The Verde Report: Grading Coach Wolff After Season 2’s First Five Matches

Coach Josh Wolff speaks with media in February 2022 (Photo by John Anderson)

For much of Austin FC's short history, head coach Josh Wolff has been a divisive figure among fans of the club. His backers tend to appreciate the ball-dominant, "champagne football" brand of attacking soccer his coaching philosophy strives to produce, while his critics look at a paltry 9-21-4 record in 2021, along with some of the decisions that contributed to it, as signs that Austin FC should consider a change at skipper.

Coming into the 2022 season, many of Wolff's staunchest doubters across social media and beyond seemed to collectively settle on the same measuring stick that would color their opinions on the Austin FC managerial situation for the rest of the year. It boiled down to: "We'll give him five games."

Now, to be absolutely clear ... that frame of thinking is profoundly silly and short-sighted. But considering Austin FC just wrapped up its fifth match of the season last weekend, let's humor those restless Verde fans and explore how Wolff and his club have performed in the early goings of year two.

This big-picture sitrep is generally positive. Austin FC currently sits fourth in the Western Conference with 8 points thanks to a pair of wins and a pair of draws, with one loss in there as well. And thanks to its 10-goals-over-two-games blitzkrieg to start the season, the Oaks own the second-best goal difference in all of MLS at +8.

Even the most devout #WolffOut campaigners can't deny the impressiveness with which Wolff and his retooled Austin FC kicked off 2022, with 5-0 and 5-1 wins over FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami, respectively, at Q2 Stadium. Those performances demonstrated just how lethal Wolff's blueprint can be, especially at home and especially when facing an opponent with suspect defending.

The ensuing three matches, of course, were a bit more of a regression to the mean. Against Portland on the road and Seattle at home, the Verde played reasonably well, hanging on to more than 60% possession in both matches. However, a lack of precision in the final third meant that, much like on many occasions last season, Austin FC struggled to convert that possession advantage into goals. They scored just one across both matches.

Then last Saturday night, arguably Wolff's most concerning weakness – an inability to protect leads on the road – reemerged as Austin FC saw a 2-0 lead dissolve into a 2-2 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. Five times last season the Verde scored first as the visiting team, and only one of those matches ended in 3 points. It's been over 11 months since the club last registered a victory on the road, and Saturday's match gave a reminder as to why.

After a strong first half playing on the front foot, the Oaks took their collective foot off the throttle once the two-goal lead was obtained. Wolff's defensive-minded substitutions were unable to turn the tide; in fact, several of them immediately preceded the two San Jose goals. Wolff frequently highlights the difficulty of earning victories on the road, but his conservativeness in those critical moments has helped turn that into something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, while it's been an overall encouraging start to Wolff's second season as a head coach, there's also been plenty of fodder for those looking for a reason to stay sour. Through five matches, it's a solid B from us, which reflects legitimate improvement. Ultimately, there's nothing to suggest Wolff has anything but the utmost support from club ownership, which is all that actually matters. He'll be back in the Q2 Stadium technical area Sunday night when Austin FC takes on Minnesota United at 6:55pm on FS1.