Austin FC misplaced an opportunity at their first U.S. Open Cup title on Wednesday, taking a 2-1 dwelling loss to Nashville SC due to a second-half penalty kick.
It is likely to be 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 somewhat little bit of assist.
“We do not have time to consider this,” Austin defender Jon Gallagher mentioned following the Cup defeat. “Hopefully, we are able to 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 need 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 goals, St. Louis (7-18-7, 25 factors) noticed its hopes formally expire on Sept. 27 with a 3-0 dwelling loss to LAFC. St. Louis Metropolis conceded a objective quarter-hour into the match and easily could not generate sufficient possession or threatening possibilities till the problem was determined.
St. Louis really got here into the match flashing a few of its greatest type of the yr due to consecutive highway wins over CF Montreal and San Jose, however the group discovered it nonetheless has a approach 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 profitable 1-0 on Myrto Uzuni’s objective within the thirty third minute.
–Area Degree Media