I took on a project during this international break: Review all 43 goals scored on Austin FC this season to see if I could learn some things about how the team’s playing. That’s a lot of goals to watch; in fact, the second-most in MLS this season.
Only Verde’s Sunday opponent, the Portland Timbers, have shipped more goals (one more, in fact, though both Atlanta and Charlotte have matched Austin on letting in a Jack Sikma jersey number’s worth of goals at this stage of the season).
I covered the first 14 matches and 20 goals on Monday, because 43 goals is a lot of goals. Don’t worry, though; I saved some real donkey punches, like the SKC 4-1 and St. Louis 6-3 losses, plus the worst Copa Tejas moment you’ll never want to relive, for today’s review.
I don’t want to scare you off, though. This isn’t about just reinforcing the challenges this season’s prevented; it’s thinking about what Josh Wolff, the rest of the coaching staff, and the players might do to course correct in this pivotal point of the season, as well as how sporting director Rodolfo Borrell might want to reset defensive personnel for next season.
It’s all going to come home with a horrifying stat I’ve saved for the end.
Again, we’ll assess whether the goal happened while the team was in defensive posture, in transition, on a set piece, or just completely botching playing the ball out of the back, as well as who’s at fault for the goal.
Let’s rip some band-aids off — together. (We start up again with a win.)
