Austin FC's impressive sophomore season, which included a +25-point bump year over year and a first-ever trip to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, ended Sunday afternoon in a 3-0 loss in the Western Conference Final to an LAFC side that outclassed them from the opening whistle.
Here's how Verde & Black players fared at Banc of California Stadium.
The Verde goalkeeper was called into action early to deal with a couple of balls over the top and handled it well. Stuver didn't get much help from his defense, but put in a Man of the Match-caliber performance to keep the score tight for as long as he could.
Lima found himself pinned back all afternoon with Dénis Bouanga coming the other way and didn't do enough with the ball when he did get forward.
Gabrielsen was ambitious in possession, but got caught too high on multiple occasions. Bouanga was able to get behind him, especially in the first half, and the Norwegian center back was bailed out by his goalkeeper more than once.
Cascante was the more effective of Austin's center-back pairing, but a simply adequate performance from the Costa Rican wasn't enough to stem the tide of LAFC's attack.
Gallagher was typically energetic down the left flank, but for all his enterprise, he couldn't make a tangible impact in the final third. Austin were never going to keep their fullbacks deep, but he left a lot of space in behind for LAFC to exploit.
The 22-year-old was a rare bright spot on the ball for the Verde, able to at least recycle possession through midfield and attempt to advance the ball into the final third. Pereira struggled out of possession though and allowed LAFC's midfield trio to bypass him too easily.
Ring didn't stamp his normal authority on the match and really struggled against LAFC's press. Unable to connect when he tried going over the top, the Finn was outmatched by his Black & Gold counterparts.
Austin's MVP candidate was completely invisible in the first half and managed just one shot in 90 minutes. Driussi needed to have an elite performance to beat the Supporters' Shield winners; he had the opposite.
Rigoni's primary contribution was a shoulder to the head of LAFC's Diego Palacios. He continued to look unsure of himself in possession, never got on the same page with his teammates and failed to make a tangible impact on the game.
Fagúndez was the most effective member of a largely ineffective Austin attack. His delivery from set pieces at least asked some questions of LAFC's defense, and he was controversially denied a penalty kick late in the second half. Unfortunately, he also set up Kwadwo Opoku's goal with a failed clearance that fell to the Ghanaian in the box.
Wolff's side unfortunately never looked like a match for the Supporters' Shield winners. Austin's high line was exposed time and time again by LAFC's relentless front three and his team was overrun in midfield. Somehow his side managed to stay within a goal until late in the game, and although his substitutes were positive in theory, they couldn't match the energy and quality of their counterparts.
Substitutes
The substitute scored with his first touch off the bench. Unfortunately, it was at the wrong end.
On in the 61st minute, Finlay was noticeably more effective than Rigoni, but it was too late for the veteran to turn the tide. The 32-year-old had a case to start before the match began, and his performance on the field backed that up.
The veteran midfielder unsurprisingly gave Austin a bit more bite in midfield, but by the time he entered the match in the 72nd minute, the result was all but decided.
Thrown on late with Austin chasing a goal, the striker never had a chance to make an impact.
