Comeback at Q2 - Too Little Too Late?
Fan Thoughts on Real Salt Lake at Austin FC match - September 28, 2024
Pre-match impressions:
After a week off, Austin FC returns home to Q2 Stadium to face one of the best teams in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake; last time these teams met, it was a 5-1 romp in Utah in favor of RSL. That Chicho Arango goal from deep over Brad Stuver’s head likely cost Stu any slim chance he had of making this season’s All-Star Game. With playoff chances dwindling and all of the remaining matches needing to be wins for all intents and purposes, let’s see what Austin can do in one of its last times in front of the home fans.
Let’s look at the lineup:
On first glance, I’m not quite sure what to make of the lineup. It looks like a 5-2-3 with John Gallagher in the back line again. With no true striker starting, I guess it’ll be Sebastian Driussi, Jader Obrian, and Osman Bukari playing forwards tonight. The big surprise is Dani Periera starts on the bench again as Alex Ring and Owen Wolff get the start in midfield. How does Periera not start two consecutive matches with Austin’s playoff chances on the line? How do you expect to progress the ball through the midfield like Dani can with this passing and ability to break the lines? Josh Wolff still continues tinkering with the lineup even this late into the season instead of just playing arguably his most talented player in midfield.
Stream of consciousness match thoughts:
Stream of consciousness or internal monologue… not sure what the proper literary term is but essentially this will be my own gut reaction thoughts as the match progresses. Let’s go…
Seems quieter at Q2 to start the match than it is normally. Late arriving crowd or reality has set in with fans on another disappointing season?
Eneli dribbles past Owen Wolff and takes a shot wide past Stuver at minute 9. That could’ve been another bad start.
Gallagher with a give-and-go with Obrian but Jader’s shot is right at RSL GK McMath in the 11th minute.
Bukari passes to Driussi. Shouts for hand ball but nothing called. Julio Cascante then levels Arango in the box. That chance seemed promising, but nothing comes of it.
No passing through the midfield for Austin. It’s all long balls to the wingers which are low percentage.
There’s a transition moment in the 41st minute. Obrian passes to Bukari. McMath comes out and collides with Bukari. Looked like he wasn’t going for the ball and purposely took out Bukari there but of course no call.
In minute 49, Driussi gets open in the box briefly but misses it wide. And that’s it 0-0 at halftime. Neither team really creating many chances.
Three minutes after the break, Guillermo Biro mistimes a jump. Arango controls it and blasts it at goal, but Stuver stops it with a kick save. Instead of clearing the ball, RSL’s Matt Crooks is there to knock the ball in on the rebound. And just like that, RSL is up 1-0.
Austin keeps absorbing pressure but there is no passing through the midfield. Where’s Dani? Get him in there!
Bukari gets the ball in transition and just sends in a cross that’s easily grabbed by McMath. Where’s the player that’s supposed to blow by these defenders and take shots? Is Bukari just taught to always cross by this coaching staff?
And things just got worse. There’s a handball called on Owen Wolff for sticking his arm out. RSL’s #10 Diogo takes the penalty kick and easily slides it to the right past Stuver. 2-0 RSL and Austin’s season looks like it may be coming to an end.
At minute 66, Diego Rubio comes in for Bukari and finally Dani Periera subs in for Owen Wolff.
Ethan Finlay comes in minutes later for Mikel Desler. So, we’ve got Finlay playing at right back now? Interesting.
And there’s still some life left… Gallagher puts a pass right on the money to Obrian who one-times it for a goal past McMath. 2-1 RSL. That’s 7 goals for Obrian this season. Not bad.
Give-and-go in close space inside the box between Ring and Driussi who tries to pass it to Biro but the ball goes out.
At minute 88, Oleksandr Svatok comes in for Cascante and Johan Valencia subs in for Ring. Not sure what bringing in two primarily defensive type players does but hey why not?
Driussi with a sweet curling pass to Biro who gets past RSL’s back line. Biro slots it into the back of the net and ties it up! 2-2. Wow I didn’t see that coming at all.
In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, Periera passes to Biro who has the match winner on his foot but hits it just wide. Oof. That could’ve been one hell of a comeback (or collapse by RSL).
That’s it. It ends 2-2.
Numbers don’t lie:
Let’s look at MLSSoccer.com stats this time around…
Possession: Austin 52% and RSL 48%
Total shots: Austin 19 and RSL 20
Shots on target: Austin 7 and RSL 7
xG: Austin 2.00 and RSL 3.09
Man of the Match:
I know most people will probably go with Biro for his match-tying goal and spurring on the comeback. If he gets the winner in 90+3 then there’s no denying he would deserve the accolade. But I’ll pick Obrian. He seemed dangerous in the chances he did get and did score his team-leading 7th goal of the season.
The bigger picture:
A draw at home simply isn’t good enough this late in the season with playoff chances hanging on by a thread. Credit to the players for grinding and finding a way to climb out of a two-goal deficit late in the second half. Getting Dani Periera on the pitch for only 25+ minutes seems like an egregious mistake and that’s on the coaches. With Minnesota winning and Portland getting a draw, Austin remains mathematically alive but barely alive. Austin needs to win its remaining 3 matches, Portland has to lose all of its remaining matches and Austin has to make up a goal differential of 20 on Portland. And as fate would have it, Austin has to go to Portland next. It feels like Austin’s playoff chances will end in Portland on Wednesday. But you never know, there’s still a chance.
