Seeing Mikkel Desler pull up with a hamstring injury directly below the press box during Austin FC's 1-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday immediately led to some math – and some on-the-fly medical diagnosis – from those of us watching from that perch.
Did this look like a four-week injury? A six-week injury? We got an answer in Thursday's media availability: Desler's out for six to eight weeks, and head coach Nico Estévez predicts it will ultimately be on the longer side of that range.
And, in the short term, expect Jon Gallagher to start at right back in Desler's place for the foreseeable future, starting with Saturday's match in Los Angeles against LAFC.
"Jon is a great option for us as a right back," Estévez said in response to media members playing coach. "When he came in in the game, he helped the team a lot, and he did a really good job on that."
He did also hint that Austin FC II players could be elevated to the first team via the Short-Term Agreement mechanism, which allows up to four call-ups and two match appearances per player under an MLS rule fans have become familiar with over the past two seasons.
It's not quite the Great Center Back Crisis of 2023, yet — and Estévez did hint that Julio Cascante will soon, cautiously, be worked back into training – but it's something that hovers over the early part of the season despite Estévez's reassurances.
"You can see all over the league, every team has some issues with injuries," he said. "Some of them right at the beginning in the preseason, they had injuries, some of them are getting now. When the competition starts, the intensity and the level of demand on the physical side is you go to the limit, and these things can happen. But overall, I think the rest of the team feels good.
"Even Mikkel, talking with him, he felt really good," the head coach added. "He didn't feel anything. It was more like the action that he did. He forced too much, and this, if it's a normal action, he wouldn't have any problem. It was just because it was very unaesthetic kind of action that he did ... and unluckily, he got hurt, because he's a guy that takes care of himself. But I think the team is doing well. We have really high numbers on the physical side, compared to other teams in the league, and we just have to keep going ... and hopefully, everyone can be healthy."
Looking at the numbers
Estévez did nod toward we pointed out on Tuesday – Verde currently is the best in MLS in expected goals allowed – and had a few more stats at the ready.
"We conceded 0.42 expected goals," said Estévez, referencing StatsBomb in breaking down Saturday's performance. "It's the lowest that we've conceded so far. But I didn't feel like we were that good on the defensive side ... this is the feeling, after review that, we made some mistakes defensively."
Conversely, numbers showed that the team did well to create chances. "Depending on Opta or StatsBomb or whatever you look at is different, but around 1.5, 1.7, that's a really high number, so far from what we've done. But for me, we need to get better.[[1]] The mentality, the attitude, the intention was there, but maybe the poise, the ruthlessness[[2]], it wasn't there, and then it's about like how we can be cleaner in those moments, and after reviewing the tape, we get into really good spots, really good situations with advantages, and it's just to make better decisions."
A secret weapon?
Brad Stuver, holding a puppy during his turn with the media, also had positive things to say about the defense.
"The commitment to defending has been excellent," he observed. "I mean, even if you look at last year, our defensive numbers were better than they were in the first three years. So we've been trending in the right direction from a defensive standpoint ... and this year, the guys have really taken that role seriously, and they know that if we don't give up goals, we're in a better position to get points and win games.
"But I think overall, just the way we're playing, we're structured in a little bit better position where, if we do lose a ball, we're in a better position where we won't get hit in a counter attack. And overall, the two goals that we've given up are a set piece and kind of like a lost ball into a transition. So our set defensive structure has been showing to be pretty strong, and that's not to say that we need to stop working on it. It's something that we need to drill in and keep focusing on as the year goes, because as long as we don't give up goals, we'll be in a better position to win."
He also noted that he and his teammates have a bit of an advantage in scouting Saturday's opponent, LAFC, that they typically don't have with other opponents. That advantage, of course, is Ilie Sánchez, who ended his three-season tenure with the club in November after a playoff loss to Seattle.
"[He] obviously has a little bit more insight into the mentality and maybe some things that you can't get from watching film," he said. "Ilie has been great about just talking about the mentality that LAFC has. But for us, we know what they're about. We know how dangerous they can be in counter-attacks. And just having someone that's been there, to tell you exactly what you're saying is true, is very beneficial."
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
[[1]]: FBref, our go-to, had the xGs at 1.3 to 0.7.
[[2]]: Yes, that dreaded Wolffian word.
Seeing Mikkel Desler pull up with a hamstring injury directly below the press box during Austin FC's 1-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday immediately led to some math – and some on-the-fly medical diagnosis – from those of us watching from that perch.
Did this look like a four-week injury? A six-week injury? We got an answer in Thursday's media availability: Desler's out for six to eight weeks, and head coach Nico Estévez predicts it will ultimately be on the longer side of that range.
And, in the short term, expect Jon Gallagher to start at right back in Desler's place for the foreseeable future, starting with Saturday's match in Los Angeles against LAFC.
"Jon is a great option for us as a right back," Estévez said in response to media members playing coach. "When he came in in the game, he helped the team a lot, and he did a really good job on that."
He did also hint that Austin FC II players could be elevated to the first team via the Short-Term Agreement mechanism, which allows up to four call-ups and two match appearances per player under an MLS rule fans have become familiar with over the past two seasons.
It's not quite the Great Center Back Crisis of 2023, yet — and Estévez did hint that Julio Cascante will soon, cautiously, be worked back into training – but it's something that hovers over the early part of the season despite Estévez's reassurances.
"You can see all over the league, every team has some issues with injuries," he said. "Some of them right at the beginning in the preseason, they had injuries, some of them are getting now. When the competition starts, the intensity and the level of demand on the physical side is you go to the limit, and these things can happen. But overall, I think the rest of the team feels good.
"Even Mikkel, talking with him, he felt really good," the head coach added. "He didn't feel anything. It was more like the action that he did. He forced too much, and this, if it's a normal action, he wouldn't have any problem. It was just because it was very unaesthetic kind of action that he did ... and unluckily, he got hurt, because he's a guy that takes care of himself. But I think the team is doing well. We have really high numbers on the physical side, compared to other teams in the league, and we just have to keep going ... and hopefully, everyone can be healthy."
Looking at the numbers
Estévez did nod toward we pointed out on Tuesday – Verde currently is the best in MLS in expected goals allowed – and had a few more stats at the ready.
"We conceded 0.42 expected goals," said Estévez, referencing StatsBomb in breaking down Saturday's performance. "It's the lowest that we've conceded so far. But I didn't feel like we were that good on the defensive side ... this is the feeling, after review that, we made some mistakes defensively."
Conversely, numbers showed that the team did well to create chances. "Depending on Opta or StatsBomb or whatever you look at is different, but around 1.5, 1.7, that's a really high number, so far from what we've done. But for me, we need to get better.[[1]] The mentality, the attitude, the intention was there, but maybe the poise, the ruthlessness[[2]], it wasn't there, and then it's about like how we can be cleaner in those moments, and after reviewing the tape, we get into really good spots, really good situations with advantages, and it's just to make better decisions."
A secret weapon?
Brad Stuver, holding a puppy during his turn with the media, also had positive things to say about the defense.
"The commitment to defending has been excellent," he observed. "I mean, even if you look at last year, our defensive numbers were better than they were in the first three years. So we've been trending in the right direction from a defensive standpoint ... and this year, the guys have really taken that role seriously, and they know that if we don't give up goals, we're in a better position to get points and win games.
"But I think overall, just the way we're playing, we're structured in a little bit better position where, if we do lose a ball, we're in a better position where we won't get hit in a counter attack. And overall, the two goals that we've given up are a set piece and kind of like a lost ball into a transition. So our set defensive structure has been showing to be pretty strong, and that's not to say that we need to stop working on it. It's something that we need to drill in and keep focusing on as the year goes, because as long as we don't give up goals, we'll be in a better position to win."
He also noted that he and his teammates have a bit of an advantage in scouting Saturday's opponent, LAFC, that they typically don't have with other opponents. That advantage, of course, is Ilie Sánchez, who ended his three-season tenure with the club in November after a playoff loss to Seattle.
"[He] obviously has a little bit more insight into the mentality and maybe some things that you can't get from watching film," he said. "Ilie has been great about just talking about the mentality that LAFC has. But for us, we know what they're about. We know how dangerous they can be in counter-attacks. And just having someone that's been there, to tell you exactly what you're saying is true, is very beneficial."
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
[[1]]: FBref, our go-to, had the xGs at 1.3 to 0.7.
[[2]]: Yes, that dreaded Wolffian word.
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