LAFC at Austin FC
Wednesday, June 15 at 5:30pm PT
Location: Q2 Stadium - Austin, TX 🏟
TV: FREE on Apple TV – MLS Season Pass 🖥, Watch Parties 🎪
Radio: 710 AM ESPN 📻, ESPN LA App 📱, KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera 📻
Coming off a 3-1 road victory over Orlando City SC, LAFC next faces Western Conference rival Austin FC on Wednesday, June 19, at Q2 Stadium in Austin.
Denis Bouanga's brace, and his assist on Mateusz Bogusz’s game winner in the 80th minute, keeps LAFC (10W-4L-3D) in second place in the Western Conference with 33 points from 17 matches played. The Black & Gold trails Real Salt Lake by just one point, with RSL having played one more game.
Bouanga’s two goals in Orlando boosted the Gabonese international into third place (12 goals) in the 2024 MLS Golden Boot race, four goals behind leader and former teammate Cristian Arango.
LAFC is on an eight-game winning streak in all competitions, including six consecutive wins in league play.
The Black & Gold owns a 6W-2L-0D record against Austin FC across all competitions, having won the last three meetings. In its previous visit to Austin in 2023, LAFC secured a 4-2 victory with goals from Bouanga, Timothy Tillman, and Cristian Olivera.
Austin in-depth
The Verde attack is led by designated player Sebastián Driussi, who has recorded five goals and an assist on the year. Driussi scored 11 goals in 2023 after exploding for 22 goals in 2022, coming up one goal short in that season’s Golden Boot race.
Austin FC (6W-7L-5D) finds itself in eighth place in the Western Conference, having earned 23 points from 18 matches. The Verde are currently on a winless streak of four matches and have only found the back of the net twice in that span.
In MLS play in 2024, Austin FC has a goal differential of minus-6, scoring 21 goals and conceding 27 in 18 games. (In 17 MLS games, LAFC boasts a goal differential of plus-11, with 31 goals scored and 20 conceded.)
Coached by former United States international Josh Wolff, the Verde are looking to stay in the mix for a playoff spot after missing out on the postseason in 2023.
The Verde are expected to be without defender Julio Cascante (Costa Rica) and midfielder Daniel Pereira (Venezuela), who will be away on international duty for the 2024 Copa América.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It continues to build off its road momentum and perform in another match expected to have high humidity. The Black & Gold has won four straight road games (including U.S. Open Cup play) and is primed to add to the streak in Texas against a short-handed Austin FC squad.
Bouanga and Bogusz have been a nightmare for defenses. LAFC is 9W-0L-1D this season when Bouanga has a goal or an assist, while Bogusz has notched a goal or an assist in all six games during LAFC’s winning streak in MLS play.
The Verde & Black Can Win If:
It can find a way to contain LAFC's potent counterattack without Cascante, a key defender. Austin FC has shown resilience at home with a record of 5W-2L-2D at Q2 Stadium in 2024. Driussi and company face a tough task against LAFC's defense, which has conceded just one goal in its last seven matches across all competitions.
