Here comes Son; it's all right: Nico Estévez contemplates Austin FC's first round
Austin FC has faced LAFC twice this season, but not the LAFC with Son Heung-min on it. Head coach Nico Estévez gave some indication as to how his team will try to contain him.
On late Wednesday afternoon, Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez fielded questions about the upcoming playoff matchup against LAFC — a team that Austin FC's already beaten twice this season, though a team that did not feature Son Heung-min, LAFC's summer acquisition that's turned a perennial MLS powerhouse into one of this year's MLS Cup favorites.
"He's a player that has enough speed to run in behind, he's a player that in a one-v-one can go inside or go outside," Estévez said. "He has a really good shot with the right foot and left foot ... he [can] come underneath and he can lay off the ball really well. Also he can turn, he can see — he's a very, very complete player.
"He's making the difference for LAFC, and he's making an impact in the league," he continued, before talking about a strategy including some possible double-team coverage against a player who's scored nearly a goal a game since arriving into the league.
And it's not just Son that Austin has to worry about when Austin FC travels to BMO Stadium next Wednesday to open their best-of-three first-round playoff series.
Since his arrival, Son has given a boost to established Verde nemesis Denis Bouanga, who has 24 goals and nine assists on the season, and has elevated a level beyond his already lofty heights since Son arrived.
"It's a collective effort," Estévez said on how his team will aim to stop the pair. "Since they've been playing, I think they score or contribute with an assist in every game that they play together. No team has stopped them yet. This says a lot about the quality of these players.
"We feel confident on our talent, on our roster and our players, but also a collective game plan that will allow us to to do well," he continued. "We know, anytime you play against quality players, that they can bring something out of nothing, and it doesn't matter how how good your plan is. I always put the example of [Lionel] Messi and Jordi Alba. Probably every team just trains how to defend that combination throughout the whole time, and every game, they have a chance, so they score a goal through that combination. For that reason, I think for us, it's important that we focus on on the collective. We focus on how we can deal collectively against them, but also how we can be better on the attacking third in order that if they bring something out of nothing, and they punish us, that we also can punish them."
Measuring success
Given that 18 teams had the chance to win MLS Cup heading into the playoffs — narrowed to 16 after Orlando City and Real Salt Lake lost their playoff games on Wednesday night — is it possible to measure success by metrics other than winning it all?
"In order to be champions, you have to put yourself in a position to win, to have the possibility to win," he said. "I think in the Open Cup, advancing every round, it put us closer in a position to be one of the candidates to win the Open Cup ... Making the playoffs put us in a position to be one of these 18 teams to be able to have the opportunity to win it. And right now, the only thinking for us is how we beat LAFC in this best-of-three. This will put us in the next step to try to fight.
"Thinking more and thinking on the last rounds, it doesn't help, because we are too far away," he added. "We have to overcome a lot of obstacles throughout these games that we're going to have against LAFC, and I think the important thing for us is to focus to get one step closer."
Updates on health
Estévez shared that Osman Bukari, held out of the regular-season finale against San Jose, is training with the team, and his absence from the last game was more precautionary.
"If everything goes well, he will be ready for for the first game," Estévez said.
With Diego Rubio, however, the process could be a little longer, with the coach saying, "We're going to go week by week with Diego."
The puzzling first-round schedule could work in Austin's favor, then; though the playoffs start on Friday, the LAFC-Austin opener is the last of those first games, coming five days after the playoffs kick off with Friday night's Miami-Nashville tilt. Weirdly, there are no games on Saturday — does MLS Commissioner Don Garber have a wedding to attend that day? — a triple-header on the Sunday, a double-header on Monday, a single match on Tuesday, and then LAFC-Austin playing in L.A. the same night as Game 5 of the World Series (provided it gets to Game 5), less than seven traffic-clogged miles away.
"I think it's something that's still an issue for the league to solve," Estévez offered. "That is not easy," touting logistics that include soccer teams sharing stadiums with NFL teams, though that only applies to Seattle and Charlotte. (The BC Lions, who share BC Place with the Vancouver Whitecaps, conclude their CFL season in Saskatchewan on Saturday, and most playoff teams play in stadiums where they're the primary tenant.)
Then, of course, Verde will host LAFC a week from Sunday, with both teams on three days' rest.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
Just looking at raw numbers, Myrto Uzuni's already contributed more in one season than Emiliano Rigoni did in a season and a half worth of matches. But that doesn't tell the whole story.
It's not that Austin FC didn't show a desire to win on Sunday. It's just that they left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks against a team that excels at them.
Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez says his team is ready to play aggressively as they aim to extend their season at least one more match. But he also makes a case they were aggressive in a loss in which they only had two shots on target.
On late Wednesday afternoon, Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez fielded questions about the upcoming playoff matchup against LAFC — a team that Austin FC's already beaten twice this season, though a team that did not feature Son Heung-min, LAFC's summer acquisition that's turned a perennial MLS powerhouse into one of this year's MLS Cup favorites.
"He's a player that has enough speed to run in behind, he's a player that in a one-v-one can go inside or go outside," Estévez said. "He has a really good shot with the right foot and left foot ... he [can] come underneath and he can lay off the ball really well. Also he can turn, he can see — he's a very, very complete player.
"He's making the difference for LAFC, and he's making an impact in the league," he continued, before talking about a strategy including some possible double-team coverage against a player who's scored nearly a goal a game since arriving into the league.
And it's not just Son that Austin has to worry about when Austin FC travels to BMO Stadium next Wednesday to open their best-of-three first-round playoff series.
Since his arrival, Son has given a boost to established Verde nemesis Denis Bouanga, who has 24 goals and nine assists on the season, and has elevated a level beyond his already lofty heights since Son arrived.
"It's a collective effort," Estévez said on how his team will aim to stop the pair. "Since they've been playing, I think they score or contribute with an assist in every game that they play together. No team has stopped them yet. This says a lot about the quality of these players.
"We feel confident on our talent, on our roster and our players, but also a collective game plan that will allow us to to do well," he continued. "We know, anytime you play against quality players, that they can bring something out of nothing, and it doesn't matter how how good your plan is. I always put the example of [Lionel] Messi and Jordi Alba. Probably every team just trains how to defend that combination throughout the whole time, and every game, they have a chance, so they score a goal through that combination. For that reason, I think for us, it's important that we focus on on the collective. We focus on how we can deal collectively against them, but also how we can be better on the attacking third in order that if they bring something out of nothing, and they punish us, that we also can punish them."
Measuring success
Given that 18 teams had the chance to win MLS Cup heading into the playoffs — narrowed to 16 after Orlando City and Real Salt Lake lost their playoff games on Wednesday night — is it possible to measure success by metrics other than winning it all?
"In order to be champions, you have to put yourself in a position to win, to have the possibility to win," he said. "I think in the Open Cup, advancing every round, it put us closer in a position to be one of the candidates to win the Open Cup ... Making the playoffs put us in a position to be one of these 18 teams to be able to have the opportunity to win it. And right now, the only thinking for us is how we beat LAFC in this best-of-three. This will put us in the next step to try to fight.
"Thinking more and thinking on the last rounds, it doesn't help, because we are too far away," he added. "We have to overcome a lot of obstacles throughout these games that we're going to have against LAFC, and I think the important thing for us is to focus to get one step closer."
Updates on health
Estévez shared that Osman Bukari, held out of the regular-season finale against San Jose, is training with the team, and his absence from the last game was more precautionary.
"If everything goes well, he will be ready for for the first game," Estévez said.
With Diego Rubio, however, the process could be a little longer, with the coach saying, "We're going to go week by week with Diego."
The puzzling first-round schedule could work in Austin's favor, then; though the playoffs start on Friday, the LAFC-Austin opener is the last of those first games, coming five days after the playoffs kick off with Friday night's Miami-Nashville tilt. Weirdly, there are no games on Saturday — does MLS Commissioner Don Garber have a wedding to attend that day? — a triple-header on the Sunday, a double-header on Monday, a single match on Tuesday, and then LAFC-Austin playing in L.A. the same night as Game 5 of the World Series (provided it gets to Game 5), less than seven traffic-clogged miles away.
"I think it's something that's still an issue for the league to solve," Estévez offered. "That is not easy," touting logistics that include soccer teams sharing stadiums with NFL teams, though that only applies to Seattle and Charlotte. (The BC Lions, who share BC Place with the Vancouver Whitecaps, conclude their CFL season in Saskatchewan on Saturday, and most playoff teams play in stadiums where they're the primary tenant.)
Then, of course, Verde will host LAFC a week from Sunday, with both teams on three days' rest.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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