Maybe you sensed one of these matches was coming.
In a rematch of a contest played just five weeks ago, Austin FC and Portland Timbers FC fought to a tense, frustrating, ultimately fruitless 0-0 draw in a cool, Cascadia-feeling Q2 Stadium.
Verde put pressure on Portland from literally the first minute of the game (see Best Verde moment that wasn't a goal below), and conversely kept the Timbers from getting a single shot until David da Costa let one fly in the 33rd minute.
Drew Fischer also made his presence felt as the center referee, failing to call either the 25th-minute David Ayala takedown of Myrto Uzuni in the box (which seemed handsy) or the 35th-minute clip of Brandon Vázquez by Jimer Fory (which seemed substantial).
Austin's defense held under the sporadic pressure the Timbers were able to mount, most notably a 41st-minute goalline clearance by Guilherme Biro when Brad Stuver was down after sliding to beat Felipe Mora to a dangerous ball, and the match remained scoreless at halftime.
The defensive effort continued as the Timbers began to ramp up their possession, forward momentum, and shots on target.
Verde finally got its first shot on target in the 80th minute, when Jon Gallagher took a ball wide and found Vázquez, who had been knocked down in the box on the sequence and then got up to head in a shot forcing James Pantemis into a leaping save.
Then, Austin found new life and new momentum, putting in more dangerous attempts, including an 85th-minute Uzuni shot that just missed after he worked himself away from defenders at the top of the box, an Uzuni 89th-minute close-range shot he dragged wide, and a Dani Pereira shot in the third minute of stoppage time that just skipped past the far post.
Verde escaped a late heartbreaking loss near the death, with Stuver going down to save a shot from former (for a glorious) 15 minutes in the expansion draft) Austin FC defender Kamal Miller.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Verde forged two chances within the first three minutes showing developing chemistry and a desire to get on the front foot. Seventeen seconds in, Osman Bukari found Vázquez for a shot he mishit from a good spot, and then in the third minute, Biro worked the ball to the end line and then found Uzuni with a pinpoint pass he headed just wide.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
In the 20th minute, Pereira challenged Antony in the open field as the Timbers broke forward, and Antony spun past him with a shoulder nudge on the way toward goal. After Brendan Hines-Ike talked about wanting to see the team improve its defensive higher up the field, that play was a microcosm of what still needs to improve.
Also, what's up with the heartbeat getting pumped up over the PA in the 64th minute on a Verde corner kick in front of your most fervent group of fans? I'm not a fan of stadium ops inserting themselves into a moment that should just be organically electric on its own?
Something you might have missed
I made sure to post this before halftime to make sure people didn't miss Phil Neville's animated coaching.
How this match fits into the season’s narrative
With the chance to go 5-2-0 on the young season (which is now about 20% done, though!), Verde got its first draw of the season, finishing their season series with Portland with a draw and a loss. Let's hope Austin doesn't get Portland in the playoffs, amirite? (Let LAFC knock them out.)
One nerdy tidbit
While Austin FC got its first shot in the first minute, its first shot on goal didn't come until the 80th minute — at which point the shots advantage was tipping significantly to the visitors. (It ended 14-11 to Portland, but with a 7-1 shots on goal advantage.)
A question we have heading into the press conference
Austin looked dangerous and goal-hungry in the first phase of the match but couldn't get a goal in this match. What's it going to take for the goals to finally come?
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.
Maybe you sensed one of these matches was coming.
In a rematch of a contest played just five weeks ago, Austin FC and Portland Timbers FC fought to a tense, frustrating, ultimately fruitless 0-0 draw in a cool, Cascadia-feeling Q2 Stadium.
Verde put pressure on Portland from literally the first minute of the game (see Best Verde moment that wasn't a goal below), and conversely kept the Timbers from getting a single shot until David da Costa let one fly in the 33rd minute.
Drew Fischer also made his presence felt as the center referee, failing to call either the 25th-minute David Ayala takedown of Myrto Uzuni in the box (which seemed handsy) or the 35th-minute clip of Brandon Vázquez by Jimer Fory (which seemed substantial).
Austin's defense held under the sporadic pressure the Timbers were able to mount, most notably a 41st-minute goalline clearance by Guilherme Biro when Brad Stuver was down after sliding to beat Felipe Mora to a dangerous ball, and the match remained scoreless at halftime.
The defensive effort continued as the Timbers began to ramp up their possession, forward momentum, and shots on target.
Verde finally got its first shot on target in the 80th minute, when Jon Gallagher took a ball wide and found Vázquez, who had been knocked down in the box on the sequence and then got up to head in a shot forcing James Pantemis into a leaping save.
Then, Austin found new life and new momentum, putting in more dangerous attempts, including an 85th-minute Uzuni shot that just missed after he worked himself away from defenders at the top of the box, an Uzuni 89th-minute close-range shot he dragged wide, and a Dani Pereira shot in the third minute of stoppage time that just skipped past the far post.
Verde escaped a late heartbreaking loss near the death, with Stuver going down to save a shot from former (for a glorious) 15 minutes in the expansion draft) Austin FC defender Kamal Miller.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Verde forged two chances within the first three minutes showing developing chemistry and a desire to get on the front foot. Seventeen seconds in, Osman Bukari found Vázquez for a shot he mishit from a good spot, and then in the third minute, Biro worked the ball to the end line and then found Uzuni with a pinpoint pass he headed just wide.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
In the 20th minute, Pereira challenged Antony in the open field as the Timbers broke forward, and Antony spun past him with a shoulder nudge on the way toward goal. After Brendan Hines-Ike talked about wanting to see the team improve its defensive higher up the field, that play was a microcosm of what still needs to improve.
Also, what's up with the heartbeat getting pumped up over the PA in the 64th minute on a Verde corner kick in front of your most fervent group of fans? I'm not a fan of stadium ops inserting themselves into a moment that should just be organically electric on its own?
Something you might have missed
I made sure to post this before halftime to make sure people didn't miss Phil Neville's animated coaching.
How this match fits into the season’s narrative
With the chance to go 5-2-0 on the young season (which is now about 20% done, though!), Verde got its first draw of the season, finishing their season series with Portland with a draw and a loss. Let's hope Austin doesn't get Portland in the playoffs, amirite? (Let LAFC knock them out.)
One nerdy tidbit
While Austin FC got its first shot in the first minute, its first shot on goal didn't come until the 80th minute — at which point the shots advantage was tipping significantly to the visitors. (It ended 14-11 to Portland, but with a 7-1 shots on goal advantage.)
A question we have heading into the press conference
Austin looked dangerous and goal-hungry in the first phase of the match but couldn't get a goal in this match. What's it going to take for the goals to finally come?
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.
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