Perhaps fittingly, Austin FC was hoist on its own petard Saturday, with an own goal kicking off the scoring and ending up the decisive goal. The visitors dropped to 14th in the West with the loss.
In Austin FC's last match before a two-month break for the World Cup — and in its first match having moved on from both head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell — an own goal from Guilherme Biro, a set-piece goal by Fallou Fall, and an open-play goal from Daniel Edelman doomed Austin FC to a 3-0 loss at Energizer Park on Saturday afternoon.
Myrto Uzuni, listed questionable before the match, didn't get into the matchday 20, but Dani Pereira and Owen Wolff got their first starts together in a lineup this season — after 14 matches in which injury prevented that from happening. Christian Ramírez also got a starting nod, and in keeping with Estévezian lineup principles, interim head coach started three left backs, putting Guilherme Biro in at the conventional left back slot while also deploying Joseph Rosales and Jon Gallagher.
Verde was on the front foot early, getting 15 entries into the final third to St. Louis' zero in the first 13 minutes. It did take the 10th minute for either side to get a shot off, coming in the form of Jon Bell, with Ben Lundt easily handling that. A few minutes later, Rafael Santos tested Brad Stuver, once St. Louis discovered Verde's final third, to get City some slight momentum.
St. Louis had to spend a sub and sub window in the 22nd, with Dante Polvara coming off for Lucas MacNaughton.
The first real moment of danger came in the 33rd minute, when Dani Pereira fouled Marcel Hartel from behind, leading to an Eduard Löwen free kick that went just over the bar. Two minutes later, Hartel ran onto a loose ball in a sequence in front of goal, with a sliding Joseph Rosales blocking the attempt.
Finally, in the 40th minute, the hosts broke through in the weirdest way possible, with Tomas Totland sending in a cross that bounced off Biro's head and past Stuver for the opener.
Verde had one more chance before halftime, but Facundo Torres, getting just the team's second shot on target, rolled it slowly to Lundt after failing to get sufficient power on it.
After halftime, St. Louis engineered several chances to eventually double the lead. Löwen got off a dangerous 52nd minute shot that hit woodwork and then Chris Durkin forced a diving save from Stuver on a 56th-minute shot. The subsequent corner from Marcel Hartel got a second phase, in which a lightly guarded Fall deftly hit a shot far post that Stuver had no chance on.
Brandon Vázquez was activated in the 60th minute along with Jayden Nelson, in a tribute to a World Cup that could have been.
Following several chances in front of goal on a free kick, Bell gave way in the 76th, as did Pereira, allowing Nicolás Dubersarsky and Žan Kolmanič to come on. Four minutes later, Owen Wolff was replaced by CJ Fodrey.
In the 82nd, Löwen got played into the box by Totland and an inattentive defense allowed him to get off a shot that Stuver parried away to keep the score at two. In the 90th, Edelman added to the tally, assisted by Cedric Teuchert, who had subbed in just minutes before.
The loss was Austin's third straight, stretching its winless streak to four.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Rosales might have been delaying the inevitable, but his block on Hartel showed that getting him as an offseason pickup might be the best thing Rodolfo Borrell did for Austin.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Dani Pereira is still good for one "why did you do that" play a game six years into his career; today's was the foul on Hartel at the edge of the box, where Löwen can punish teams on free kicks.
One thing you might have missed
For a while, an inability to produce replays led the Apple TV broadcast to display an "experiencing technical difficulties" banner; the metaphorical quality was not lost on John Muller.
St. Louis didn't get a shot on target until the 56th minute.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
In what was supposed to be Verde's easiest stretch of the season, it got one point out of 12 to finish the six-match gift with just seven of 18 points. The pair of wins to start that, to Houston and to this St. Louis team in Austin, seem like they were many months ago.
A question we have heading into the press conference
It's going to center around motivation.
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.
Austin FC has a three-match losing streak going, outscored 10-1 in that stretch, but it's mercifully paused for a two-month break. Yet interim head coach Davy Arnaud was encouraged by what he saw Saturday.
Since Austin FC last faced St. Louis City SC, that team went undefeated in league play and got to the U.S. Open Cup's final four. We get into their exploits with someone following them closely.
Voting for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game squad ends Thursday night. Austin FC's Brad Stuver is currently, deservedly, among the vote leaders at goalkeeper.
In Austin FC's last match before a two-month break for the World Cup — and in its first match having moved on from both head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell — an own goal from Guilherme Biro, a set-piece goal by Fallou Fall, and an open-play goal from Daniel Edelman doomed Austin FC to a 3-0 loss at Energizer Park on Saturday afternoon.
Myrto Uzuni, listed questionable before the match, didn't get into the matchday 20, but Dani Pereira and Owen Wolff got their first starts together in a lineup this season — after 14 matches in which injury prevented that from happening. Christian Ramírez also got a starting nod, and in keeping with Estévezian lineup principles, interim head coach started three left backs, putting Guilherme Biro in at the conventional left back slot while also deploying Joseph Rosales and Jon Gallagher.
Verde was on the front foot early, getting 15 entries into the final third to St. Louis' zero in the first 13 minutes. It did take the 10th minute for either side to get a shot off, coming in the form of Jon Bell, with Ben Lundt easily handling that. A few minutes later, Rafael Santos tested Brad Stuver, once St. Louis discovered Verde's final third, to get City some slight momentum.
St. Louis had to spend a sub and sub window in the 22nd, with Dante Polvara coming off for Lucas MacNaughton.
The first real moment of danger came in the 33rd minute, when Dani Pereira fouled Marcel Hartel from behind, leading to an Eduard Löwen free kick that went just over the bar. Two minutes later, Hartel ran onto a loose ball in a sequence in front of goal, with a sliding Joseph Rosales blocking the attempt.
Finally, in the 40th minute, the hosts broke through in the weirdest way possible, with Tomas Totland sending in a cross that bounced off Biro's head and past Stuver for the opener.
Verde had one more chance before halftime, but Facundo Torres, getting just the team's second shot on target, rolled it slowly to Lundt after failing to get sufficient power on it.
After halftime, St. Louis engineered several chances to eventually double the lead. Löwen got off a dangerous 52nd minute shot that hit woodwork and then Chris Durkin forced a diving save from Stuver on a 56th-minute shot. The subsequent corner from Marcel Hartel got a second phase, in which a lightly guarded Fall deftly hit a shot far post that Stuver had no chance on.
Brandon Vázquez was activated in the 60th minute along with Jayden Nelson, in a tribute to a World Cup that could have been.
Following several chances in front of goal on a free kick, Bell gave way in the 76th, as did Pereira, allowing Nicolás Dubersarsky and Žan Kolmanič to come on. Four minutes later, Owen Wolff was replaced by CJ Fodrey.
In the 82nd, Löwen got played into the box by Totland and an inattentive defense allowed him to get off a shot that Stuver parried away to keep the score at two. In the 90th, Edelman added to the tally, assisted by Cedric Teuchert, who had subbed in just minutes before.
The loss was Austin's third straight, stretching its winless streak to four.
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
Rosales might have been delaying the inevitable, but his block on Hartel showed that getting him as an offseason pickup might be the best thing Rodolfo Borrell did for Austin.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Dani Pereira is still good for one "why did you do that" play a game six years into his career; today's was the foul on Hartel at the edge of the box, where Löwen can punish teams on free kicks.
One thing you might have missed
For a while, an inability to produce replays led the Apple TV broadcast to display an "experiencing technical difficulties" banner; the metaphorical quality was not lost on John Muller.
One nerdy tidbit
St. Louis didn't get a shot on target until the 56th minute.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
In what was supposed to be Verde's easiest stretch of the season, it got one point out of 12 to finish the six-match gift with just seven of 18 points. The pair of wins to start that, to Houston and to this St. Louis team in Austin, seem like they were many months ago.
A question we have heading into the press conference
It's going to center around motivation.
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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