Despite 20 shots, six shots on goal, and that first shot on goal just coming 27 seconds into a match that Austin FC needed to keep its playoff hopes alive, it couldn’t convert on its numerous chances Saturday night.
Yet, the Houston Dynamo did, getting a bicycle kick goal from Coco Carrasquilla for a 1-0 win that propelled that team to within a point of fourth place in the West — and thanks to other results on the night, knocked Verde to 11th.
Even four straight wins in its remaining four games may not be enough to get Austin to 9th place. Its official elimination from the 2024 MLS playoffs could come as early as Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake. A loss there, coupled with Minnesota beating Colorado and Portland getting a draw or win against Vancouver, would officially knock Verde out on points. Even the Timbers losing next Saturday sets up a scenario in which Verde wouldn’t be able to catch them, even if Verde got even on points and wins, thanks to a widening goal differential currently at (gulp) 20 goals.
In the post-match press conference, clearly frustrated by the inability to score that’s plagued his team all season, Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff lamented what could have been.
“It's not like we're doing a lot of things poorly, other than the finishing,” he assessed. “The defending has been quite solid. We don't give up shots and stuff, but expected goals, again, we have a way that we go about it. And if you score goals, it gives you energy, it gives you momentum, it gives you belief … the way that we're playing is quite good with the ball, quite solid. And we have a level of flexibility because we havea little bit more quality in the group, more competition. Thus, the performances have picked up.
“But I can sit here and tell them to be more ruthless, be more shrewd in front of goal, be more clinical, but those are just words,” he continued. “I mean, when the moment arrives for these players, it's about staying calm. It's about having clarity as to what you're trying to do. You know, balls go in off of players all the time. A little bit of luck doesn't hurt. But I'm not hanging our hat on luck. It's the way that we play, the way that we've competed now in the last six, seven games. Easily, we should have more points. We haven't done enough in front of goal. I mean, it's a big, big letdown. This game, again, you can defend, and the guys do, but in order to win games, we’ve got to score goals. You know, it gets old. It gets old for you guys. It certainly gets old for me as well. But we’ve got to keep moving forward.”
