Austin FC vs. Minnesota United FC

Q2 Stadium | Austin, Texas

05.31.2023 | MLS Week No. 16 | MLS Game No. 15

7:30 p.m. CT (AppleTV - Free, 1500 ESPN)

Hello, fellow waterfowl enthusiasts, and welcome back from your long holiday weekend. As for the Loons, following their 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake, they head south to where the folks keep things weird, as the boys face Austin FC at Q2 Stadium this Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. To be honest, things in that city have looked a little weird for the Verde and Black thus far in 2023. After a stellar 2022 campaign, Austin came into this season with some lofty expectations about expanding on that success. However, it's been a rough go of things for our opponents in the first half of 2023, and if the Loons can have things their way, they only want to add to the long, strange trip that has been Austin's 2023 season.

Minnesota United -

Run of Form: D-L-W-W-L

The draw against Real Salt Lake wasn't exactly the result the Black and Blue were looking for, but it still will suffice as a positive. And, aside from their 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Houston in the U.S. Open Cup, positive results have been more of the norm lately for the Loons. While it hasn’t been every game, the 2023 Loons continue to find success on the road and are hoping for a similar result in Austin as they had in their last MLS match away from Allianz Field, a thrilling last-second win at Portland. While crowning the lads as “road warriors” feels a bit premature at this point in the season, the Loons do boast an MLS-high for road wins this season.

Austin FC -

Run of Form: L-L-W-W-L

While the Loons haven’t been among the league’s most potent attacks this season, their U.S. Open Cup firepower has been top-notch. In two games, they’ve put in a total of six goals. That’s half as many goals as they’ve scored in 13 league matches. That means that while MNUFC averages less than a goal per game in the league, they’re averaging exactly three goals per game in their Open Cup run. Not only are they scoring more in the tournament, they’re finding goals all over the pitch, with five different goal scorers adding their names to the scoresheet. Adrian Heath will certainly be hoping to see the magic of the cup keep this attacking excellence going tomorrow night.

Keys to the Match:

Bongi-aide

Somehow, with the season he’s had so far, the idea of a soft drink named after him seems almost plausible, doesn’t it? Dare to dream…anyway, we’re talking about a different kind of aide—as in, who amongst the supporting cast can step up and match Hlongwane’s firepower? That’s not to say that the likes of García, Fragapane and others haven’t had their own moments of magic over the recent run of games. But the question remains, who can find consistency in grabbing hold of the moments that make for game-changing plays? Obviously, that’s easier said than done, but those moments are there for the taking. Last Saturday’s draw with RSL saw a number of nice crossing passes landed in the goal box, only to land without another Loon in the vicinity to take advantage. While you could chalk it up to the old “right place, right time” argument, you could also say that players who force the action and create their own scoring opportunities, as Hlongwane has done this season, are generally the ones who find themselves in the right place at the right time most frequently. The attack needs to find a knack for being front and center for those runs and passes and making the moment their own. 

No Buenos Zardes

Gyasi Zardes is a problem, or at least he has been for the Loons. The Austin FC forward comes into this contest having scored in three straight MLS matches, not to mention his achievement for becoming the 13th player in MLS history to score 100 goals in their career. And, with two hat-trick performances against MNUFC in 2018 (with Columbus) and 2022 (with Colorado), the defensive backline will no doubt be keeping tabs on him at all times in this contest. Although Austin FC’s season started off a bit rough, Zardes has been a big reason for the club finding more positive results as of late. Prior to Austin’s 2-1 loss to Houston over the weekend, Zardes scored what would be the eventual winner at Seattle and followed that up with a stoppage-time winner against Toronto a few days later. For a little extra incentive for the Loons, no player in MLS history has ever registered three hat tricks against a single opponent. If it’s up to Dayne St Clair, Boxy and the rest of the boys in the band, they will make the effort to keep it that way.

Let Sang-Bin Snipe

As the season progresses, so too does Sang Bin Jeong’s integration with the Loons’ style of play. From day one, there has never been any doubt about the potential of the young South Korean. While he’s still working to polish his skill set and gel with the squad, one thing is clear: the kid’s a sniper. Getting to see a bigger sample size of Sang Bin in action has shown that he can be all sorts of dangerous from just outside the goal box and can do so in the face of challenges or limited space. While none of those lasers have found net (yet), this could be something that adds a different dynamic to the Loons attack they have not had consistently over the course of the season. With more opportunities to showcase his range, there may come more chances to keep a defensive unit guessing and be quite complementary to Bongi’s speedy, hard-charging style of attack.