Striker Moussa Djitté makes the most of 2nd start in Austin FC win over LA Galaxy
It’s only been two matches, but the impact forward Moussa Djitté has made as a starter for Austin FC can’t be overstated.
After a performance Sept. 18 in which he helped facilitate an offense that scored three first-half goals before being substituted at halftime, Djitté — a native of Senegal whom El Tree signed in late June — took the scoring matters into his own hands Sunday night, and it helped Austin FC produce a relief-bearing 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at Q2 Stadium.
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Djitté finished his own rebounded shot off Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond in the 64th minute for his first MLS goal to give Austin FC the lead.
“Having Moussa is extremely fortunate,” Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said. “We haven’t had a striker since Week 5, and you can see what it means when you have a real striker who can occupy a defense. It’s a real difference.”
A dynamic athlete who gives defenses fits with his speed and touch, Djitté — who previously played in Switzerland and France and is a Francophile — shows the patience of a well-seasoned striker despite being days shy of his 22nd birthday. Now in game shape and somewhat used to Texas temperatures, Djitté gives El Tree a dimension it hasn’t had all season.
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“It’s the basics and the way I played since I was a kid — that’s what I was always taught as a striker was to be patient,” Djitté said. “I feel like I was brought here to do a role — and I think what I bring is playing to the end and giving it my all. There’s the language barrier between myself and the coaches and other players that presents obstacles, but on the field it’s all one language, and that’s soccer. And that’s a language we all have in common.”
Not that El Tree had lacked energy or played poorly before Djitté’s goal, but it seemed to energize the squad even more. Substitute and Austin native McKinze Gaines scored moments after he took to the pitch on a beautiful settle-and-strike from near the corner of the box for Austin FC’s insurance goal in the 79th minute.
“Gaines was in our mind from the get-go,” Wolff said. “We thought if we could get a lead, we’d put him in there. He’s got elusiveness, he’s got speed, and he’s going to push that back line. It was a really nice goal.”
Coming off two heartbreaking losses to Los Angeles FC and San Jose in which Austin FC was arguably the better team, Sunday’s result was needed. It marked El Tree’s first win since Aug. 4 and its first shutout since June 27, and not only is it an impressive win in how the team played solid soccer throughout most of the match, but in the fact that the Galaxy are one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Austin FC also did it without captain and starting midfielder Alex Ring, who had to sit out the game after drawing a red card versus San Jose.
“The Galaxy are a good team, tough to handle, and have a lot of quality, so I’m really proud of our guys,” Wolff said. “But our guys are grinders and have it in them. From the start tonight it was a collective, professional performance.”
It was the first time Djitté and midfielder Cecilio Domínguez — two of El Tree’s more high-profile signings — started together.
The Galaxy dominated possession and controlled the flow of the match for a significant stretch of the first half, and Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver made several saves in rapid succession to keep the contest scoreless.
El Tree’s best scoring opportunity in the first 45 minutes came just before halftime, when Djitté had a breakaway off a counter, but his shot from near the top of the box went just right of the post.
Austin FC’s postseason chances are grim as it still sits in last place in the Western Conference and 14 points out of the seventh and final playoff spot with eight matches to go, but it will get the chance to create major momentum when it plays at Colorado on Wednesday night.
“We don’t get it all right all the time, but there’s a lot of good moments all year that we’ve been building on,” Wolff said. “We just have to find ways to grind and compete. We knew we wouldn’t have the ball as much as usual tonight, but that’s OK. There’s a lot of things to build on from this.”