Austin FC aims to advance from its Leagues Cup group on Saturday night, when the Verde & Black host Liga MX opponents FC Juárez. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT at Q2 Stadium.
Tune-In
Fans can watch the match for free in English or Spanish in over 100 countries on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
- Stream: Click here to watch the match, or access it through any device compatible with the Apple TV app. No subscription is required to watch.
- Radio: The match will be broadcast live locally in English on iHeart Radio’s Alt 97.5, and in Spanish on Univision’s TUDN Radio Austin (104.3-HD2, KLQB-FM).
Austin FC Outlook
The math is simple for Austin FC in the second of two Leagues Cup group stage matches. A regulation win, or a draw and winning the ensuing penalty shootout, would see the Verde & Black advance to the knockout rounds and set up a Round of 32 match against LAFC. A loss in regulation, or a draw and a loss in a potential shootout, would eliminate Austin.
ATXFC will look to recapture the home form it carried into the Leagues Cup break, which saw the team win three consecutive home matches and concede only one goal. After a travel-heavy start to July, the Verde & Black had an eight-day break between fixtures, a period of recovery and preparation which may well benefit the team on Saturday night.
To bolster the backline, the Club announced the signing of Matt Hedges on Wednesday. Hedges, the 2016 MLS Defender of the Year, adds quality and experience to the team’s defensive corps, though it’s unclear whether he’ll play a role in Saturday’s match. One player who is likely to feature is Jon Gallagher, who last week became the second Austin FC player to compete in the MLS All-Star Game.
FC Juárez Outlook
Juárez enters Saturday needing the exact same thing as Austin to advance: either a regulation win or a penalty shootout win. Also like Austin, the best Juárez can hope for is second place in the group, after tying Mazatlán on Tuesday night at Q2 Stadium but failing to claim the extra point on offer via the shootout.
Juárez’s league form to start the Liga MX campaign is strong, as the team sits in third place in the table and is unbeaten with seven points through three matches. The club picked up a statement win in its opening game of the season, beating Club América 2-1 at Estadio Azteca. They also put four goals past a 10-man Toluca side on July 16, with former Real Salt Lake forward Sebastian Saucedo on the scoresheet.
Los Bravos have not yet kept a clean sheet in four competitive matches this season, but they haven’t been held scoreless either. Saturday’s match could hold good entertainment value as both sides know they need a victory to advance.
Possible Juárez Lineup
(4-4-2, R-L) - GK: Alfredo Talavera; Luis Rodriguez, Jose Garcia, Oscar Ortega, Aldo Cruz; Sebastian Saucedo, Javier Salas, Denzell Garcia, Agustin Urzi; Aitor Garcia, Diego Chavez
