Can Austin Remember How To Win? Previewing Austin FC @ Colorado Rapids
Two Western Conference sides who have both struggled to score throughout the season meet this Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado. Austin FC enters this match on the back of eight league games without a win, with a fanbase starting to call for the heads of both players and coaches. The Colorado Rapids sit in 8th place, a wildcard playoff spot, but their season hasn’t been very successful either, with many disappointing results, including a 2-1 away loss to the Portland Timbers last time out.
Austin FC continues to disappoint. A must-win home match against struggling side Real Salt Lake ended with a very lucky last-minute draw, and an away trip with a fully healthy squad down to San Diego — to play a SDFC side that they already beat this season — ended with an incredibly frustrating 2-0 loss that showcased Austin’s continued attacking impotency. At some point, the Verde and Black will have to win a game if they want to even dream of making the playoffs, so hopefully, tomorrow is the day that will happen. Julio Cascante and Myrto Uzuni will miss this match due to injury and international duty, respectively. If the coaching staff believes that Robert Taylor is finally fit, it is likely that we see him make his first-ever start in an Austin FC jersey as a replacement for Uzuni, something that many fans think could be a blessing in disguise.
The Colorado Rapids come into this match battered and bruised but still hungry for 3 points. After some much-needed rest, the Burgundy Boys ready themselves for the home leg against Austin FC in the regular season. Wanting to bounce back after their defeat to Portland, there is no doubt that the Rapids are going to come out full throttle against this Austin side that isn’t too far behind them in the table. Austin's attack has been really, really poor this season, so putting away at least 2 goals could very well secure us the win.
This matchup will mark the 11th meeting between these sides, including a 1-0 home defeat for Austin FC earlier this season. The 10 previous matches have ended with a combined 5 wins for Colorado, 2 draws, and 3 wins for Austin FC. Interestingly enough, Austin FC has recorded more wins against Colorado away from home than they have at Q2 Stadium. None of these matches have ended scoreless, but with Austin FC’s defensive prowess and (lack of) attacking ability, that could definitely change tomorrow night.
A big thanks to Rapids Network for writing the Colorado Rapids portion of this preview. Check them out here: https://www.instagram.com/rapidsnetwork
Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. CT, and the match can be streamed on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.