Austin FC has secured second place in the Western Conference. With one regular season game left (Colorado), ATX locked the No. 2 spot in Week 33 after Dallas lost to Colorado.
That means for the first round of MLS Cup Playoffs, Austin is destined to play the 7th place team, the last qualifier, in the West. If current standings remain unchanged, Austin would face Minnesota at Q2 Stadium on October 15, 16, or 17 — more about Playoff dates in our story here.
But as you can see, with one game left it’s a tight race near the Playoff cutoff (the bold line in the chart). Mere single digit points separate 7th and 8th place.
Here’s FiveThirtyEight’s prediction of those teams to finish in 7th place:
- Real Salt Lake – 25% chance
- Minnesota United – 24% chance
- Vancouver Whitecaps – 20% chance
- Portland Timbers – 14% chance
The Verdes have played each team twice this season (once at home and once away). Here’s how the club has fared against these sides in 2022:
| Austin FC vs. | Home | Away | Overall Record |
| Minnesota United | Won | Loss | 1-1 |
| Portland Timbers | Loss | Loss | 0-2 |
| Real Salt Lake | Won | Loss | 1-1 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Won | Loss | 1-1 |
Overall, it’s not a great record against this bunch — three wins out of eight games. The bright spot is that Austin beat the teams they’re most likely going to face at home during the regular season.
Who do you want to see Austin FC play in the first round of playoffs?
(Cover Photo Credit: Austin FC Instagram)
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