If Austin FC is going down, it appears at least to be going down fighting.
The Verde and Black defended its way to an impressive 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park Wednesday night, staving off mathematical elimination for another few days at least. Dani Pereira, scoring for the first time in MLS play all season, provided the lone goal of the evening.
Austin held Portland, the second-most potent attack in the Western Conference, goalless for just the fourth time in 32 MLS matches, and for the first time at home. The Timbers hadn’t lost on home turf since May 12.
“It was a great effort. It’s a terribly difficult place to come and play,” ATX head coach Josh Wolff said. “There’s a lot to be proud of.”
Austin frustrated Portland’s attacking stars, who were unable to translate 26 shots and 11 shots on goal into anything on the scoreboard. Evander, the club’s Brazilian DP No. 10, had more shots by himself (8) than Austin FC had in the match (7).
However, in the 42nd minute, Austin FC got the kind of lucky break that’s seemingly been missing for so much of the season. Pereira’s shot from 23 yards out deflected off Portland defender Kamal Miller, rendering goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau a helpless spectator as the shot floated into the Portland net.
From that point on, the match belonged to the ATX defense, led by goalkeeper Brad Stuver, whose 11 saves vaulted him to the top of the league rankings with 123 on the season. The eighth clean sheet also lifted Austin FC into a tie for third in the Western Conference in that category.
It was a standout game in particular for Austin FC newcomer Oleksandr Svatok, who barely put a foot wrong in his second start since joining the Verde and Black.
The club will remain on the west coast through Saturday, when it takes on the LA Galaxy in the final road match of the season. Anything less than a win will trigger elimination for Austin FC from the MLS Cup Playoffs, as will a Portland win or draw against FC Dallas the following night.
For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle‘s Austin FC hub. Follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.
This article appears in September 27 • 2024.
