MLS

At the whistle: Austin FC blows lead in 2-1 loss to Vancouver

Austin American-Statesman

Austin FC midfielder Sebastián Driussi goes up for a header against Vancouver midfielder Leonard Owusu during the Whitecaps' 2-1 victory Saturday night. Driussi had the team's only goal on a header in the first half.

Austin FC plugged one hole only to find a separate leak.

The first half of its expansion season in Major League Soccer was plagued by the inability to score, but the addition of Sebastián Driussi sparked the offense. In his five starts, including the 2-1 loss Saturday night on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Austin FC has scored eight goals and has been shut out only once. In the five matches before Driussi’s insertion into the starting lineup, Austin FC managed three goals, all in the same game, while getting shut out four times.

Now the problem is defensive. The heroics of goalkeeper Brad Stuver continue, but the Verde and Black simply can’t keep opponents from scoring. The loss at Vancouver was the 11th consecutive game in which Austin FC has conceded at least one goal. The club’s last shutout came on June 27 in a scoreless draw at home against the Columbus Crew.

"For 60 minutes of this game, our ability to work and compete and be disciplined and be difficult to break down" was good, Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said. "It slipped away from us, but there was a lot of good in there today."

Austin FC took the lead in the first half when a Cecilio Domínguez pass found the head of Driussi. That advantage wouldn’t last. The Whitecaps tied the match in the 70th minute and took the lead in the 83rd. The loss was the fourth consecutive road defeat for Austin FC. The Oaks haven’t earned a point on the road since June 12 at Sporting Kansas City. The team's last road win was May 1 at Minnesota.

"The guys worked extremely hard, and they stuck with what we were trying to do," Wolff said. "We played really well in the majority of this game and were quite unlucky to not win this game, in all honesty."

Growth: Improvements in youth development fuel soccer improvements in United States

Austin FC is in 12th place in the Western Conference with 19 points through 22 matches.

Man of the match: Sebastián Driussi

Driussi is quickly establishing himself as Austin FC’s best player. The summer addition of the Argentine midfielder changed the outlook offensively for the Verde and Black. Driussi’s goal in the 45th minute provided Austin FC with the lead and confidence the club needed before the halftime whistle.

The third DP: Sebastian Driussi discusses Latin culture in Austin

Austin FC dominated the first half, outshooting Vancouver 7-1, with the Whitecaps failing to record a shot on target. Austin FC deserved the lead, and the header by Driussi put El Tree in position to earn three points. Unfortunately for Driussi, the lead wouldn’t last another 45 minutes. He was subbed off in the 74th minute because of cramps, according to Wolff.

Up next

Austin FC will return to Texas but not to Q2 Stadium, with the Verde and Black’s next match taking place in Houston against the Dynamo on Saturday night. It is the second match of three scheduled for the 2021 regular season between the intrastate rivals. Houston is last in the 13-team Western Conference with 19 points through 21 matches.

Austin FC beat the Dynamo 3-2 on Aug. 4, thanks in large part to two first-half goals by Tomás Pochettino. Houston played 70 minutes of that match with 10 men after Darwin Ceren earned a red card in the first half. A 56th-minute goal by Cecilio Domínguez proved to be the winner. Houston has won only three matches this season, but the club has a conference-high 10 draws.

Austin FC's Julio Cascante stops the ball from going into an empty net while being pursued by Vancouver's Brian White during the second half Saturday night.