Atlanta United vs Austin FC: Match Preview

atlanta unitedThe week-long road trip was as poor as you’d expect in terms of results, but the performances in New Jersey and New York left some room for optimism. The Five Stripes played some of their best football in recent weeks and should have taken at least a point from the Red Bulls to go with the respectable draw at NYCFC. Defensive gaffes (who would have guessed?) unfortunately threw any hopes of a very rare away win out the window, but reinforcements are on the way just in time for a three-game stay beginning this Saturday with Austin FC.

The Texas team has been one of the surprises of the season, currently sitting in second place in the Western Conference with 34 points. Austin has improved more than anyone expected in his second year in the league after going 12-for-13 in his expansion season. The key theme of the offseason was continuity, from the front office and head coach Josh Wolff (Tyler’s father) to the roster. While Austin was a Jekyll and Hyde team in the final third and underperforming defensively in 2021, they now have one of the best offenses in the league and fewer worries at the back. Austin is tied with LAFC (the only team above him in the Supporter’s Shield standings) for the league lead in goals scored (35), although he lurks mid-table in goals conceded (22). Argentine DP Sebastian Driussi has been the key force behind Austin’s scoring chaos, leading the MLS MVP discussions with 10 goals and 3 assists. MLS veterans Diego Fagundez (3g, 7a) and Maximiliano Urruti (6g) form a fearsome supporting cast and give Austin a handful of different paths to the finish.

However, Austin’s excellent season comes with a bit of a caveat. His campaign can be divided into two parts, the easy half (games 1-9) and the tougher stretch (10-present). In those first 9 games, Austin posted 6 wins, a +14 goal differential, and just one loss. Since then Austin has 4 wins, a -1 goal differential and three losses. While it’s still a very respectable streak, Austin’s roof is showing. That ceiling seems much higher away from home, where they have 2 draws and a loss in their last three. In turn, though, Austin has won three straight on the road against Montreal, Charlotte and Colorado, not to mention the three points he earned at LAFC in May. Just, you know, something to look out for on Saturday.

While Atlanta United left the Northeast with some pride intact, Gonzalo Pineda’s team was unable to turn around an increasingly worrying trend since the Mexican took over last year. After winning once against a team that qualified for the playoffs in 14 games in 2021, Atlanta moved on to bigger and better things with a zero win total against teams currently above the red line this season. And wouldn’t you know it, the Five Stripes have 4 straight and 7 of the next 8 games against playoff teams. Five of them are at home, and considering the good guys have five points and four teams out of the playoffs, getting full points at the Benz week in and week out is vital. Atlanta hasn’t shown they can do it yet, but now would be a good time to start counting wins.

Anticipated starting XI

Prediction: Atlanta United 3-2 Austin FC

Atlanta United’s first meeting against Austin will end with the good guys happy thanks to some stellar goals from Thiago Almada and Luiz Araujo, though Driussi will wreak havoc at the other end as the Mexican reinforcements find their place in MLS.

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