The Late Show with Will Bruin: Austin FC Grab Stoppage-Time Equalizer in Portland

It was an easy celebration to mock.

In his 18th MLS match, Emiliano Rigoni had finally – finally – found the back of the net just before half-time last Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes. Only Beavis and Butt-Head have had more trouble scoring than the much-maligned Argentinian Designated Player.

Relief, excitement, pure, uncut jubilation – these were the emotions Austin FC fans likely thought Rigoni would express when they fancifully dreamed of him scoring his first goal in Verde and Black. Rigoni had other ideas.

With his palms upturned and his lips curling into a self-satisfied smirk, Rigoni (reminder: he of one goal in 18 MLS matches) stared into the supporters’ section at Q2 Stadium with a look that boldly seemed to ask: “How do you like me now?” Say what you will about his goal-scoring abilities, but Rigoni possesses the confidence of a thousand Tony Robbins books.

Rigoni didn’t make fans wait long for his next contribution to an Austin FC goal. One week after notching his first MLS goal, Rigoni recorded his first MLS assist courtesy of a delightful cross to Jon Gallagher in Austin FC’s 2-2 draw away to the Portland Timbers on Saturday night. The result, like Rigoni’s goal celebration against San Jose, will have those of a Verde persuasion happy but a bit exasperated.

Austin FC supporters certainly weren’t happy to begin the evening. When the lineups were released there was one glaring omission: Sebastian Driussi. The team’s talisman wasn’t even listed on the bench. Speculation was rampant that Driussi was likely sitting this match out as a precautionary measure. Austin FC have a lot of matches coming up, and the artificial turf at Providence Park is notoriously unkind to those who dare try and play soccer on it. You wouldn’t drive a BMW on a bumpy backroad full of potholes and debris, would you?

Driussi missing a match for precautionary reasons is palatable. But Driussi missing a match due to injury is downright terrifying for a team that had netted only eight goals through nine matches heading into the Portland contest. Unfortunately, a team that has struggled to score goals with last season’s runner-up in MVP voting will have to figure out how to score goals without him. Per The Striker’s Phil West, it was confirmed by Josh Wolff in the press conference after the Timbers’ match that Driussi has a groin issue. Wolff was vague on how long he’ll be out.

It’s obviously the smallest of sample sizes, but Austin FC’s attack functioned just fine in Portland without Driussi. After going nearly 400 minutes without a goal, for the second straight match, Austin FC scored twice. Verde fans had to wait a while for that second goal to arrive against the Timbers, however.

Portland center-back Dario Zuparic opened the night’s scoring with his first-ever MLS goal in the 33rd minute. Gallagher’s goal tied the match in the 59th minute, but it appeared Timbers’ left-back Claudio Bravo would condemn Austin FC to another defeat in the Rose City when he scored a daisy-cutter from outside the box (his first-ever MLS goal) a little over ten minutes later. Just as the referee was feeling for his whistle to blow for full-time, an old Timbers’ nemesis rescued a point for the Verde and Black.

Ex-Seattle Sounder Will Bruin was able to place his forehead on a serenely floated Owen Wolff cross to give Austin FC a late, late equalizing goal in stoppage time. The result is Austin FC’s seventh-straight league match without a win and the team currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference, but Wolff’s grin at the match’s conclusion suggests there are positives to take from the team’s trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Minus Driussi, Austin FC deployed a 3-4-3 formation against Portland. Wingbacks Gallagher and Adam Lundqvist positioned themselves aggressively when Austin FC were in possession and gave the team a menacing width it has been lacking for much of the season.

Via WhoScored.com, Austin FC’s team touch map shows the Verde and Black had no trouble getting on the ball in wide areas – particularly down Gallagher’s right wing – on Saturday night.

Compared to the team’s touch map from their last away trip against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Austin FC had much more success stretching their opponents in Portland (notice the lack of touches out wide near the end line – a dangerous area to deliver crosses and cutbacks from – versus the Galaxy).

The width generated by the wingbacks allowed wingers Rigoni and Rodney Redes to operate tucked inside closer to striker Gyasi Zardes. Austin FC’s big offseason acquisition failed to make an impression against the Timbers (with Bruin’s goal, Zardes is now the only Austin FC striker yet to score this season), but Rigoni and Redes looked comfortable playing narrower.

Austin FC’s expected goals total of 1.4 was their fourth-highest total in a match this season, per fbref.com. The formation switch also helped out at the other end of the field. Playing with an extra center-back, Austin FC allowed just .8 expected goals against the Timbers, the second-fewest they’ve allowed in the league in 2023. Whether Austin FC will persist with this formation is unclear, but with Plan A misfiring for much of the year, the team can take comfort in knowing they have a viable Plan B.

Eric McCoy

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