Austin FC loses to Vancouver, clinches second seed in Western Conference playoffs
Austin FC will be the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
FC Dallas’ 1-0 loss to Colorado early Saturday night locked in El Tree’s position for the playoffs even before the team's kickoff in Vancouver, British Columbia, later in the evening, making Austin's final two regular-season contests meaningless in terms of the standings.
Still, after a two-week layoff due to the international break, Austin FC got the opportunity to shake off the rust in a 2-0 loss against the Whitecaps.
Ryan Gauld scored in the first half and Lucas Cavallini found the net in the second half for Vancouver, which kept its faint playoff hopes alive with the win.
Here are some observations from the match as the team will end the regular season Sunday at home versus a Colorado squad that also has nothing on the line as it has been eliminated from playoff contention:
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Defense still a concern
For those worried about Austin FC’s defense the past two months, this game might not have eased their concerns.
Gauld sprinted through the defense on a diagonal run around midfield and onto a through ball before beating goalkeeper Brad Stuver, and multiple defenders failed to see Cavallini on his run into the box when he tapped in his goal off a cross.
Center back Jhohan Romaña didn’t have a terrible game, but he wasn’t necessarily good, either.
It’s highly unlikely Romaña will start in the playoffs, as regular starter Ruben Gabrielsen should be back after getting Saturday off with a minor injury.
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Austin FC dominates possession
Other than Romaña and Hector Jiménez starting at right back instead of NIck Lima, Austin FC coach Josh Wolff fielded his regular lineup.
El Tree actually created a fair number of scoring chances, with Lima — who came on as a substitute in the second half — putting in some nice crosses, including one that Sebastián Driussi put wide of the goal, arguably the club’s best scoring chance.
Austin FC dominated possession with 69% and had 13 shots, with five on goal, so this performance shouldn't cause panic.
Stuver looked as sharp as ever, making a nice kick-save early in the second half to keep the Whitecaps at one goal at that point.
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Team's run at end of season anticlimactic
El Tree might be a victim of its own success and a bit of an odd schedule.
With its summer run of wins putting it high in the standings by early September — but still eventually out of reach of the Supporters’ Shield — and the way the international break fell, Austin FC is having an anticlimactic end to the regular season.
But that’s a good place to be, rather than entering the final game of the regular season fighting for its playoff life, as the Los Angeles Galaxy, Nashville, Portland, Minnesota, Real Salt Lake and Vancouver were Sunday.
It’s hard to stay sharp with a month between meaningful games, but the way Wolff has been conducting practices, the lineup he fielded Saturday and the way El Tree played, the club is doing everything possible to do so.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC vs Vancouver: Highlights, scores and updates from match
