Austin FC is looking for redemption after a 3-0 drubbing back in September against Texas foe Houston Dynamo FC.
Losing a rivalry game always cuts a little deeper, but even more so when you lose in such an embarrassing fashion. Hopefully, that sting will prod Austin players to overcome the orange and black in this Sunday’s match.
On the heels of a crushing 4-0 collapse at San Jose on Wednesday, ATXFC desperately needs to turn the tide this weekend against an inconsistent Dynamo club. Another loss could give Verdes the dubious distinction of being the worst MLS team in Tejas.
The green and black’s game vs San Jose further exposed the club’s glaring weakness on defense. Backline mistakes again reared their ugly head—three out of the four Quakes goals came from defensive mistakes in counter-attacks. The work of San Jose’s Ebobisse gave the shaky centerback tandem of Romana and Cascante fits, not to mention Nick Lima’s poor performance.
The defense can’t give up similar goals on Sunday or its lights out at Q2.
What’s on the line? Winner of this game earns bragging rights as the victor in the derby between these two clubs. A small consolation for two teams that took turns at the bottom of the Western conference this season.
Our Opponent
Houston is coming off of a 3-0 defeat to the Galaxy.
The Dynamo defense left gaping holes that were taken advantage of by Los Angeles. This performance isn’t an anomaly though, in the past 10 games they have a record of 3 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses. Inconsistency has been a mainstay for the Houston team.
A player to keep an eye on is Fafa Picault. He’s a big part of their goal creation opportunities and he’s proven to be a tricky one for Austin to handle. In the previous matchup between these two clubs, he scored a brace with his ability to take on defenders one-on-one.
Their defense shouldn’t put up much of a fight though, as they’re the third worst team in MLS in terms of keeping a clean sheet.
Score Prediction
The game should be packed with goals since neither team is stellar in the backline. It likely comes down to which team makes the fewest mistakes on defense to thwart easy goal scoring opportunities. Score prediction 4-2, Austin FC over Houston.
Predicted Lineup
Josh Wolff said there’s enough time between matches this week that roster rotation should be minimal, barring any injuries. With that said, the poor result in San Jose just days ago could trigger a lineup overhaul against rival Dynamo.
Injury Report
- OUT: Danny Hoesen (Left Hip)
- OUT: Aaron Schoenfeld (Left Knee)
- OUT: Ulises Segura (Left Knee)
- OUT: Ben Sweat (ACL)
- OUT: Matt Besler (Concussion)
Matchday Notes
Austin FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC at Q2 Stadium, will be nationally televised on Sunday (10/24), 4:00 pm CDT. Originally scheduled for 3:00 pm, game time was moved an hour later.
- TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
- Streaming: N/A
- Radio: N/A
Going to the game? Check out these transportation options to the stadium. There’s also plenty of watch parties around town, if you didn’t score tickets but want a fun atmosphere with fellow Verde fans.