Austin FC's Leagues Cup survival on the line vs. FC Juárez
It’s a win-or-be-eliminated scenario for Austin FC on Saturday at Q2 Stadium.
Facing FC Juárez in the second group stage game for each club in the inaugural Leagues Cup, El Tree will either advance to play LAFC on the road next Wednesday or have more than a three-week break before it resumes MLS play Aug. 20 at St. Louis.
In his weekly meeting with the media Friday, Austin FC coach Josh Wolff noted that there was no contingency plan for a long break and that El Tree’s focus was purely on advancing through a win — whether that’s in regulation or by shootout.
“Our guys understand the situation we’re in. We’ll plan on progressing,” Wolff said. “We don’t plan too far ahead, and our expectation is to win the game and then go play LAFC. Nothing less will be acceptable.”
If it is to head to Los Angeles next week, it will have to do so without its two main strikers. Wolff revealed that both Gyasi Zardes and Maxi Urruti are dealing with groin injuries from last Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Mazatlán FC in the first group stage contest and will be out at least two weeks.
It leaves little-used 33-year-old veteran Will Bruin as the team’s only true forward,
“Will has been great in training,” Wolff said. “He’s a true box player, and we have to provide service so he can score goals.”
Wolff wouldn’t commit to starting Bruin on Saturday, and there are other options, such as playing midfielder Rodney Redes at the spot or moving Sebastián Driussi — assuming he’s healthy — higher up the field.
Outside back Jon Gallagher, who was an attacking player prior to his position switch before last year, noted the team will easily adapt.
“We have options,” Gallagher said. “Guys are pretty versatile with our structure. However we line up, it doesn’t really matter.”
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Hedges ready to go
New center back Matt Hedges, whom the team acquired in a trade with Toronto on Wednesday, met with the media and said he’s ready to play Saturday if needed.
Hedges, a 12-year MLS veteran who made 13 starts and 14 appearances in Toronto this season, noted that having played against Austin FC with Dallas the past two seasons will help his adjustment.
“The challenge is getting used to the tendencies of the guys you’re playing around. I’m slowly getting used to it in training,” Hedges said. “But I know what this team is about, what the staff is about and how the club wants to play. … Obviously, I’ve played against them a few times in the past, and playing against this system is always hard. I’m just glad to be a part of it now.”
With El Tree having only two true center backs other than Hedges — Julio Cascante and Kipp Keller — don’t be surprised if he starts right away. Keller is better suited in a reserve role, while Hedges, who has the 14th-most appearances in the MLS among active players, won’t be surprised by anything he sees on the field.
“He’s a veteran who brings in a lot of experience in the league,” Gallagher said. “He’s familiar with how we play, and he’s a good fit for this system. He just got in Wednesday, so we haven’t had too many training sessions. But hopefully we can get him up to speed as soon as possible.”
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Groin injuries continue
Austin FC has had numerous groin injuries this season, with Zardes and Urruti being the latest.
Cascante, Driussi, Diego Fagundez and Alex Ring have also suffered groin injuries, and Ring is still dealing with his.
Wolff said it’s an issue the club will examine to see if it’s a trend, but he noted a couple of the injuries were due to contact.
“We review it now, and we’ll continue to review it,” he said. “We’ll even talk about field conditions of how firm and soft the surface is. We’ll look at everything.”
Saturday's match
FC Juárez at Austin FC, 7:30 p.m., Q2 Stadium, Apple TV, 97.5
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: El Tree still dealing with injuries as it tries to make knockout stage
