SOPHOMORE SUCCESS! The post-season is Verde after a history-making night from an unlikely hero. Moussa Djitté bags the club’s inaugural hat trick to usher Austin into MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in Club history with a 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
Check out highlights of what Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said in the press conference after Austin’s victory on September 14.
Opening Statement about the game
“We’re really excited, obviously. First ever for this organization and club to achieve making the playoffs. We still have some work left to try to push up the table, but it’s a great achievement. A lot of credit goes to the players. The staff does extremely good work and hard work. It’s good to get rewarded with tonight.”
On the decision to sub in Moussa Djitte
“They were one-for-one. They were in a 4-3-1-2. They were high-pressing. They were one-for-one all over the field – that’s not what we expected, so it took us a little while to find our feet in the first half. But, Moussa has a physicality that there’s not a player on their team that can deal with Moussa individually on a one v one. I wanted to give it some time in the second half, but I had my mind pretty clearly made up. I went quickly to get the subs in.”
Wolff talks about off-field challenges Djitte has faced recently
“He’s had a baby recently that he hasn’t seen. He lost a brother and grandfather this year. It’s been a tough year. I mean when we talk about what our roots are about, the adversity you face as a soccer player, we’re talking about bigger things…and he’s hung in there. But most importantly, he’s stayed committed and connected to this group.”
How the fans at Q2 Stadium made a difference
“It’s good to be back home, in front of our fans. The fans help us. The energy in this stadium is quite obvious. And the players feed off that. We gain momentum by scoring goals. This fans base and this city pushes us and encourages us. And when we grab a goal you can see how quick the game goes in our direction.”
What’s next for Austin FC after securing MLS Cup Playoffs?
“The more we can finish in second place, or first place, that you can ensure playing in front of these [Austin FC] fans and getting this boost, the better your chances of whoever is here. We’ve shown that. We can beat anybody in this league.”
On playing Nashville SC on Saturday
“The next game is against Nashville and it’s an important one. It’s a little bit of revenge that we need to come with and make an impact in that game.” Wolff went on to say, “Good team. Good quality players. But, certainly we have ways to hurt them and they’re a resilient bunch as well.”
If you purchase through our links, we earn a commission that will help support our content.