As both Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff and midfielder Dani Pereira assessed after Saturday night’s 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in Frisco, it was a couple of giveaways that made the difference.
The first, as Verde fans watching the Copa Tejas contest are painfully aware, came off an ill-advised Sebastián Driussi backpass that went right to FC Dallas striker Petar Musa. The resulting early goal put the visitors in a hole that would only get deeper when Jesus Ferreira nabbed a second goal off another unfortunate turnover.
But Driussi nearly engineered a late comeback, converting an Owen Wolff-won penalty in the 84th minute and then spearheading attacks on a deep-seated Dallas defense in an ultimately fruitless attempt at an equalizer.
As Pereira pointed out — something also pointed out by Apple TV commentator Bradley Wright-Phillips in a less flattering manner — what Driussi does is vital to Austin’s success.
