Austin FC grabs a point in the dying seconds as Alex Ring scores to level it at 2-2 in New England.
Sports can be cruel, as we learned in Frisco, and they can be delightful, as we learned from this one. This match felt like a win for many verdes even though the outcome was only a draw.
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Josh Wolff made some lineup changes for this one as he returned to the Driussi at striker experiment. He also had Jon Gallagher back on the wing for the first time since 2021.
Dani Pereira returned to the starting XI after serving his suspension, alongside Alex Ring and Jhojan Valencia.
Without Gallagher in defense, Adam Lundqvist got the start. And Leo Vaisanen started with Julio Cascante, as Matt Hedges did not start.
Who Is Stepping Up?
Alex Ring has to be the one we start with for this match. He gave the team hope when it looked like there was no hope. He delivered a beautiful shot right before the final whistle.
I have been saying that Ring needs to be a starter for this team week in and week out, as he is one of the top players for the club. It seems like Wolff is finally listening.
I think both Emiliano Rigoni and Jon Gallagher played well on the wings. Rigoni gets his goal after being robbed of one last time out. And Jon Gallagher, with the assist, was able to help move this team forward as he completed 27 of 33 of his passes.
Rigoni has looked better the last few times out, and that is nice to see as we haven’t been seeing quality performances from the DP for a large part of the season.
Defense was a weak spot on the night, but Nick Lima looked to have had the best night back there. He was able to win some duels, and I think the first New England goal was more on Julio Cascante and not as much on Lima.
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Who Is Dropping Off?
This might surprise some people, but I am going to start with Sebastian Driussi. This might be more on Coach Wolff, as he played Driussi up top instead of in his natural position within the midfield.
Driussi was able to get three shots on the night, but was only able to deliver one on target. His biggest chance of the night was missed by a wide margin.
While Driussi’s raw skill still shines at times this season, the goal-finishing that we were used to seeing in 2022 is just not there.
Julio Cascante again had an outing I’m sure he would like to forget. He again ended up on the ground, watching a goal go in for the other team. He is having issues as of late with staying in a defensive position and not losing his footing.
I would like to see Wolff put out a Hedges/Vaisanen center-back pairing next time out. At least see if there can be any chemistry and consistency in that pairing.
Adam Lundkvist also struggled, as he was largely responsible for not defending better on New England’s second goal. I didn’t think it was a terrible performance, but I also don’t think he took advantage of his opportunity in the starting XI.
Austin FC was able to grab the road point and end their pointless drought. They return at home on September 17th when they take on the Portland Timbers at 7:30 pm.
Who stood out to you in this game? Were you satisfied with the point or expected more?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Images courtesy Apple TV