Hellish Week Stands Between Austin FC and Playoff Doom

It’s October, and Austin FC is still very much alive in the MLS Playoffs race. That would have seemed nearly impossible just two months ago, after the club endured a miserable stretch of games across both sides of the World Cup break, losing six out of seven MLS contests and looking about as vivacious as Zilker Park post-ACL Fest.

Since August 19, though, the Verde and Black have clung to life with eight straight matches sans defeat. That said, only three of those eight results have been victories, to go along with five draws. And even that rate of performance likely won’t be enough to overcome the club’s early-season struggles and land a top-nine spot in a jumbled Western Conference table.

As we’ve discussed before, making the playoffs this season is far from the be-all, end-all for Austin FC from a big-picture standpoint, but it still remains the sole focus of interim coach Davy Arnaud and Verde players. So, for the time being, it remains our focus as well. And if playoffs are to become a reality for Austin FC, Arnaud and his squad are going to have to find a way to navigate the most treacherous stretch of the season so far.

From this Saturday (Oct. 10) to the following Saturday (Oct. 17) ATXFC takes on three of the toughest tests MLS can throw at it. First up is a home clash against the team that has dominated the league all season, Nashville SC. Led by its star trio of Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar, and Cristian Espinoza, Nashville’s 60 points on the season are 10 more than the next closest club, the Vancouver Whitecaps. 

“Nashville is very good, and we understand that. Listen, there is not an easy game in this league,” Arnaud said.

To illustrate his point, the Verde and Black then head out west for a Wednesday night battle against LAFC, before returning home three nights later to face the aforementioned Whitecaps.

It’s a brutal stretch, but there is some cause for optimism from Austin’s perspective. The club has played teams in the upper echelon of MLS impressively well, relative to what its season record might suggest. Against teams in the top-seven of either conference (above the play-in line) Austin is a perfectly even 5W-5D-5L, which includes a prior win against Vancouver and a draw against LAFC. 

“We say the most important thing is for us to be tough to beat,” Arnaud said. “I think you’ve seen these guys, they’re up for any challenge. I think they’ve shown that.”

With the Verde and Black currently sitting 13th in the Western Conference table and five points outside the playoff picture, it’s hard to see anything less than one win and one draw being enough to keep the Verde playoff hopes afloat for another week.

Immediately following Austin FC’s latest match on Sept. 26, 18-year-old ATX midfielder Ervin Torres boarded a flight to Spain to link up with the United States U-20 Men’s National Team for the first time. Torres made the starting lineup in a friendly against Denmark, which resulted in a 3-3 draw.

Torres has now represented the United States at four youth national team levels and continues a steady rise that has made him a player to watch for both club and country.

For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle’s Austin FC hub. Sign up for The Verde Report newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, and follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.

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