Austin FC misplaced an opportunity at their first U.S. Open Cup title on Wednesday, taking a 2-1 residence loss to Nashville SC due to a second-half penalty kick.
It is perhaps good for Austin to get again on the pitch so quickly after that disappointment, particularly with the MLS season winding down and the Verde and Black capable of clinch a playoff berth with a win over visiting St. Louis Metropolis on Saturday and a bit of little bit of assist.
“We do not have time to consider this,” Austin defender Jon Gallagher mentioned following the Cup defeat. “Hopefully, we will obtain the playoffs.”
Austin FC (12-11-8, 44 factors) sit sixth within the West desk, 4 factors forward of the Colorado Rapids and 6 factors away from the San Jose Earthquakes with three matches left. That is necessary as a result of the Verde and Black do not wish to fall to eighth or ninth, which might require a play-in victory after which a gathering with the convention’s high seed within the first spherical.
The final two matches for Austin FC seem tough, too. They host surging Los Angeles FC on Oct. 12 after which shut the season with a visit to San Jose on Oct. 18.
Whereas Austin has playoff desires, St. Louis (7-18-7, 25 factors) noticed its hopes formally expire on Sept. 27 with a 3-0 residence loss to LAFC. St. Louis Metropolis conceded a aim quarter-hour into the match and easily could not generate sufficient possession or threatening probabilities till the difficulty was determined.
St. Louis really got here into the match flashing a few of its greatest type of the 12 months due to consecutive street wins over CF Montreal and San Jose, however the group discovered it nonetheless has a solution to go to be in the identical class because the league’s high golf equipment.
“It was inevitable it was going to occur,” interim coach David Critchley mentioned. “Now it is nearly coming again and seeing how we as a membership and the gamers reply. We knew the scenario we had been in a number of weeks in the past.”
The groups met March 30 in St. Louis, with Austin successful 1-0 on Myrto Uzuni’s aim within the thirty third minute.
–Discipline Stage Media
