Bruised from a last-minute defeat at Dallas, Austin FC will be looking to respond when they welcome Seattle Sounders to Q2 Stadium on Wednesday night in MLS.
The hosts are enduring a poor run of form in recent times, while Seattle are still looking to record their first win of August with a single game remaining in the month.
Match preview
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Austin have now suffered back-to-back defeats in MLS courtesy of a heartbreaking loss against Nico Estevez's Dallas side on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium.
Despite the 67th-minute dismissal of Daniel Pereira, Austin were able to hold out the Western Conference leaders until the dying stages of the match, when Nkosi Tafari popped up with an added-time winner for the Toros.
If you include Los Verdes' two defeats in the Leagues Cup group stage against Mexican outfits Mazatlan and Juarez, the Texas-based club have now lost four games in succession - their poorest run of form since September 2021.
Josh Wolff's men sit ninth in the Western Conference standings, meaning they are just inside the playoff positions ahead of 10th-placed Minnesota United due to their superior head-to-head record.
Austin supporters are still waiting for Gyasi Zardes to rediscover the form which saw him score 19 goals in the 2018 MLS campaign for Columbus Crew - the 31-year-old has netted just six times in 23 league appearances so far this term.
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Similar to Wednesday night's hosts, Seattle have struggled massively in all competitions over the past few weeks, meaning they are currently six matches without a win.
Brian Schmetzer's men did manage to halt a run of three straight losses over the weekend, when centre-back Yeimar Gomez scored at both ends as the Sounders and Minnesota shared the points at Allianz Field.
Heavy away defeats in the Leagues Cup to Real Salt Lake and Mexican giants Monterrey ended Seattle's participation in that particular competition at the group stage, before a 2-0 loss against Atalanta United marked an unhappy return to MLS action.
The Sounders are currently third in a very competitive Western Conference, with 11th-placed Sporting Kansas City only trailing the Canadians by eight points heading into the closing stages of the regular season.
Striker Jordan Morris is only a goal away from equalling his best campaign in MLS, with the 55-time American international scoring 20 goals in 62 games since returning from a brief loan spell at Swansea City of the English Championship during 2021.
Team News
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Austin will be without the services of midfielder Pereira on Wednesday night after he received his marching orders in the loss at Dallas, meaning Wolff needs to find Alexander Ring a new partner in the hosts' engine room.
Memo Rodriguez is the obvious candidate to replace the suspended Venezuelan, although Jhojan Valencia could also be handed a starting berth for only the ninth time in MLS this year.
Zan Kolmanic is still sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury suffered in April, meaning Irishman Jon Gallagher will start at left-back for Los Verdes.
Seattle are prepared to be without winger Cristian Roldan until early September due to concussion protocol - the 28-year-old last featured in the Leagues Cup defeat at Salt Lake on July 23.
Dylan Teves had largely been limited to bench appearances before sustaining a hamstring injury earlier in the month, with the attacker expected back in action in a few weeks' time.
Austin FC possible starting lineup:
Stuver; Limaa, Cascante, Hedges, Gallagher; Ring, Valencia, Finlay, Wolff, Rigoni; Driussi
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Roldan; Gomez, Ragen, Tolo; Paulo, Vargas, Rusnak, Lodeiro, Morris; Ruidiaz
We say: Austin FC 1-2 Seattle Sounders
Austin were so close to scrapping a point at Dallas last time out before an added-time winner for the Hoops, and you question whether Los Verdes will be able to bounce back quickly from that disappointment.
Seattle ended their losing streak at Minnesota on the weekend, and we are backing them to earn their first victory in any form since July 9 at Q2 Stadium in Texas.
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Carter White
