The 20,000 strong Verde faithful weren’t treated to the most aesthetically pleasing soccer match in Q2 Stadium’s history Sunday night, but nobody seemed to mind much as Maxi Urruti’s 58th minute goal and Brad Stuver’s clean sheet lifted Austin FC to a 1-0 win over Western Conference rivals Minnesota United.
The tight, tense victory improved the Oaks’ record to three wins, two draws, and one loss on the season as the second-year club continues to make Q2 Stadium a Verde house of horrors for visiting clubs. Austin FC has yet to lose in four games there in 2022, capturing 10 out of a possible 12 points on home turf. The club’s performance in this latest result – regrettably televised to a national audience on FS1 – fell well short of the gangbusters 5-0 and 5-1 wins with which Austin FC kicked off the season, but that did not bother head coach Josh Wolff one bit.
“I think this was one of my favorite wins,” Wolff said postgame. “It showed a lot of character.”
His captain, Alex Ring, agreed. “It was a grind. I think we accepted it, we embraced it, and a 1-0 win can sometimes feel better than 5-0, 5-1 wins. I think we earned this win.”
That said, the match began with a first half that, in just 45 minutes, essentially set MLS back a full decade in terms of quality. The teams combined for two total shots and what felt like dozens of airmailed crosses and completely aimless passes. It was painful to watch, would be painful to write any more about, so we’ll leave it at that and move on to the second half.
Which is when, in the 58th minute, Urruti broke the deadlock with his second world-class goal in as many weeks, volleying a Hector Jimenez cross into the bottom corner.
The break-through in Austin! 🟩
Maxi Urruti finishes the cross and puts @AustinFC ahead. 🏹 pic.twitter.com/oA0oXWsIda
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 11, 2022
The goal was followed almost immediately by a slew of Austin FC substitutions meant to shore up the Verde defense which, unlike last weekend in San Jose, achieved its desired effect. Rather than sit back and let Minnesota dominate possession, Austin FC continued to keep the pressure on the Loons and came close to finding the second goal on several occasions. The hosts finished with 58% possession and the edge in both shots and shots on goal en route to what was, ultimately, a deserved victory.
As an added bonus, in the 87th minute the sellout crowd got to welcome striker Danny Hoesen to the Q2 Stadium pitch for the first time as the Dutchman made his long-awaited return from a hip injury that had kept him out of action since May 2021.
The added depth in attack will be crucial for Austin FC as the club soldiers on without the services of designated player Cecilio Domínguez, who the league put on indefinite suspension while it investigates the Domínguez for “possible off-field misconduct,” per a joint MLS/Austin FC announcement from Friday. No further details on the situation were given after Sunday’s match.
Next up for Austin FC is the club’s first road trip to the Eastern time zone as they take on D.C. United in the nation’s capital Saturday, April 16, at 6:30pm CT.
Read more Austin FC coverage – including Eric Goodman’s weekly column, “The Verde Report” – at austinchronicle.com/austin-fc. Follow him on Twitter: @goodman. To get game recaps, news, and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe at austinchronicle.com/newsletters.
This article appears in April 8 • 2022.
