Austin FC needed a win or draw on Saturday night to officially qualify for the postseason. They did not do that.
Austin FC came into Saturday night needing just a win or a draw to clinch a 2025 MLS playoff spot.
They did not do that, losing 3-1 at home to St. Louis City SC, with Oleksandr Svatok the unlikely goal scorer for Austin — but Marcel Hartel the more likely (and more proficient) goal scorer for St. Louis.
While they can still get to the playoffs tomorrow — literally tomorrow — it will hinge on a single victor emerging from the RSL-Colorado match that went to halftime (with RSL leading 1-0) as Austin's match went final, and Vancouver getting a result tomorrow against the Quakes.
In the process, Brad Stuver broke Tony Meola's record for most regular-season saves in five consecutive MLS seasons, finally getting to 620 and then some.
Fans who were on Stuver Save Watch had to wait a bit. Marcel Hartel got the match's first shot in the fifth minute, sailing it over the bar. Hartel did the same in the 19th, and Joao Klauss had a header over the bar in the 17th to get into the mix. In fact, Stuver's biggest action in the first 20 minutes was pouncing on a ball that bounced off an Austin player inadvertently toward goal.
In the 23rd minute, Klauss headed weakly toward goal, and Stuver was able to collect for his Meola-trying save. A minute later, Kessler had a looping header toward the far post, with just an .02 xG chance, but it counted as the record breaker once Stuver collected it.
In the 27th, though, Hartel got the ball in space and hit a shot, outpacing Verde defenders in the process, that Stuver couldn't save, and St. Louis went up.
Austin's first true scoring chance came in the 36th, with Owen Wolff squeaking into a dangerous part of the box between two defenders, and getting off a shot that, while weak, was deflected for a corner kick. On that corner kick, Svatok towered over St. Louis' defense and headed the ball in to equalize.
But Hartel would get his second in the 45th, slipping though Austin's defense again, with Brendan Hines-Ike attempting a takeaway and getting turned around on that plant foot, with body language after the goal registering his dismay.
Dani Pereira nearly got a goal in the 58th on a rocket that just skimmed over the bar — two minutes after Estévez put in his first pair of subs, getting Rubio in for Sabovic and Žan Kolmanič to spell a still-probably-minutes-restricted Mikkel Desler, with Jon Gallagher switching from left back to right back.
In the 64th, St. Louis made a pair of subs, getting Jeong Sang-bin out in favor of Mykhi Joyner, and Brendan McSorley in for Célio Pompeu.
In the 69th, CJ Fodrey came in for Ilie, making the lineup just about as offense-oriented as Estévez could make it.
In the 78th, Estévez made his last pair of subs, getting in Robert Taylor for Osman Bukari and Nicolás Dubersarsky in for Wolff.
Fodrey, Uzuni, and Taylor combined tantalizingly for a chance in the 84th, with all three managing to touch or at least be in the vicinity of the ball in front of goal.
St. Louis went into some momentum-blunting strategies after that, and in the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Simon Becher chipped Stuver on a run where he just managed to stay onside and then get past a trailing Gallagher for the deflating insurance goal.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Uzuni's 41st-minute volley on a corner was a wonderfully drawn set piece, and he hit it just wide. He knew just how much celebrating would have happened had that gone in.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Ilie Sánchez clattering into Henry Kessler toward halftime led to a free kick and a dangerous shot akin to St. Louis' first goal ... and it put Ilie into the book needlessly.
One thing you might have missed
Continuing the theme of extracurriculars on corner kicks from Wednesday, after Svatok's goal, TV cameras caught just enough of Besard Šabović shoving his defender forcibly. (No card given.)
Also, seemed to be quite a few Austin players slipping on the turf throughout the night.
One nerdy tidbit
A half hour into the match, St. Louis was leading Verde 6-1 in shots.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
Counting the Open Cup final, Austin's lost three straight matches, and while they haven't been shut out of any of them, they have been outscored 8-3 in those matches — including one they were absolutely up for and one they should have been up for.
A question we have heading into the press conference
I'm going to ask about that very thing ... and how to guard against Verde's late-season swoon, a condition that has plagued them in past seasons.
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.
Saturday's loss to St. Louis City SC completed the team's first three-match losing streak since May. Verde can still make the playoffs today, but may not avoid the play-in game.
You've heard this before, but Austin FC can qualify for the playoffs this weekend — even if they lose. And there's a record we fully expect Brad Stuver to break on Saturday night regardless of results.
While Dani Pereira and Jon Gallagher expressed disgruntlement over the call the game turned on, team leaders wanted to focus on using this pain as further motivation for the challenges to come.
Austin FC came into Saturday night needing just a win or a draw to clinch a 2025 MLS playoff spot.
They did not do that, losing 3-1 at home to St. Louis City SC, with Oleksandr Svatok the unlikely goal scorer for Austin — but Marcel Hartel the more likely (and more proficient) goal scorer for St. Louis.
While they can still get to the playoffs tomorrow — literally tomorrow — it will hinge on a single victor emerging from the RSL-Colorado match that went to halftime (with RSL leading 1-0) as Austin's match went final, and Vancouver getting a result tomorrow against the Quakes.
In the process, Brad Stuver broke Tony Meola's record for most regular-season saves in five consecutive MLS seasons, finally getting to 620 and then some.
Fans who were on Stuver Save Watch had to wait a bit. Marcel Hartel got the match's first shot in the fifth minute, sailing it over the bar. Hartel did the same in the 19th, and Joao Klauss had a header over the bar in the 17th to get into the mix. In fact, Stuver's biggest action in the first 20 minutes was pouncing on a ball that bounced off an Austin player inadvertently toward goal.
In the 23rd minute, Klauss headed weakly toward goal, and Stuver was able to collect for his Meola-trying save. A minute later, Kessler had a looping header toward the far post, with just an .02 xG chance, but it counted as the record breaker once Stuver collected it.
In the 27th, though, Hartel got the ball in space and hit a shot, outpacing Verde defenders in the process, that Stuver couldn't save, and St. Louis went up.
Austin's first true scoring chance came in the 36th, with Owen Wolff squeaking into a dangerous part of the box between two defenders, and getting off a shot that, while weak, was deflected for a corner kick. On that corner kick, Svatok towered over St. Louis' defense and headed the ball in to equalize.
But Hartel would get his second in the 45th, slipping though Austin's defense again, with Brendan Hines-Ike attempting a takeaway and getting turned around on that plant foot, with body language after the goal registering his dismay.
Dani Pereira nearly got a goal in the 58th on a rocket that just skimmed over the bar — two minutes after Estévez put in his first pair of subs, getting Rubio in for Sabovic and Žan Kolmanič to spell a still-probably-minutes-restricted Mikkel Desler, with Jon Gallagher switching from left back to right back.
In the 64th, St. Louis made a pair of subs, getting Jeong Sang-bin out in favor of Mykhi Joyner, and Brendan McSorley in for Célio Pompeu.
In the 69th, CJ Fodrey came in for Ilie, making the lineup just about as offense-oriented as Estévez could make it.
In the 78th, Estévez made his last pair of subs, getting in Robert Taylor for Osman Bukari and Nicolás Dubersarsky in for Wolff.
Fodrey, Uzuni, and Taylor combined tantalizingly for a chance in the 84th, with all three managing to touch or at least be in the vicinity of the ball in front of goal.
St. Louis went into some momentum-blunting strategies after that, and in the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Simon Becher chipped Stuver on a run where he just managed to stay onside and then get past a trailing Gallagher for the deflating insurance goal.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Uzuni's 41st-minute volley on a corner was a wonderfully drawn set piece, and he hit it just wide. He knew just how much celebrating would have happened had that gone in.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Ilie Sánchez clattering into Henry Kessler toward halftime led to a free kick and a dangerous shot akin to St. Louis' first goal ... and it put Ilie into the book needlessly.
One thing you might have missed
Continuing the theme of extracurriculars on corner kicks from Wednesday, after Svatok's goal, TV cameras caught just enough of Besard Šabović shoving his defender forcibly. (No card given.)
Also, seemed to be quite a few Austin players slipping on the turf throughout the night.
One nerdy tidbit
A half hour into the match, St. Louis was leading Verde 6-1 in shots.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
Counting the Open Cup final, Austin's lost three straight matches, and while they haven't been shut out of any of them, they have been outscored 8-3 in those matches — including one they were absolutely up for and one they should have been up for.
A question we have heading into the press conference
I'm going to ask about that very thing ... and how to guard against Verde's late-season swoon, a condition that has plagued them in past seasons.
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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