Four first-half goals pace FC Dallas in win over Austin FC
Austin FC is struggling to overcome a deficit. That continued on Sunday evening in Q2 Stadium, when FC Dallas captured a 5-3 win thanks to three goals within five minutes of the first half. The defeat holds Austin FC with 19 points in 21 games in the basement of the Western Conference.
The game was tied 1-1 when Ricardo Pepi, recently named to the US men’s national team for World Cup qualification, scored his first of two goals. In the 40th minute, two minutes after Jesus Ferriera scored his second goal in the 38th minute, he led FC Dallas 4-1 at halftime.
Those four goals for FC Dallas in the first half erased any positive vibes from Julio Cascante’s header in the 13th minute. Cascante, who was in the box after a corner attempt, was rewarded for his positioning when he was unmarked at the far post after a pass from Žan Kolmanič. The goal destroyed the 1-0 lead that FC Dallas took in the fifth minute after Ferreira’s first goal, which also scored in the first game of the season between the two domestic rivals.
“One (goal) quickly became three in those seven or eight minutes and that was the difference. We had opportunities to defend and we had none,” said Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff after the game. “Those seven minutes have proven to be fatal. It’s difficult to score five goals at home.”
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FC Dallas scored a fifth goal in the 53rd minute. Diego Fagundez scored a consolation goal for Austin FC in the 59th minute, reducing it to 5-2. Alex Ring made it interesting with a header, his third goal of the season with the head, in the 68th minute to bring the score to 5: 3 and breathe life into the Q2 stadium.
Austin FC are behind in 12 of their 21 games. It only managed three points in those games and returned to beat the Colorado Rapids in a 3-1 win on April 24 in the second game of regular football season. It was the eleventh game in a row that Austin FC did not score a single point when the other side scored the first goal.
Austin FC’s defense allowed a goal for their 10th straight game. The last goal conceded by goalkeeper Brad Stuver came on June 19 against the Columbus Crew. Austin FC were suspended twelve times in their first 21 games but scored for the third straight time on Sunday night.
“It’s hard to prioritize this performance, but it was nice to see us compete in the second half,” said Wolff. “We made a number of individual mistakes and they added up.”
Austin FC only played four clean sheets in 2021. Combine that with 20 league goals and it’s easy to see why the expansion franchise’s playoff hopes are on life support.
Another negative trend that continued with the defeat to FC Dallas is the difficulties Austin FC face in return legs. Dallas FC are the seventh club to face Austin FC twice in 2021. In the first seven games against these teams, Austin FC accumulated 10 points.
In the seven rematches, El Tree earned four, and three of those came against a Portland squad it had previously beaten. Austin FC only improved their performance once in a rematch, and that was a draw in their second clash against Sporting Kansas City.
Austin FC lost 62.6 percent possession and as many shots on goal (7) as FC Dallas. It was defensive performance that gave FC Dallas the edge. Dallas FC were attributed 35 defensive gaps in the game, compared to just seven for Austin FC. FC Dallas also won more duels and tackles.
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Next up: at the Vancouver Whitecaps, September 4th
Austin FC made their longest trek of the season when they played a game outside the United States for the first time in club history on September 4th in a rematch against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Whitecaps defeated Austin FC 2-1 on August 18 at Q2 Stadium thanks to two goals in the second half that undermined a 1-0 lead after a header from Alex Ring. Vancouver is in good shape right now.
The Whitecaps last lost 4-0 to Real Salt Lake on July 7th. Since then, Vancouver has been unbeaten in its last eight. The game against Austin FC will be Vancouver’s second home game since his return to British Columbia. The Whitecaps spent the first half of the season in Salt Lake.
Meal of the Game: Double Dave’s Pizzaworks
The order: Pepperoni rolls and a pepperoni pizza
Pizza is the perfect meal. I know because I grew up on the food pyramid in public schools in the 1990s. The base of the pyramid and pizza are grains. Vegetables (tomato sauce), meat, and dairy products recommended with more goodness by public health experts, provided you’ve stopped listening to these experts in the past two decades. My current doctor, who claims I have something he likes to call high cholesterol, disagrees, but what does he even know? The truth is subjective in 2021.
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