WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: LA GALAXY
Welcome back to What You Need To Know, a preview for Austin FC fans to check in on their next opponent.
After beating Houston 1-0 last weekend thanks to a late Emiliano Rigoni goal Austin FC is back at Q2 against the LA Galaxy. Austin has won three of their last four matches and is currently sitting 8th in the Western Conference. They begin a tough stretch of opponents which started away to Houston (3rd at the time), LA Galaxy at home (1st in the West), and next weekend at Vancouver (2nd in the West). With their win they also took a commanding lead in this year’s Copa Tejas standings and could potentially have that wrapped in May depending on the results of other matches and if they continue the trend of beating the other Texas teams.
History vs. Austin FC:
Austin FC is 1-4-1 against LA Galaxy all-time, their only win in this fixture in 2021, when Austin beat the Galaxy 2-0 thanks to goals from Moussa Djitte and McKinze Gaines.
Recent Matches:
The Galaxy beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-3 in a game they led by three goals twice. They’re currently in first place in the Western Conference and won four of their last five matches.
Players to Watch:
Dejan Joveljić
After being Chicharito’s understudy the past two seasons, he’s had the opportunity to consistently start up top and has already scored 6 goals in 662 minutes, currently tied for third in the league. He’s one of only 12 players to have scored three or more goals against FC.
Gabriel Pec
The Brazilian attacker has been overshadowed by the incoming Joseph Pantsil, but he scored and assisted goals against San Jose. He provides the attacking balance and moves inside to make runs into the box to try and confuse the defense. When the Galaxy are looking to counter it’s most likely him doing the running while Puig carries the ball forward.
Keys to the Match:
Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Everybody!
These are the two teams who have given up the most shots on target in the league, unsurprisingly their keepers (Brad Stuver and John McCarthy) are first and second in the league in saves. The big difference between the two sides is shots on target, Galaxy has 56 (2nd in MLS) whereas Austin has only had 20 (last in MLS).
MLS After…noon?
As I’m sure all of you are aware, there is an adage in sports about a league being “after dark” that describes matches that are a little wild or crazy (think Austin FC beating San Jose at home this season). Even though this match is set to kick off early in the afternoon it has serious “After Dark” potential. Two teams that like to play up and down without a lot of defense and have combined for a single 0-0 draw all season.
Turning your Hellos into Good Byes
The most vulnerable time for a team is in the transition period between offense and defense. Last match against Houston Austin’s transition defense was much improved. Most notably the positioning of Dani Perreira, who was able to set up along with Brandon Hines-Ike and Matt Hedges to form a solid line that didn’t allow Houston behind them. The Galaxy are a very strong transition team, led by Riqui Puig, who likes to dribble at defenses to get them on their heels while having a further forward option or two to play off of. When Austin brings numbers forward on set pieces, they need to stay aware of Puig at all times and be ready to rush back.
Picking on Form
With regular starter Julio Cascante back from a red card suspension, Coach Wolff has choices at center back, a luxury he hasn’t experienced much in Austin. With Hines-Ike and Hedges having strong performances on Saturday, will Cascante immediately regain his starting spot?
See you at Q2!
Written by Scott Specht
