Two teams looking to put losing streaks to bed will square off in a mid-week match on Wednesday night when Austin FC hosts Atlanta United.
Austin (5-6-1, 16 points) has dropped three straight entering play and has mustered just one goal over the winless stretch. Last time out, the club fell 2-1 at Cincinnati FC.
Under first-year head coach Nico Estevez, Austin has struggled mightily on the offensive end, as the team has totaled only eight goals on the season and is tied with the LA Galaxy for second fewest in MLS. CF Montreal has scored six goals.
“I’ve told everyone from the beginning, we’re still in the process of learning how we can be the best team possible,” Estevez said. “We still have to keep growing on that and find the right ways to do things. … I think right now is a really good time to embrace what’s happening to us and take this as a challenge and see how we can get stronger from here.”
Brandon Vasquez’s penalty goal for Austin in the loss was the team’s first since a 1-0 home win over the Galaxy on April 19. Vasquez, who has three goals on the year, is the only Austin player with more than one score.
Atlanta (2-6-4, 10 points) is searching for its first victory since a 4-3 home win over New York City FC on March 29. Atlanta United hasn’t won away from home this season (0-4-1), and they saw that trend prolonged in a 2-1 road defeat against the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Trailing by a goal in the 80th minute, Atlanta’s Sam Rogers scored an own goal to knot the score. Rominigue Kouame’s go-ahead score six minutes later, however, sent Atlanta to its fourth loss in five tries.
Atlanta head coach Ronny Deila knows his team has to snap out of its lackluster stretch — and maybe some tough love is needed.
“There’s a line between being demanding and also loving,” Deila said. “I think those two things are difficult in these kinds of periods. It’s next that’s most important. What is done is done.”
Emmanuel Latte Lath leads Atlanta with five goals, followed by Miguel Almiron’s three.
–Field Level Media
