second-year success was foretold by its back-to-back five-goal victories to kick off the season.
Since then, the club has battled its own first-year shadow, claims of "bonus games" and a few unexpected obstacles—both on and off the pitch—but it has almost always come out on top.
That fight to the top was fully realized Wednesday, even as the club played its toughest opponent yet. Even with a man down in the middle due to Daniel Pereira's red card last game, the club kept its cool through even the trickiest moments of the match. Jhojan Valencia, who patched the Pereira hole in midfield, got his first MLS start and first MLS assist as Ruben Gabrielsen scored the first goal of the game.
Gabrielsen's goal
Nice turn and finish.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2022
Ruben Gabrielsen opens the scoring in LA for @AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/OMdTYgqS1x
Gabrielsen came to Austin FC as a potential hero for the team's center back position, but the club's resident Viking has already nabbed two goals in his first season with the team.
"That's center forward material," Austin FC announcer Adrian Healey said as Gabrielsen took control of Valencia's pass, paused to fake out the defense, and calmly tucked the ball into the left corner to complete the first goal of the match.
Feel-good Fagundez
🗣️ @AustinFC is off and running!@DiegolFagundez finds the short corner to make it a 2-0 lead in LA. pic.twitter.com/jgUr2IJQNe
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2022
Even as LAFC dominated possession for much of the match, Austin FC saw another wide-open goal opportunity crumble as midfielder Diego Fagundez's shot hit the corner goalpost in the 23rd minute.
But Fagundez wasn't finished. The midfielder was short on his Verde hair dye but full of surprises as he nimbly sunk a shot over LAFC defense to make it 2-0 with 10 minutes to go.
Fagundez, who has spent more time setting up goals for his teammates (becoming the No. 1 assister in the MLS in the process), finally took the center stage with his second goal this season.
Owen Wolff, head coach Josh Wolff's own son, had a scoring opportunity of his own foiled by the goalpost as he started his first MLS match as one of the youngest starters in the league this season.
But Austin FC wouldn't score again; instead, LAFC powerhouse Carlos Vela made the win a bit trickier in the 86th minute as he got past Austin keeper Brad Stuver to cut the lead in half. The other Wolff quickly subbed in a five-prong defense as the club kept steady for the final 10 painstaking minutes to win the match.
BONUS: Stuver's career-making match
Six saves on the night in LA for Brad Stuver! 🚫 pic.twitter.com/02V6hcUd3Y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2022
After two weeks on the bench due to a knee gash, Austin's star keeper Brad Stuver had the Stuver-iest match of all time (yes, we're making it a word) as he pulled off six saves to help his team to No. 1.
Stuver looked like a pinball machine as he pulled off save after save with his feet, hands and body to keep it nearly 100% clean on the back end.
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