Austin FC vs Toronto FC score: 3 takeaways from Verde's wild MLS draw

Austin FC's attack gives it a well-earned point

Toronto hasn’t lost at a home match in 12 months, so a draw here — as also noted in the American-Statesman’s game advance — is a good result for Austin FC. Sure, at some point in the season it’s going to need to start compiling wins. But without Owen Wolff, Dani Pereira and Brandon Vazquez, who all could be playing again in May, and after a midweek match, this is an outcome the club takes at any point. (Club brass wouldn’t say that on the record, but one would guess behind closed doors there’s a different feeling.) The game as a whole showed Austin FC’s potential on offense when it gets good performances from its top attacking players. Torres and Joseph Rosales were excellent and Uzuni and Jayden Nelson were very good. Rosales, who normally plays on the wing, played more in the central midfield and thrived. Austin FC coach Nico Estévez said Thursday the club needed to be more aggressive and ruthless with its possession, and after two games where the club looked like it had no idea of what it wanted to do in the attack, that’s exactly what he received. Kudos also has to be given to Estévez for fielding the most optimal attacking lineup in a match where the club needed a result. Given the club’s current injuries, his forward and midfield selections put the best talent available on the field.

Taylor spurs brilliant goal

There can’t be enough praise for the quality of passing between Robert Taylor, Torres and Myrto Uzuni that led to Torres’ goal. And though Torres scored, Taylor should get the bulk of the credit. He started the sequence with a long pass from the wing to Torres in the middle of the field. Instead of jogging, he then sprinted down the field, blowing past a Toronto defender, and laid off Uzuni’s cross perfectly to Torres in the middle of the box. Taylor has underwhelmed since joining the club, but he provided a spark off the bench in the second half.

Luck of the bounce

Austin FC might have been a bit unlucky defensively. Toronto’s first two goals came after deflections on Verde & Black defenders and its third followed a bounce off the post. That’s soccer, though. The Verde & Black also benefited from some deflections as Bell’s goal went off a Toronto defender and Ramírez found the ball perfectly at his feet on his feet after a cross ricocheted off a defender.

Bottom line

It was a proper response by Austin FC after two rough showings. With seven matches before the World Cup break, the Verde & Black need to tread water in the Western Conference to give themselves a shot in the second half of the season. And if they can consistently produce performances like Saturday, they should do just that.