Austin FC begin their journey in the MLS with a trip to the Banc of California Stadium to take on Los Angeles FC on Saturday.
In stark contrast, the hosts are heading into their fourth season in the top flight since they began to play as an expansion team in 2018.
Match preview
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After a seventh-placed finish in the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Seattle Sounders.
Since then, Bob Bradley's men have also suffered heartbreak on a continental level as they were defeated in the final of the CONCACAF Champions League in December.
The Black and Gold will now hope that those nearly moments serve as a springboard to accomplish greater success this term.
In the meantime, starting the season with a victory is the immediate target for Saturday's hosts as they prepare to host their inexperienced visitors.
Austin FC will feature in a competitive game for the first time this weekend, less than three years after the club was founded in October 2018.
Josh Wolff is the man who has been given the job of navigating what is expected to be a very demanding period for the Texas-based club.
Saturday's visitors have been actively involved in the transfer market as they aim to put together a squad that is capable of challenging at the top level.
They have shown that they are up for the task as their pre-season friendlies suggest, but it is now time to face the real deal.
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Team News
The home side have the full complement of their squad to pick from, leaving Bob Bradley with the kind of problem that every manager likes to have.
Matt Besler is down with a minor illness, and the veteran defender will have to wait further to make his bow as he is expected to miss the game.
Like Besler, Julio Cascante's debut for the visitors will not be happening due to an ankle injury which he sustained just before he made the switch to the Q2 Stadium.
Ulises Segura remains out with a calf problem, and no timetable has been set for his return to action after spending the last five months on the sidelines.
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Vermeer; Palacios, Segura, Murillo, Blackmon; Cifuentes, Atuesta, Kaye; Rossi, Musovski, Vela
Austin FC possible starting lineup:
Tarbell; Kolmanic, Lima, Redes, Kleemann; Pochettino, Stroud, Berhalter; Schoenfeld, Kekuta, Fagundez
We say: Los Angeles FC 3-0 Austin FC
In their first-ever game in the top tier of American football, Austin FC are faced with a tough task of going up against an accomplished Los Angeles FC side. We fancy the home team to coast to victory in a comfortable fashion.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Los Angeles FC win with a probability of 83.96%. A draw had a probability of 10.2% and a win for Austin FC had a probability of 5.82%.
The most likely scoreline for a Los Angeles FC win was 3-0 with a probability of 9.84%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.03%) and 4-0 (8.04%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (4.5%), while for an Austin FC win it was 1-2 (1.83%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with a 9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Los Angeles FC would win this match.
