Austin FC vs. FC Dallas Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/29/21

Austin FC plays host to FC Dallas on Sunday night from Q2 Stadium in Austin in a crucial Western Conference matchup. These two teams have met once this season, and once all-tie, with Dallas skating to an easy 2-0 victory back on August 7th. That game saw Austin win the possession battle and remain somewhat competitive in terms of shots but their finishing wasn’t there and unless that changes, Dallas will like their chances to grab another win, even going on the road this time. Austin comes in coming off a quality win against Portland the last time out but it remains to be seen if that improves their momentum going forward. For FC Dallas, they haven’t been able to grab a win since the last game against Austin this season and need a win in the worst way. Both teams sit outside the aplyff picture for now, so three points will be on both teams’ minds on Sunday night. Either way, the Western Conference standings could look different by the time Saturday’s game is over and the league will surely be on watch to see how this one turns out from a rivalry standpoint if nothing else.

Austin Looks To Pull Even With Dallas

Austin maybe felt unlucky to not at least grab a goal in the first meeting with FC Dallas but with the tables turned in terms of hosting duties, they have their eyes set on Sunday night. They’ve been decent of late, grabbing a win the last time out against Portland behind a balanced attacking effort. Just the game before though, a loss to Vancouver at home was a surprise but the good news is that Austin is now playing their third straight home game and the lack of travel will surely be an advantage, as will the home fans ready to make themselves known and loud to in-state rivals. Austin FC sits in second to last place in the Western Conference but is tied with Houston based on points. They have 19 points across 21 games, sitting seven points behind San Jose for the final spot in what will be the MLS Cup Playoffs. Austin does have a game in hand on both Dallas, who is right ahead of them in the standings, and on San Jose, meaning that they can still make up three points on those two teams. The minus-seven goal differential isn’t ideal but if they can right the ship against their in-state rival on Sunday, it’ll be a huge success for their inaugural season.

One issue that has caused some consistency issues within the lineup has been the injuries that Austin FC has had to face. According to the league’s availability report, they will be without four players on Sunday. Ulises Segura (left knee), Ben Sweat (ACL), Aaron Schoenfield (left knee), and Danny Hoesen (left hip), all will be out, while there’s no questionable heading into the game. The good news is that these injuries seem like they’ll cause more issues to the team’s depth more so than anything else. Segura and Shoenfeld have yet to even appear in a game this season, while Sweat only made in into two games, and Hosen into five games. For a team that doesn’t have many options though, the lack of depth could hurt them come late Sunday.

One of Austin FC’s keys this season has been the depth of their offense. Cecilio Dominguez leads the way with five goals, but Diego Fagundez is right on his heels with four. Behind them are another three plays with two goals each and their ability to find goal scoring all throughout the lineup has made them dangerous going forward. One player to keep an eye on is Jared Stroud, the former New York Red Bulls midfielder, who leads the team in assists with three, and has the ability to break down lines and create valuable chances. The question continues to remain though, exactly how well will Austin FC be able to finish those chances and stay in the game. On the defensive side of things, expect Matt Besler and Nick Lima to bring a calming presence to the backline but the question remains how the other two defenders will hold up against a Dallas FC attack that is sure to make them uncomfortable.

FC Dallas Looks To Sweep In-State Rival

FC Dallas has been the dominant team in the state of Texas, going 1-0-2 in their three combined games against Austin and Houston. The last draw against Houston was a brutal one given Houston’s struggles this season and with back-to-back losses coming before that, Dallas needs to get back into the habit of taking all three points from their games if they want to make a move towards the MLS Cup Playoffs. Heading into Sunday’s game, they have 22 points in 21 games, sitting four points behind San Jose for the final playoff spot. The bad news is that they’ve played an extra game than most of the teams between them in 11th place and San Jose in 7th place, meaning they really need to be on top of their game over the next few weeks to shrink that gap and make sure that they aren’t passed in the process. They also have a minus-five goal differential and with the talent they have, should be able to improve on that number, starting on Sunday night.

FC Dallas is in a similar position to Austin FC in terms of the injury situation, as they’ll also be without four players on Sunday evening. Beni Redzic (ankle sprain), Paxton Pmykal (knee), Johnny Nelson (back), and Facundo Quignon (groin), all remain out for the team as they look to make a move in the Western Conference. The issue for Dallas is that their missing players have played larger roles than the players out for Austin FC. Pomykal will be the most glaring absence, as the midfielder has appeared in 19 games this season, adding a goal and an assist. With the international experience he brings to the field as well, his box-to-box ability to impact the game will be on full display. Quignon has appeared in 12 games and Nelson in ten games for FC Dallas and will be missed in the midfield and in the back.

Ricardo Pepi is the leader on the offense and besides his recent move to the USMNT and his All-Star game-clinching penalty kick, returns for the second half with nine goals to his name and will surely be the focal point of the offense. With his ability in all aspects of the attack, FC Dallas will like their chances to make Austin uncomfortable in the back. Jader Rafael Obrien and Franco Jara both have three goals as well and three players have added four assists. The creativity is still there but FC Dallas needs to stay sharp in the back if they want to come away with three points and stay composed in front of Austin’s rabid fan base as well.

Pick: FC Dallas (+245)

FC Dallas enters not with their best form of the season but they still have the best player in the game between the two teams in Pepi and that’ll go a long way. His ability to hold the ball and find the back of the night will give some comfort on the offensive end, especially being on the road, and he’s almost sure to find the back of the night. FC Dallas’s defense will need to be locked in but already has some momentum coming in after taking down Austin just a few weeks ago, which will be both teams’ minds. For Austin FC, there are still question marks within the defense and with the creativity that Dallas has, it’ll haunt them on Sunday night. Expect FC Dalla to come on the road and come away with an impressive performance as they remain undefeated against in-state foes and head home with all three points.

Pick: Under

The first game between the two teams only saw two goals scored and the rematch will likely be more of the same. Austin FC has depth but lacks a frontrunner up top that they can rely on to score consistently. They do have two of the best defenders in the game in Lima and Besler and while they still need help in the back, those two should insist on some composure and avoid Dallas from having a field day. In FC Dallas’ last six games, only one has seen more than three goals scored combined. For Austin FC, in their last six games, more than three goals scores combined have only happened twice. Neither of these teams seems to consistently play high-scoring games and that’ll continue to be the case on Sunday night.