Brandon Vazquez admitted there will be some emotion when he steps on the field Saturday at TQL Stadium.
“We did a lot of good things there and there’s a lot of fond memories,” Vazquez said Wednesday about heading back to face the FC Cincinnati club he scored 37 goals across all competitions for from 2022-23. “But when the whistle blows, it’s all business.”
While Vazquez returns to the place where his career took off, Austin FC will see if its offensive outburst in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over El Paso Locomotive FC in the U.S. Open Cup can translate into league play when it faces one of the best teams in MLS.
Here’s what you need to know about the match as Austin FC (5-5-1, 16 points) hopes to avoid a three-game losing streak in league play:
Austin FC enters the match with a bit of momentum
The Verde & Black got what they needed by scoring three times in seven minutes Wednesday and coming away with a win. Not only was it the club’s best offensive showing of the year, but it came on the heels of two shutout losses where it had long stretches of subpar play.
“We didn’t show who we are (against Houston and Minnesota),” Austin FC coach Nico Estévez said. “(After the cup win) we have to refocus on league play.”
While there’s nothing noteworthy about tallying three goals against a club from the second division, goals are goals and a win’s a win, and the Verde & Black should at least have more confidence on offense than they did four days ago.
Tough matchup for Austin FC
The schedule makers didn’t do Austin FC any favors here. Cincinnati (7-3-1, 22 points) is in third place in the Eastern Conference, undefeated at home and hasn’t played since Sunday, while the Verde & Black are traveling on two days’ rest.
Austin FC spent a lot of energy Wednesday with Vazquez, fellow forward Myrto Uzuni and other regular starters right back Jon Gallagher and center back Brendan Hines-Ike playing the full match. And with winger Robert Taylor and midfielder Dani Pereira unavailable due to injuries, the Verde & Black don’t have their full depth.
Estévez was super-aggressive with a four-forward lineup Wednesday, but if there’s a contest to be super-conservative in, it’s this one.
Austin FC is a heavy underdog by the Las Vegas sportsbooks — more than 3-1 — and this is a game before the season that few would have pointed to getting a result in. But while the Verde & Black don’t have much to lose here from a standalone viewpoint, a three-game losing streak in league play is not ideal, and Estévez has continually stated he’ll field the best lineup to give his team a chance to win.
Austin FC predicted starting lineup
Forward: Myrto Uzuni, Brandon Vazquez, Osman Bukari
Midfield: Owen Wolff, Ilie Sánchez, Besard Sabovic
Defense: Guilherme Biro, Brendan Hines-Ike, Oleksandr Svatok, Jon Gallagher
Goalie: Brad Stuver
Austin FC vs. FC Cincinnati prediction
FC Cincinnati 2, Austin FC 1: Austin FC is in a tough spot here. More than one player with tired legs will be on the field in the second half playing in a hostile environment. A draw for the Verde & Black would be a fantastic result, but don’t expect that to happen.
Saturday’s match
Austin FC (5-5-1, 16 points) at FC Cincinnati (7-3-1, 22 points), 6:30 p.m., TQL Stadium, Apple TV, 97.5, 104.3 (Spanish)
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC vs FC Cincinnati: Prediction, preview and how to watch MLS match
Reporting by Colby Gordon, Austin American-Statesman / Austin American-Statesman
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
