Sebastián Driussi, ¿dónde fuiste? Where have you gone?
In an Austin FC season fraught with difficult questions, none are more problematic – or more confounding – than the one addressing its star number 10’s performance in 2024.
Barring an absolutely massive uptick in form over the final five matches of the season, Driussi’s season will be one to quickly forget. The ATX DP midfielder, who from 2021 to 2023 was the standout presence virtually anytime the Verde and Black took the pitch, has been mostly invisible this year. It’s one of the biggest reasons why the club appears destined to miss out on the MLS Cup Playoffs.
A quick glance at the numbers: Driussi, the fifth-highest-paid player in MLS per the MLSPA, has just seven goal contributions (five goals, two assists) through 22 matches. He’s scoring or assisting on just 0.35 goals per 90 minutes, miles below the mark of 0.84 he set during his lights-out, MVP-caliber 2022 campaign, and even a massive step down from his rate of 0.59 last season.
His shots total is down, as is his shots-on-target rate, expected goals, shot-creating actions, and goal-creating actions. He’s even struggled at the penalty spot, converting just two of four chances on the year. Most glaring of all: Driussi hasn’t found the back of the net in an MLS match since mid-May.
For as much as Austin FC relies on Driussi to both create and also finish scoring chances – he leads the team in touches inside the opposing penalty box, per FBref – it’s consequently not a surprise to see the club dead last in goals among Western Conference teams.
“There’s probably a lot of reasons [for it],” head coach Josh Wolff said Tuesday of Driussi’s struggles. “I think, you know, getting injured at the beginning of the year doesn’t start you off in a good way when you miss the first six games. … I think he lost a lot of momentum and confidence coming through [May’s Sporting Kansas City and] Portland games where he missed a couple penalties.
“I think that affected him,” Wolff said, “and it does affect the group.”
Wolff even took action in July to try to lighten Driussi’s mental load by taking the captain’s armband off the Argentine and returning it to Alex Ring, so far to no avail.
“We just had a discussion internally about it, and we do things that we feel is best for the team in a broad view,” was Wolff’s non-answer du jour when probed about the captaincy swap.
So, is Driussi washed? A shell of his former self, never again to resemble the player ATX fans fell in love with circa 2022? Probably not. He’s still young (he turns 29 in February) and still immensely talented. He’ll likely create and score many more goals before he hangs up his shin guards.
The only question: How many of those goals will be for Austin FC?
Sporting director Rodolfo Borrell has an interesting decision to make regarding Driussi. Does the pragmatic Spaniard see Driussi as a centerpiece of his Verde blueprint going forward? If so, more will obviously be needed and expected from El Crack next season and beyond.
If not, then for the sake of both club and player, a move should be made this offseason. Top MLS clubs haven’t been afraid to suddenly part ways with top DP talent in recent years (see: LAFC with Diego Rossi and Cristian Arango, Columbus with Lucas Zelarayán) and Austin should be no different.
Perhaps, before season’s end, Driussi will remind Austin how special he can be at his best. If nothing else, it would make for a fonder farewell.
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This article appears in September 20 • 2024.
