With 17 goals in 22 games and 20 goals in 24 games, respectively, Austin FC and D.C. United were the league’s lowest-scoring clubs going into Saturday’s meeting.
However, Austin FC’s offense clicked and scored a team goal in the 60th minute, leading 2-1, in what might be the team’s attack’s pivotal moment of the season.
Goalie Brad Stuver broke D.C.’s midfield line by passing to Dani Pereira after starting in his own 18-yard box. On the left side of the pitch, the Venezuelan and fellow midfielder Owen Wolff worked together to get the ball down to their opponent’s 18-yard box.
Pereira slotted a ball in for forward Osman Bukari on the right side of the box after tricking a defender into believing he would shoot. Before hitting the back of the net, Bukari’s shot passed through the goalie’s legs.
Bukari stated, “I am always there, waiting for the ball, so I think he made the right decision to give me the pass.” Either I score, or he does. It’s mature, and right now, he makes excellent decisions.
The game concluded 4–2 as the goal gave the Verde and Black their third goal. The four goals scored by Austin FC in a single game set a season-high.
We have been working on (the offensive) since after May. “We noticed it in every game we played,” stated Nico Est vez, head coach of Austin FC. We knew exactly how we were going to harm the opposing team. The players performed admirably, and I believe they trusted what we told them.
The first two goals could give some of the team’s attackers more confidence, while the third goal displayed glimpses of the dynamic movements and inventiveness that Austin might have lacked all season.
Moving forward Wolff and Myrto Uzuni both scored for the second consecutive game. After Uzuni’s maneuver around the defense created a passing lane for a through ball to reach him, he scored in the 22nd minute. Shortly before the first half finished, Wolff headed in a cross from Mikkel Desler.
According to Bukari, your confidence grows as you score higher. Confidence will be high at this point. When the goals don’t materialize, you begin to overthink things. However, once you begin to score, you simply relax because you know that the goals will eventually come.
With the victory, Austin FC is now in seventh place, which is good for an automatic postseason bid. Despite having more games played than Austin, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids are two and three points behind in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas will be Austin FC’s next opponents at Q2 Stadium on August 9.
