Field Level Media
15 Sep 2021, 05:49 GMT+10
Los Angeles FC will look for the clean sweep of Austin FC and a move up the MLS standings when the two teams square off on Wednesday in a Western Conference match in Austin, Texas.
LAFC has taken the first two matches with expansion Austin FC, winning 2-0 at home in the season opener in April and by the same score in July in the Texas capitol.
LAFC heads to Texas on the heels of an 3-2 home victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Cristian Arango scored twice for LAFC (8-9-6, 30 points), including a tally just 20 seconds into the match to record the fastest goal in club history. LAFC won when Real Salt Lake gifted the home side an own goal in the 59th minute.
The win over RSL allowed Los Angeles to move into eighth place in the West, tied with Real Salt Lake on record but just below them and the playoff line because of goal differential.
After going its first 20 contests without scoring more than two goals in a game, LAFC has found the net three times in its past three matches.
"We're on an upward bound path where all we can do is continue to gain," Arango said after Saturday's win. "With all these goals we hope to accumulate more. Tonight we have a great reward worthy of our great effort. We suffer together and celebrate together."
Austin FC (5-14-4, 19 points) returns home after a disheartening 3-0 loss in Houston on Saturday that kept the first-year side at the bottom of the Western Conference table. Austin surrendered a goal in the match's opening 48 seconds, then again in the 24th and 64th minutes.
Austin FC coach Josh Wolff called the conceding of a Houston goal in the opening minute "unacceptable."
"Players' responsibility and intensity when the ball is in play, just the general demeanor of some of our players at the beginning of the game is unacceptable," Wolff continued.
"We're definitely assessing what we have game-by-game. We got three games in a week and there's certainly going to be some changes over the next game as well as the third."
Austin has lost three straight matches and still has the fewest goals in the league, with just 21 goals through 23 games.
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