The Verde Report: “The Show Goes On” as Austin FC Continues Magical Run to West Final

Austin FC players celebrate scoring a goal during the club's 4-1 win over LAFC in August (Courtesy of Austin FC)

It's serious now. Austin FC is two wins away from lifting the MLS Cup. A thought that would've been downright laughable 12 months ago is now Austin's reality after the Verde and Black produced a convincing 2-1 win over FC Dallas in a Western Conference semifinal over the weekend, ending their Copa Tejas rival's season in the process.

There ain't nothing laughable about El Tree anymore. After a spectacular regular season campaign followed by a pair of playoff wins, Austin FC is a worthy member of the strongest MLS final four since 2015. The Western Conference No. 2 seed will meet LAFC, the Supporters' Shield winners and the West's top seed, in an irresistible conference final match Sunday, 2pm, at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. If you're like me and a sucker for a "full circle" narrative, do note that the venue is the same one where Austin FC played its first-ever MLS match back in April of 2021.

The early betting lines have the Oaks as massive underdogs (+450) in Sunday's match despite the fact that Austin FC was the only club to beat LAFC twice, home and away, in the regular season. Careful, Vegas. Y'all are fixin' to get yourselves laminated.

"LAFC is and has been the best team all year, I don't think that's wavered one bit," Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said after the Dallas victory. "We've played them twice, they are extremely difficult to play against, and we've done it in a couple of different ways. … I don't think you're beating LAFC twice and it's a fluke."

But three times in one season? It's a tall task no matter who the opponent is. This one just so happens to have Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale, Cristian Arango, and Dénis Bouanga at the disposal of manager Steve Cherundolo. Bouanga, who scored twice in LAFC's 3-2 victory over El Trafico rivals LA Galaxy in the previous round, will face Austin FC for the first time after debuting as LAFC's newest Designated Player at the end of August.

"We know it's going to be a tough game. They have big names, but we have the MVP," Austin FC winger Diego Fagúndez said, alluding to teammate Sebastián Driussi, who once again came up huge for the Verde in the conference semifinals, scoring the eventual game winner.

Driussi isn't the only key member of the club operating in top form at the moment. So, too, is his coach, who got the tactics spot-on against Dallas by deploying a compact defensive shape that frustrated the Frisco-based side for the majority of the match. The last time the two Western Conference finalists met, Wolff similarly got the better of Cherundolo, leading to a 4-1 Austin goal fiesta at Q2 Stadium. You can be sure the Angelenos have dissected every frame of tape from that match, and this time the Oaks won't have the Q2 crowd behind them.

"We'll have to draw something up, talk to [our players] a little bit, get their feedback and get ready for LAFC," Wolff said. "I told these guys, we're not done yet. The music continues. The show goes on. We've got to be ready."

If Austin FC can escape Southern California with a win, a trip to the MLS Cup would await. Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia Union take on defending champs New York City FC in the nightcap Sunday, and should Austin FC and NYCFC both win, the final would be played in Austin. It's a scenario chock full of ifs, ands, and buts. It feels way too good to come true. But then again, aren't we well past that point already?