Sebastián Driussi exited Austin FC’s 2-0 loss to the Portland Timbers in the 60th minute due to an apparent injury Credit: credit: Austin FC

Austin FC’s franchise record five-match home winning streak came to an anticlimactic end Wednesday night as the Verde and Black fell, 2-0, to the Portland Timbers.

It’s not often that Austin’s two stars, midfielder Sebastián Driussi and goalkeeper Brad Stuver, are decisively outplayed by their counterparts on the opposing team, but that was the difference in the match which saw Austin dominate possession, shots, and expected goals, but still come up on the short end of the result.

Things began promisingly for Austin FC and Driussi, who employed stellar footwork in the 18-yard box to draw a foul and earn the home side a penalty kick in the 13th minute. However, Driussi saw his ensuing spot kick saved by Portland keeper James Pantemis, who guessed correctly diving low to his left to gobble up the ATX captain’s strike. It was Driussi’s second consecutive miss from the spot after burying his first nine as Austin’s penalty taker.

Driussi also failed to capitalize on two excellent scoring chances resulting from Portland defensive mistakes later in the first half. The first, a shot from the top of the box in the 19th minute, was blocked. The second, a volley from point-blank range, was saved by Pantemis.

Making Driussi’s night worse, the Argentine exited the match with still a half-hour to play having sustained an apparent lower-body injury, which head coach Josh Wolff said would be examined via an MRI.

Later in the evening, Driussi posted a message to Austin FC fans on his Instagram, saying, “I’m very sorry these are things that can happen in soccer. I will return much stronger.”

Meanwhile, the night belonged to Portland’s No. 10, Evander. In first half stoppage time, the Brazilian stepped over a free kick 30 yards in front of Stuver’s goal, then uncorked a spectacular curling strike that nestled between Stuver and the near post, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Later, in the 64th minute, Evander also played a smart pass into the ATX penalty box that gave center back Brendan Hines-Ike all sorts of trouble. Hines-Ike ended up clumsily bowling over Portland winger Antony (who, like Evander, goes by one name only), conceding a penalty.

Jonathan Rodríguez did what Driussi couldn’t, sending Stuver the wrong way and scoring from the spot to double Portland’s lead. The Timbers warded off all of ATXFC’s remaining looks at goal to kill off the game.

“It’s deflating not to make the most of our opportunities,” Wolff said. “It’s a difficult game, obviously, to lose.”

The Verde and Black don’t have time to sulk, however. They’re back at it Saturday night, on the road against Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake. And they may be without their captain leading the way.

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 May 24 • 2024.

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Eric Goodman has covered Austin FC for the Austin Chronicle since before the club first kicked a ball in 2021. His column, The Verde Report, continues the Chronicle's decades-long tradition of soccer-focused commentary, serving as a spiritual successor to Nick Barbaro's Soccer Watch column. Eric has also covered multiple Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups as a freelance sports journalist, and is a two-time Emmy-winning producer.