The top two teams in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference will meet on Friday in Austin, Texas, when Austin FC host Los Angeles FC at Q2 Stadium with kickoff at 3 am.
Austin FC has a 14-point cushion and just three wins left to secure the first-ever postseason berth for the club. The Verde and Black currently sit six points ahead of Dallas for second place in the Western Conference, but they need to win three more games to be sure of their spot in the knockout phase of this competition.
Throughout the campaign, Austin had been shoulder-to-shoulder with LAFC for the Supporters’ Shield crown. However, a poor stretch of results recently has them nine points behind Los Angeles in the postseason battle for home-field advantage.
As if by design, Austin fell behind last Saturday against Minnesota United FC—for whom former U.S. international Miguel Ibarra scored on a header—but this time, there was no late magic as they lost 2-1 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Los Angeles FC was held in check for the first time in weeks, as San Jose—who have conceded the most goals in the Western Conference (54)—only allowed one shot on target to the Black and Gold. LA has only dropped four away matches this year.
Austin vs. Los Angeles Head to Head
Both sides have four games against each other, with the hosts taking one win while visitors with three wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Minnesota United 2-1 Austin FC
- Austin FC 4-3 Sporting Kansas City
- Austin FC 3-3 San Jose Earthquakes
- Sporting Kansas City 0-2 Austin FC
Away
- San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Los Angeles FC
- Los Angeles FC 1-0 DC United
- Los Angeles FC 5-0 Charlotte FC
- Real Salt Lake 1-4 Los Angeles FC
Austin FC Team News
Forward Sebastian Driussi has scored in nine consecutive MLS games, picking up his league-leading 18th goal last week. At the same time, midfielder Diego Fagundez remains on nine assists, and forward Maximiliano Urruti is second on the team with seven strikes.
Los Angeles FC United Team News
Gareth Bale has not started a game for his new team since joining them from Real Madrid, while Luis Sanchez will be suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the second half last week. Carlos Vela has two goals in his previous three home fixtures, currently tied for the team lead with Cristian Arango.
Prediction and Odds
Throughout the year, both sides have been neck and neck in various statistical categories.
- Correct Score: 2-2
- Draw
- Double Chance
