Are you Wolff in or Wolff out?

There are currently first dates all throughout Austin that are beginning with that question regarding the employment of Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff. It’s surely replaced “what’s your sign?” as the number one litmus test for determining if the stranger sitting across from you is worthy of your time.

On Wednesday night at Q2 Stadium, Wolff matched wits with a coach who is in some respects his opposite. Snarky comments about the success Seattle Sounders’ coach Brian Schmetzer has enjoyed during his tenure in the Pacific Northwest versus Wolff’s rollercoaster reign at Austin FC aside, Schmetzer’s teams aren’t particularly intricate tactically.

The Sounders generally lineup in a boilerplate 4-2-3-1 formation, are better attacking in transition than they are at breaking down a low block, and are ruthless in both penalty areas. It’s all about the vibes, man. Meanwhile, for all of Austin FC’s well-drilled positional play, the execution in front of both goals has been desperately lacking of late. And don’t even ask about the vibes.

“We can’t win the duels in the areas that matter the most – in the penalty boxes,” Wolff lamented to the media after Austin FC’s 2-1 defeat to Seattle. It’s a defeat that will prompt many locals to swipe left on dating app profiles featuring the hashtag #WolffIn.

Wolff and Austin FC are deserving of sympathy for their latest setback, however. The Verde and Black’s fifth-straight loss in all competitions wasn’t without controversy. After a Jordan Morris set-piece goal gave Seattle a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute (the less said about another tepid first half featuring Austin FC the better), Austin FC looked to have equalized quickly courtesy of an Emiliano Rigoni header. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei put a forceful hand on Rigoni’s effort to push the shot wide of the net, but the ball looked to have crossed the goal line.

A satisfying verdict on whether Rigoni’s shot was or wasn’t a goal couldn’t be reached because MLS doesn’t utilize goal line technology. It was confirmed by Phil West of the Verde All Day newsletter that the play was checked by the Video Assistant Referee, but a “clear and obvious error” wasn’t deemed to have been made.

Undeterred by a potential match-tying goal not being awarded in their favor, Austin FC attacked with ferocity in the second half, and were rewarded when Sebastian Driussi found the back of the net. The goal came courtesy of a Gyasi Zardes flick to Driussi off a set piece. It was the Austin FC captain’s eighth MLS goal of the 2023 campaign.

Sections of the Austin FC fanbase may have given up on Wolff, but based on the second half performance against Seattle, the players are still willing to put in the requisite effort required to win matches. Per Fotmob, Austin FC comfortably produced more expected goals (xG) on the night – 1.77 to Seattle’s 1.03.

“I would love to say there’s a correlation between good team camaraderie and results, but at the end of day it’s not always just about good team camaraderie. It comes down to finishing off plays. It comes down to making plays in both boxes,” Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver said after the match.

Creating better chances than your opponent is the key to success in soccer (if there even is such a thing as a key to success in soccer). Finishing is fickle, and this low-scoring sport is notoriously cruel. All a coach can do try their best to put their players in situations where they have better opportunities to score than the opposition. From there, it’s about execution. It was poor execution, not poor effort, that ultimately led to Austin FC conceding another late winner.

A fluttery, if somewhat subdued presence during the match, Seattle’s number 10 Nico Lodeiro whipped in a 90th-minute cross that Austin FC defender Julio Cascante failed to deal with. After an Obed Vargas follow-up effort violently smashed off Cascante, the ball fell to Albert Rusnak, who confidently executed Austin FC’s hopes of ending the night with points.

“The energy’s good, the ideas are quite clear, we’re on the doorstep…we aren’t able to get it over the line,” Wolff said when asked if he felt encouraged by how his team performed in the second half. With Austin FC now residing outside of the playoff places in 10th position in the MLS Western Conference standings, Wolff will have to hope the ball starts crossing the line – and crosses the line clearly enough for MLS referees to see it – soon.

Eric McCoy

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