Austin FC won at home in a wild 4-3 comeback victory over Sporting KC last Saturday. It took a Sebastián Driussi 94th-minute goal to get the monkey off their back at Q2 Stadium.
Not sure we can take another heart-stopping come-from-behind home game.
Thankfully, the Verde & Black are back on the road. ATX heads way up north to take on Minnesota United FC, riding an extraordinary six-match away unbeaten streak.
It also means that Allianz Field will be graced with the presence of MVP frontrunner Driussi for the second week in a row. The Argentine magician of the midfield started for the MLS All-Star team in Minnesota last week.
With all the hype ahead of the August 26 LAFC match, Coach Wolff’s challenge this week will be to keep the players focused on the Loons. Wolff must also walk a tightrope with Driussi’s current disciplinary standing — he’s one yellow card away from a match suspension.
Austin won the first meeting against Minnesota United this season 1-0 in April.
Tale of the Tape
- Austin FC – 2nd in the Western Conference (54 GF/ 34 GA, +20)
- Minnesota United – 4th in the Western Conference (40 GF/ 35 GA, +5)
days
hours minutes seconds
until
Austin FC vs. MNUFC Kickoff
Scouting Report
One of the scariest teams to play right now is Minnesota United.
The club has lost one game in its last nine MLS matches; six of those have been wins. It’s been a dramatic turnaround after an awful May and June for the Loons.
One reason for the turnaround: Argentine midfielder Emanuel Reynoso. (Yes, they have one too and he’s nearly as good.)
True to form, Reynoso assisted in both goals last week in their 2-1 victory over Nashville. He’s tallied nine goals and eight assists for the season, with six of those goals coming in the last eight matches.
Their other star player to know is between the sticks — goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The gloved one currently ranks second in the league with 86 saves and four clean sheets.
Score Prediction
In all four meetings between these clubs, the winning side has kept a clean sheet. Not this time. These clubs play too wide open and the Argentine midfielders are too hot right now for either side to go scoreless. We like Driussi to give the Verde a slight edge in this one.
Final Score:
Austin – 2
Minnesota United – 1
Odds: Austin +210 and Minnesota +125. A draw is priced at +270.
Injury Report
- OUT: Freddy Kleemann (left knee)
- OUT: Hector Jimenez (left groin)
Kit Matchup
Things are looking minty for Austin FC’s trip to the gopher state. STUUU will be in blue. Plan accordingly.
How to watch Austin FC
Austin FC will play Minnesota United at Allianz Field — 7:08 p.m. (CT) kickoff on August 20.
- TV: The CW Austin
- Streaming: AustinFC.com, Austin FC app, UniMas.com (Spanish, Delayed), ESPN+ (out of market)
- Radio: KASE-FM (Alt 97.5), KLQB-FM (104.3-HD2)
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