Better Not Lose: Previewing Austin FC @ LA Galaxy
The last Wednesday match of the season is upon us, as Austin FC heads to Southern California for the final time this regular season. With the LA Galaxy picking up momentum and Austin FC seemingly doing the opposite, with both teams desperate to get into the playoffs and willing to give everything to get the three points, an often fierce clash may just boil over.
Austin FC, coming off a frustrating 0-0 draw against the New England Revolution, have a tough task awaiting them in Los Angeles. After rotating heavily against the Revs, a full-strength lineup is a must, especially with no game at the weekend. Uzuni will be back as striker with Vázquez out for the season, and after Saturday night’s debacle, he will be itching to get some goals under his belt and his Austin FC career off the ground. Memories of last year’s match at Dignity Health Sports Park will still be on the minds of both fanbases, so hopefully, Biro gets the start to ensure maximum chaos. With Galaxy bottom of the West, most would expect an easy win, but the defending MLS Cup champs are on their best run of form this season, and with Marco Reus quickly picking up form, this will be a tough match for the Verde and Black.
LA Galaxy morale will be at an all-time high this season, coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Also worth noting, LA Galaxy has only lost 1 game in their previous 6 matches. The Galaxy has seemed to butt heads with the Austin side in previous showings, which will only add more tension and excitement to this matchup. However, the Galaxy will be without their supporter groups, who will continue their silent protest against the club because of their ongoing silence regarding the ICE raids in the area.
This matchup has been quite tense recently, with fights, horror tackles, and red cards. The October 5th match is notorious not only between these two sets of fans but also for fans of the league and beyond for Guilherme Biro’s crazy tackle on Riqui Puig that got him sent off in the 103rd minute. That match was also Josh Wolff’s last as Austin FC manager and Driussi’s final goal for Austin FC from open play. The overall series record goes to the Galaxy, who has 5 wins from the 9 total matches, with Austin FC winning 3 times and drawing once.
A big thanks to Galaxy Runs LA for writing the LA Galaxy portion of this preview. Check them out here: instagram.com/galaxyrunsla