As moments go in the 2023 season, Austin FC’s 4-2 loss to LAFC on Saturday night doesn’t necessarily go down as the worst.
There are a number of candidates: There’s the Kipp Keller back pass to Jared Stroud in the opener against St. Louis, the trio of goals ceded by Amro Tarek in the Dominican Republic disaster that was the team’s Concacaf Champions League debut, the last-gasp Nkosi Tafari header to allow FC Dallas to beat Austin in what could have been a Copa Tejas clincher, any number of injuries that plagued Austin throughout the season, or the ten-match winless streak the team only broke at home this past Wednesday.
So, Saturday’s loss might not be the worst moment. But it’s functionally the last moment of a 2023 season stepped in disappointment, that will end at a fixed date before the playoffs start.
