Dean Etheridge
- This weekend sees MLS Western Conference side Austin FC play their first match in the newly built Q2 Stadium.
- So far this MLS season, Austin have played all eight of their matches away from home, picking up 8 points on the road.
- A win over San Jose this weekend could see Austin enter the Top 7, and into the Play-Off positions.
After eight matches on the road, Austin FC will finally get the chance to play in front of their fans in their new home ground this Saturday.
On the road Austin have performed gamely this season. They are still in with a chance of making the play-offs, and they have a glut of home fixtures to come.
Two wins, two draws, and four defeats isn’t league winning form, that’s for sure. But from eight away games, I’m sure Head Coach Josh Wolff will be more than satisfied.
Now the real pressure comes though. Five of Los Verdes’ next six fixtures are at home, and in front of their home fans, in their brand new stadium, better results will be expected.
First up is San Jose this Saturday night. The Earthquakes are in the midst of an awful run, and this is a match that Austin will be expected to win.
- Austin FC vs San Jose Earthquakes
- Date – Saturday 19th June 2021
- Kick-Off – 8pm CT
- Venue – Q2 Stadium
- League – MLS Western Conference
Austin FC vs San Jose Betting
In the latest MLS betting, the hosts go into this match as even money favourites, they can be backed at around +100 with most bookmakers. The draw is +275, while an away win for San Jose is available at +235.
In the goals markets, over 2.5 is favourite at -182, while under 2.5 goals can be backed +133.
Our soccer betting strategy page has more information about how to bet on the sport.
Austin vs San Jose Head-to-Head
As this is Austin’s first season in MLS, and the teams are yet to meet this season, there is no head-to-head record between these two teams. The only form to go on, is both sides respective last 5 matches.
Last 5 Matches Form Guide
Last 5 matches (most recent results first):-
- Austin – DDLLL
- San Jose – LLLLW
With just 5 points between them in their last 5 matches, neither of these two sides have anything to boast about of late.
But despite San Jose having 3 points to Austin’s 2, it’s the former who actually seem in the worse form.
2 Points From 15 For Austin
Austin have managed to pick up 2 well earned points in their last couple of matches. The most recent of which, came on Saturday, when they clung on for a hard earned 1-1 draw away to Sporting Kansas City.
Austin were really under the pump for nearly all of this match. Sporting had an amazing 32 attempts on goal, compared to Austin’s 9 attempts. In the possession stats, Sporting had 60% of the ball.
A win for Sporting would have seen them go top of the Western Conference, and it’s possible that the pressure told on them in the end.
Austin took the lead through Cecilio Domínguez after 26 minutes, with Dániel Sallói eventually getting the hosts level when he found the back of the net after 71 minutes.
A share of the points in this one.#SKCvATX | #SportingKC pic.twitter.com/kWgdovMZzF
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) June 12, 2021
Prior to the 1-1 draw with Sporting, Josh Wolff’s team held table topping Seattle Sounders to a 0-0 draw on 31st May. This was after three straight defeats.
San Jose have 3 points from last 5 Matches
For San Jose, the last few weeks have been pretty bad. Four straight defeats have come at the hands of LA Galaxy (1-0), Sporting KC (3-1), Portland (2-0), and Seattle Sounders (1-0).
A 2-1 victory away at Real Salt Lake on 8th May is the last time San Jose picked up any points.
Three of the four defeats did come at the hands of the top three sides in the conference. So it’s fair to say San Jose haven’t had much assistance from the fixture list.
In their last outing away at LA Galaxy on 30th May, San Jose did give a pretty good account of themselves.
The possession stats show Galaxy had 51% to San Jose’s 49%. In attempts on goal, it was 21-18 to Galaxy, and in attempts on target, it was 12-8 to San Jose. In the end the match was decided 1-0 in the favour of the Galaxy courtesy of an own goal by Tanner Beason after 70 minutes.
Considering San Jose were on a 3 match losing run going into that match, I’d say that’s a pretty decent showing from Matias Almeyda’s team.
Austin vs San Jose Prediction
For our MLS Picks, this really is a difficult match to predict. On one hand Austin look the team in slightly better from, as they have two hard earned draws in their last two matches. But on the flip side, San Jose ran LA Galaxy close last time out, despite losing the match 1-0.
It’s impossible to predict a win for either side in this match, and the draw looks a good option to me.
Another interesting bet could be under 2.5 goals at +133 with Bovada.
Austin’s last five matches have seen under 2.5 goals win on four out of five occasions. While for San Jose, three of their last five matches have been under 2.5 goals.
This fixture has a look of 1-1 about it as well. Austin don’t score many, and they will be extremely keen to not lose their first match in the Q2 Stadium. While San Jose will probably also be happy with a point after losing their last four matches.
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