AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Leagues Cup nears and the home stretch of the 2024 season starts to heat up, Austin FC is teetering on the playoff line with help on the way.
New acquisitions Osman Bukari and Mikkel Desler will be available for the first time July 20 against Charlotte, right before Verde and Black opens Leagues Cup against Pumas six days later, but head coach Josh Wolff is trying his best to stay focused on a tight Western Conference table.
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Austin FC hosts the Seattle Sounders at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and just one point separates them in the standings. If the playoffs were to begin now, Austin would squeak into the postseason with the last spot at No. 9 while Seattle would qualify as the No. 7 team. A win Saturday would move Austin above the Sounders in a more comfortable spot, and with it being a home match, Wolff said it’s even more important to put their best foot forward.
“The pressure will build with each game with how you take points or don’t take them, and I’m being quite honest, I’m extremely pleased with our group’s efforts to get to where we are this season and be inside the playoff line,” Wolff said. “You’re four points from being in a higher spot and four from being lower, but that’s what this league is.”
Navigating a thin roster with different periods of schedule congestion hasn’t been the easiest thing to do, but the results speak for themselves. Austin is in a position to return to the postseason after last season’s disappointing early end. Something that would help improve their chances would be if veteran striker Gyasi Zardes continues his impressive form.
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Zardes moved to 10th on the Major League Soccer careers goals list after he deposited two in the net July 6 against NYCFC, giving him 105 goals in a 13-year career. It was the first time Zardes scored in nearly a year and Verde needed both to pick up the victory. Zardes said he was excited to help his team pick up critical points at home.
“Scoring goals is one of the best feelings in the world,” he said. “Anytime you see the ball hit the back of the net and help the team go up, it’s the best feeling. In this league, you focus on momentum, and when you see teams accumulate wins in a row, you can make a big jump.”
Zardes was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
Julio Cascante came on as a substitute against NYCFC and Dani Pereira will be available Saturday after serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation, making the Verde lineup whole following their Copa America commitments. Wolff said the team missed both players while they were playing for their countries.
“We’re delighted to have them both back,” he said. “I was pleased to get Julio in against NYC, and we’ve missed Dani. He’s a different player for us. When we have the ball, we become more fluid and believable in our build-up, and he’ll up us in that space.”
While Pereira was on the Venezuelan roster for Copa America, he never saw the field in the tournament so Wolff isn’t sure of his fitness level and how long he can play. Wolff said he’ll “push him and make adjustments.”
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