For the first time this season, Austin FC will play a midweek game with three days rest.
The Green & Black host Houston Dynamo FC on Wednesday at Q2 Stadium for their second Tejas Cup match in five days, although after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat in Dallas their chance of lifting the trophy is not another option with a win.
Here’s what you need to know about the clash as Austin FC (4-4-4, 16 points) hope for their second win over their eastern rivals in less than a month following a 1-0 win away from home on April 20:
Two games in four days offer intrigue
With their short roster, playing just once a week for the first 12 games of the season has been beneficial for the Green & Black, and it will be interesting how they handle the rest of this week.
Another home game looms on Saturday, so there is a possibility that Austin FC coach Josh Wolff will make several changes to his traditional starting lineup.
However, Wolff hinted in his postgame press conference after the Dallas loss that changes would likely come against Kansas City on Saturday.
The Green & Black are not at a disadvantage in the rest, as Houston also played on Saturday when they recorded a 2-1 victory in Kansas City, but the team’s performance in their first game of short rest will be worth noting.
Outside, it can suddenly get thin
One point to watch for Austin FC is the left-back.
Guilherme Biro left Saturday’s game in the second half due to injury and appears questionable to play.
Zan Kolmanic replaced him and played extensively for the first time since returning from injury and will likely start for the first time since March 9th.
But if Biro is unavailable, Austin FC will be severely lacking in depth in outfield defense.
More: Austin FC’s new defenders add more than just depth
Veteran Hector Jimenez would be the only true option on the bench, and with Kolmanic likely not ready to play 90 minutes from a physical standpoint, don’t be surprised to see him in the second half.
It could also leave Austin FC in a position pickle for Saturday, assuming the club doesn’t want right-back Jon Gallagher to play 90 minutes three times in eight days – Owen Wolff would be the likely option to play some minutes – but that is something to worry about starting on Thursday.
More Herrera or less Herrera?
Who exactly Austin FC will face in Houston could also vary.
Dinamo’s star midfielder Hector Herrera returned from injury to make his first appearance of the season as a second-half substitute in the first meeting between the clubs.
Although he has appeared in every match since then, he has also started Houston’s last two games, which included playing 120 minutes in a US Open Cup match on May 7.
At 34 years old and still relatively fresh from injury, Austin FC will only be able to see him for a while or as a second-half substitute.
Game flow will be important
Houston has been strong defensively all season. Only 11 goals are allowed, and goalkeeper Steve Clark is one of the best at his position in the league.
But Dinamo has also struggled in attack, with 11 goals, the worst in the Western Conference.
Forward Ibrahim Aliyu is the only Houston player who has scored more than once, and his four goals don’t exactly jump off the stat sheet.
As noted in this space on Sunday morning, the Green & Black looked more like their home version against Dallas. It was easily their best performance of the season away from Q2 Stadium, and if they replicate that performance and most of their other performances at home on Wednesday, it will bode well for putting Houston more at a disadvantage – which was not the case in the first meeting between the two.
Austin FC vs Houston Dynamo FC Prediction
Austin FC 2, Houston Dynamo FC 1: While there are no must-wins in MLS before September, this is a match where Austin FC would be better off getting three points, as Saturday’s game against a Kansas City club on a full week’s rest will be tough. The Green & Black should still be fresh and motivated after a good performance in the defeat to Dallas, where they felt they gave up the victory.
This article originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC vs Houston Dynamo FC: Our preview and prediction are in
