Close your eyes and picture the platonic ideal of a defensive midfielder. Think of a true number six: a midfielder who dutifully sits in front of their backline, never straying too far, venturing out just enough to intercept attempted through balls and make well-timed tackles when required.

The midfielder you’re picturing isn’t Dani Pereira.

And yet, outside of some of his earliest performances with the team, for most of his Austin FC career, Pereira has been deployed as the deepest of the team’s midfielders – often as the lone six in a 4-3-3. Even when head coach Josh Wolff has rolled out a 4-2-3-1 formation, Pereira will usually sit as the deeper midfielder in a double pivot. Pereira isn’t bad in this role; he’s just unconventional.

Dribbling is the Venezuelan’s strongest skill – per fbref.com, Pereira ranks in the 93rd percentile in successful take-ons compared to other midfielders in leagues comparable to Major League Soccer (MLS) – and it naturally means he’s going to leave his position to go slaloming by opposition defenders. This can be a problem when Austin FC loses possession, and Pereira isn’t in a great position to protect the team’s center-backs, but it’s a tradeoff the Verde and Black have been willing to make.

Saturday night at Q2 Stadium, when Austin FC delivered one of their best performances of the season – good Austin FC performances are becoming less and less of an anomaly these days – to defeat visiting Sporting Kansas City 3-2, Pereira played further forward. Operating as the right-sided attacking midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation (Jhojan Valencia started at the base of midfield), Pereira swerved and sliced his way through Kansas City defenders and was critical to his team’s success.

“I like it a lot,” Pereira said when asked post-match how he felt playing a more advanced role. “That’s where I first started when I came into Austin, and obviously I wasn’t experienced back then – not that I am now – but I have (a few) more years in me.”

Pereira’s switch of positions nearly paid off almost immediately. In the fifth minute, he crashed the penalty box to smash a low cross into the back of the net, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled the goal out due to Jader Obrian having been offsides in the build-up.

Speaking of Obrian, he shrugged off the early disappointment to celebrate his 29th birthday in style by scoring two goals to give Austin FC the lead going into halftime after Kansas City’s superb Scottish winger Johnny Russell opened the scoring in the 19th minute. The provider of the assist on both goals? That would be Pereira.

The first assist came after Pereira nicked a woeful pass from Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia off defensive midfielder Nemanja Radoja. Pereira patiently waited for Obrian’s run into the penalty area before squaring him the ball. Obrian’s shot hit the net with sublime ferocity.

Pereira’s second assist was less straightforward. Receiving a nice, long switch of play from Valencia (the Colombian shielded Austin FC’s backline well and was tidy with his passing – completing 93% of his passes, per fotmob.com), Pereira dragged three Kansas City defenders towards him before sliding a cross over to Obrian to hammer home.

“He brings speed and verticality,” Wolff said of Obrian in his post-match press conference. “He played with Nico Estevez in Dallas, so I think there are some commonalities to what we do. He brings exactly what you saw tonight: he brings speed, he will arrive, he probably runs himself ragged.”

The match was Austin FC’s third in eight days. Once considered a weakness, Austin FC’s depth is proving to be a strength. In addition to the solid starting performances from usual non-starters Valencia and Owen Wolff, Gyasi Zardes came off the bench to start the second half and took just a minute to assist a Driussi goal with a lovely floated cross that gave Austin FC a 3-1 lead.

“Right now, we have a group that’s competing extremely well, and we’ve been able to remain fairly healthy,” Wolff said. “That consistency and continuity is extremely important. The guys that come in also have real clear ideas as to what their roles and responsibilities are inside the game…it’s a testament to the group.”

Not even an absolute screamer from Kansas City right-back Jacob Davis to make it 3-2, nor a saved Driussi penalty (his first time failing to convert from the spot in MLS) could derail Austin FC’s swaggering Saturday night performance. The win has moved Austin FC to third place in the Western Conference standings. Wolff isn’t getting carried away, however.

“It’s been a good week; we’ll enjoy it, but it’s one week,” he said.

Eric McCoy

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