First takeaways from Austin FC vs. Minnesota United

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Frustrations will be boiling back home, after Austin FC traveled to The North and fell 2-1 to Minnesota in a match that featured a penalty kick and a cheap giveaway that led to the Loons' goals.

Beneath the surface, there's plenty to pick apart in the Verde attack running dry and the substitutions (or rather lack of options) that failed to add a needed spark. Overall, it's not an unexpected result, and Austin still has plenty of breathing room in second place in the Western Conference. But it sure would have been nice to earn three points heading into Friday's battle with Los Angeles FC.

Here are a few takeaways from the match.

One haunting moment

Defensively, Austin put up a solid 90-minute showing against a Minnesota squad that's humming right now. There's just that one moment that Julio Cascante will want to have back.

We've seen it all before, but this one was particularly bad. Off a goal kick, Brad Stuver and the center backs did their usual thing of building up from the back, trying to draw Minnesota defenders to create space further up the pitch. But Cascante forgot the golden rule: watch your back.

Franco Fragapane is a pest, and he'd been waiting for his moment all night. Somehow, Cascante didn't feel him until it was too late, and the Argentine had already taken the ball and chipped it into the Austin goal. 

Some risky plays come with playing the style of possession ball that Austin coach Josh Wolff stands by. This was not one of those plays. Cascante had time to boot the ball long, or at least try to do something. He didn't.

Minnesota had other chances. Stuver made a couple acrobatic saves to even keep the score as close as it was. But it's hard not to feel like that one moment cost Verde at least two points. 

Honors even

Two moments created the scoreline at the end of a hard-fought but disjointed first half. Star players Emanuel Reynoso and Sebastián Driussi were each presented with penalty kicks and, as you'd expect, they buried them.

But were the penalty kicks justified? Let's do our best to answer that question.

Minnesota's arrived first, in the 25th minute, when Verde winger Ethan Finlay clattered into the back of Reynoso as he attempted to bring down a ball at the top of the box. It was a clumsy play by Finlay, and one that was hard to avoid as the ball had taken a deflection on its way to Reynoso's feet. He was simply trying to get in the box to provide an extra body, and he paid the price for his effort.

In terms of intent, I can see Finlay's frustration. You can see him muttering to himself all the way until he got back in position for the ensuing kickoff. But, in terms of the rules, I think the penalty call was the right one. You can't clear a player out from behind. 

Perhaps there was some karma involved in Austin being awarded a similar "wrong place at the wrong time" penalty kick a few seconds into first-half stoppage time. DJ Taylor, who started at left back for injured Loon Kemar Lawrence, had his arms outstretched as he tried to close down a cross by Nick Lima. 

Again. Pure intention, great effort. But you can't have your arms pointed straight up as the ball flies by inside the box. A stone cold penalty that Driussi cashed in for his league-leading 18th goal of 2022. Gracias, DJ.

Why so static?

This was the first time since May 8 that Austin FC failed to score a non-penalty goal. That's a staggering statistic, and speaks to just how good the Verde attack has been all season.

But it wasn't on Saturday night, and it's worth wondering why.

Austin did create opportunities. It had 14 total shots, the same as Minnesota, but only two of those were on target. 

The Loons did their usual thing, sitting deep and forcing Austin to break them down. And after so many weeks in a row of breaking teams down. Austin struggled to do it. You've got to give Minnesota coach Adrian Heath credit where it's due.

And yet, I can't help feeling like Driussi needs help. Maxi Urruti is a shell of the version of him we saw in April and May. Dani Pereira matched the Loons' physical play for the early stages, but got worn down late. Diego Fagúndez, for all his great qualities, can't stretch a back line at the level that Austin needs. 

The lone Austin goal came from a fantastic piece of interplay between Alex Ring, Ethan Finlay and Nick Lima. Those plays were few and far between.

And when the going got tough, Wolff had to turn to his bench and go with Rodney Redes, Danny Hoesen and Owen Wolff as his game-changers. They didn't change much.

And it's not like Austin had other options. Washington Corozo couldn't go because of a hip injury he picked up during the week, and as far as we know Emiliano Rigoni is still in Argentina ... though we hear we might not have to wait much longer to see him.

It's hard not to feel like a performance like this one is going to be what ends Austin's season. That's still a long way off, and I don't want to get too cynical, but against good teams, this just doesn't cut it.