13th Man

That is brutal on the GK front, but glad you have an in house replacement for now.

I honestly had more success protecting the flank using a flat 3 rather than with a DM. The DM always seemed to stay too central while the CAR, CM(d) or even a MEZ(s) covered the flank much more effectively if in a flat midfield 3

It’s been working really well lately to do minor role adjustments - often have a massive effect.

That's a massive turnaround. I'd been reading on mobile so hadn't seen the formation in the results screenshots - but it looks night and day after the switch. That 4-3-3 looks a bit more proactive in the midfield as well with the CAR and CM(a) being a bit less static than the former SS and DLP - making for those passing triangles and options you were looking for!

A big club - a tactical post As Lindsay started what would be his last season at Austin, he wanted to fully implement a few changes that he’d used effectively in the 2024 playoffs, as well as come up with more effective options. Austin had a tremendous 2024 season - winning a quadruple - but were plagued mid season by a series of draws. With Austin now a certified “big club” in North America, his tactics needed to reflect that. The “Coiled-Spring” would remain the default, the fall back. It was perfect for evenly matched games - but those were far less often by that point. Now Austin tended to face low blocks that looked to deny Austin space in behind. Most teams were no longer willing to push forward even if given space. When that happened, Lindsay would have to take the game to them. Counter press Lindsay had tried to avoid instructions that would add to the fatigue in the side. Now, however, Austin had excellent depth at every position, and that meant he could rotate more without fearing the same drop off in quality. Austin were generally very solid defensively when they had the chance to get organized. Like many top teams, however, they could be vulnerable to the counter. The counter press would help force the opposition into hurried clearances and back passes, giving Austin time to get set. The counter press had worked perfectly against a stubborn Colorado side in the 3-0 playoff win, and had mostly limited San Jose and Montreal as well. Rather than win the ball back quickly, the aim was to slow down counters. Higher Tempo There would be times to keep things simple, but Lindsay wanted to move to a quicker passing style on the whole to not let teams get comfortable. He had quality passers across the team, so could rely on the players to have the technical ability to complete passes at a higher tempo. Variety Coiled Spring PI - both wingers stay wider, roam from position Against gegenpressing sides or in evenly matched games, Lindsay would keep with the tried and true “coiled spring” that looked to invite the opposition up to the halfway line and open up space in behind. It featured a highly mobile and fluid midfield trio, a IWB that played like a center mid, and an CM(a) that basically acted as a deep lying forward in possession. This tactic opened the season against a strong, gegenpressing Atlanta side and got Austin a 2-0 win. Both goals came from moments where Austin pulled Atlanta onto them and hit them quick in behind. Here Atlanta are trying to get the ball to their LW, but after letting Atlanta advance, Austin begins to press now that they have crossed midfield. The pressure in the center forces an inaccurate ball that RB Lima is able to intercept - but Atlanta have committed players forward. RB Lima heads it down to CM(a) Roldan, who one touches the ball to RW Rigoni (circled). This takes all of a second and a half, leaving Atlanta no time to transition. Austin are on the counter, and Rigoni quickly sends it into the huge space in behind before Atlanta’s CBs can react. Garcia is through on goal. For most of his three seasons in charge, Lindsay had stuck to mostly this same tactic with slight tweaks. Sometimes he’d switch the BWM to defend, sometimes he’d push up his lines if Austin needed to get control of a game, or narrowing the width to punch through the middle, but the changes were minor. The coiled spring had been very effective both defensively and going forward, but Lindsay spent the offseason coming up with some other options. Big Club Football (Same PIs as Coiled Spring) This was not heavy metal football by any means, but it had more of an emphasis on pressing than the “Coiled Spring”. While not vastly different, this variation featured more proactive team instructions. Against sides who wanted to control possession or who just wanted to sit back, Lindsay would look to press higher and harder, and to play with more urgency going forward. Lindsay used a lot of these instructions at various points, but he wanted to train it more, all together, and get the players as used to it as they were to the “Coiled Spring”. Early in the season, against a Chicago side that also liked to control possession and tried to play for a draw, Austin were crushingly efficient. Chicago left registering only two extremely low quality shots on target for a grand total xG of 0.07 from four shots. Even better - this match featured a lot of rotation options after a NACL quarterfinal. Ace in the Hole PIs - same as previous except… LW stay wider sit narrower LB stay wider This variant was an in match tweak when Austin has gone a goal down the previous season. It resulted in a ten minute hat trick for LW Druissi on the way to a 4-1 win. If using a left footed WB instead of a right footed player as a IWB, Lindsay could use his LW as an IF and the LB as width. Where the IWs had the stay wider instruction, here the IF would be tasked with taking up more central positions [even more than default] and the LB would be instructed to stay wide [even more than default]. Without the cover of the narrow WB, Lindsay would generally keep the DM a bit more conservative on defend rather than the usual support. The reason for this was it allowed the lethal Druissi to receive the ball closer to goal and/or attack the space between the FB and CB. He thrived going one on one with FBs, but as an inside forward he could cause trouble with his off the ball movement and force the defense to either lose their shape or give him space. In this first shot, we see Austin moving into their attacking shape shortly after winning the ball while in the Big Club tactic. The IWB is moving narrower while RW Druissi is almost on the touch line even though the ball is on the opposite flank. In this match, Kansas City went up 1-0 midway through the second half after Austin had looked toothless. Lindsay switched to the Ace in the Hole and ended up winning 2-1. Compare this to the shot above - here Druissi’s position is much narrower (former position is the dotted circle) despite the ball being with the left center mid, and the LB is pushing wide towards where Druissi had been positioned in the Big Club variant. A bit later, the first of Austin’s two goals came after Austin won possession back around midfield. Already much narrower, Druissi has 5-10 yards of separation on the right back as Austin counter. With Druissi’s pace, the RB is simply not going to catch up. The ball is progressed quickly down the right, sucking both CBs over, and this allows RB Ataide to lay a simple cross into the path of Druissi with the goal at his mercy. The Big Club variant had been dominant statistically before the Kansas City goal - but they hadn't been able to make it count until the switch to the Ace in the Hole. Choices The idea was all about having set options and choices to change matches. Lindsay had just made tweaks to the Coiled Spring before, but now he wanted to work them in training and come up with complete systems - even if they were all variations on the same style. Now he had them, so far, they were working…

Oh man. This excellent post is getting me thinking about the wonders of 3atb with WCBs again. I missed the 4-3-3 for my two year jaunt into the 3atb world, but not I'm kind of hoping that my next landing spot lends itself to a 3atb again. Also, 100% record 20 games into the season??? 50 for, 6 against??? This is domination the likes of which has never been seen before!

Watch out for those motorcycles. He should have just told Gandalf to summon Gwaihir to fly him to Rangers rather than try and travel to Mordor...er, Rangers on a motorcycle. [I did have to look up the Gwaihir reference, btw. My wife is the LOTR nerd, not me. Half of what I know is ways to trigger her by getting the lore wrong. Also, the music in the LOTR trilogy was excellent so I paid more attention. Still, I now fully expect to see references to Tolkien's works in this career thread.] Well done so far. 100% record (don't muck it up). Good luck with what looks to be a difficult task!

The off-season part II - The business The focus Lindsay was always on the lookout for depth. It was crucial to success anywhere, but especially in the MLS. He wanted quality options at every position, and he thought he might just have a plan. He also wanted to get the side younger, he wanted to build a core of younger talent that could begin to take over as the current core headed towards the twilight of their careers. He had no plans to be there for that transition, but he hoped to set up the club for years to come. Here’s a fugly sheet to show the look of the squad in the 2024 season as opposed to the outlook for 2025. Green means under 25 - Young players yet to hit their potential. Blue is for 25-28 - Peak years, can be in the squad for 4+ years Yellow is for 29 - Still have 2 or so years at their peak, but plans need to be made Orange for over 30-31 - Veteran players who need reliable backups to step into their roles sooner rather than later Red is for 32+ - Twilight of the career, will likely be their last year or at least will need replacing very soon. 2024 2025 GK Sivera Luthe GK Sivera RB Lima Ataide RB Lima Ataide CB Ditta Cobb CB Ditta Cobb CB Carlos Gabrielsen CB Carlos Gabrielsen LB Venegas Criscito LB Venegas Bidu DM Valencia De Los Santos DM Valencia De Los Santos CM(a) Roldan Fagundez CM(a) Roldan Fagundez BBM Ring Pereira BBM Booth/Pereira Booth/Pereira RW Rigoni Bender RW Rigoni Bender LW Druissi Fagundez LW Druissi Fagundez CF Garcia Plaza CF Garcia Plaza You can see how the color is shifting very much away from the cool tones to the hot ones. There’s a lot more red heading into the 2025 season and a lot more yellow. Austin would go through a lot of turnover in the next few seasons, so Lindsay wanted to set up the side with players that could step in and seamlessly take over starting roles as current starters faded. There were some players at the club who fit the mold of what Lindsay would be looking for. Ben Bender had been fantastic on the right wing as a rotation option for Rigoni, including coming in to score the winner in the MLS Cup final. He was turning 25, American, and still had some room to grow before he hit his peak. Keeping the band together Most of the first 11 - other than Ring obviously - was signed at least through the end of 2025. The one other exception was the quietly dependable RB Nick Lima. At first, he demanded to double his previous salary. Apparently, all it took was a few scouts to check him out and he suddenly expected to double his previous salary and make $1m/a. Lindsay rated Lima highly, but not that highly. The interest faded - likely as soon as clubs heard what Lima was expecting - and Lindsay returned to the table. A $100k/a from his previous wage was much more palatable than a $500k/a raise. A two year contract was about perfect for the 29 year old Lima as well. International slot issues Austin had previously received two extra international registration slots in trades, so had the luxury of 10 international registration spots in the 2024 season. This number would fall to the normal 8 in 2025, however. Luckily, RW Rigoni received a green card which gave him an American second nationality, and Italian Criscito was retiring. Criscito was to be replaced by Brazilian LB Bidu, meaning one international player would still have to make way to drop the number to 8. Maybe backup, maybe not That player would be a solid but unremarkable backup forward Stivan Plaza, who was out of contract at the end of the year. Lindsay had been strongly considering moving on from him anyway, because star forward Garcia was another of Austin’s aging core, and Austin would need a long term replacement soon. At 32, Garcia was already just beginning to lose his explosive pace - which was an important part of his game. That meant the player brought in couldn’t just be a backup - that Lindsay would need to find a player ready to step into the starting role should Garcia start to fade during 2025 - or if his injury history began to catch up with him again. Two forwards fit the bill - good all around players with enough physicality to be a presence in the box and technical ability to be part of build up play, while also having American nationality. Former Philadelphia forward Julian Carranza was the better of the two according to Austin’s scouts. Now plying his trade back in Argentina, Carranza had the added bonus of being comfortable on the left wing. He would likely cost several million, however, and wasn’t overly interested in a return to the MLS - with his agent suggesting he would accept nothing less than $700k/a. By itself, that was already a lot, but when combined with the additional salary cap impact of the transfer fee it became impossible to justify. Saint Louis’ Nicolas Gioacchini, despite being less rated by the scouts, was in some ways Lindsay’s preference from the start. He was considered a big game player, scored more than Carranza in equal game time, and generally displayed better fitness overall - a key need in the MLS’s physically demanding season. There was a worry that he’d been only a squad player in a bad Saint Louis team, but considering the final price - a late draft pick and $500k in General Allocation money, plus a contract of only $374k/a - he was the better option. A former USA international, the 25 year old’s career had stagnated after showing promise in the late 2010’s when he’d graduated from Paris FC’s academy and gone on to play at Montpellier in Ligue 1 before moving to the MLS. Lindsay felt that Saint Louis had not given him much of a chance, and he hoped he could reignite the player’s career in Austin. A new era Club captain Ring had left a large hole in the squad. He would not be simple to replace, but Lindsay was thrilled to find someone who might just fit the bill - a young American at Austin’s parent club PSV named Danny Leyva. It might take time, but Lindsay felt confident he would grow into the role. A graduate of Seattle's academy, the 21 year old returns to the MLS after two years in the Netherlands for a $5m initial fee and $1m in potential appearance money. The young American was a solid all around footballer, and looked set to grow into Ring’s role as the BBM in Lindsay’s Austin. Leyva didn’t quite have the workrate or aggression that Ring brought, but he was an accomplished passer and had a lot of potential. Though he hadn’t made the grade yet at PSV, he was only 21 and he’d already been successful in Seattle as a teenager. He looked ready to be a star in the MLS. The draft Austin’s league places had meant the two previous drafts had barely been a focus for Lindsay. Austin’s success always meant they picked close to last [worst go first]. The youngsters left were project players years away from first team football…at best. After receiving Salt Lake City’s 2025 first round draft pick as part of a trade in 2024, however, Austin had the luxury of picking 6th in the MLS Superdraft. They used it to grab a high potential player that Lindsay had favored from the beginning - and would have picked first of all the options anyway. The 20 year old was surprisingly well rounded for his age. He had plenty to learn and needed to spend some time on strength training, but he was already a technically solid player and the scouts rated him as a potential MLS star of the future. He was likely going to be able to step in and play a role on occasion even in the 2025 season. Transfers out Along with letting backup forward Plaza and BBM Ring leave as their contracts ran out, Lindsay also accepted a large offer for backup midfielder Daniel Periera. Though a solid option, he was prone to errors and was showing signs that maybe he’d hit his ceiling as a player. When Toronto came in with an offer of $1m in General Allocation money and three 1st round draft picks (two in 2026, one in 2027), Lindsay accepted. This would clear up space for newcomer Booth anyway, who was close to Perriera’s ability, but with much more upside - and it might just replenish the team with young talent for the next few years. The result Though only Ring departed from the first choice 11, his departure was the first of many that would come over the next few years. The core of Austin’s squad was edging towards the wrong side of 30. Of that first choice 11, three were 32, and four were 29. Though Lindsay wasn’t going to be there for it, he wanted to set up Austin for years of success, so his focus over the offseason was younger and more American (to help Austin avoid needing to use limited international slots). GK Sivera Gallese RB Lima Ataide CB Ditta Cobb CB Carlos Gabrielsen LB Venegas Bidu DM Valencia De Los Santos CM(a) Roldan Fagundez BBM Leyva Booth RW Rigoni Bender LW Druissi Gioacchini CF Garcia Flores Work still needed to be done, but the outlook was a lot better as the new season approached. There was still a lot of yellow in the first team, and three players who were about to begin their decline, but the squad behind that was a lot more blue and green. Leyva was already a very good MLS player and had the chance to be a star. Players like forward Gioacchini and midfielder Booth were starting quality options and rightback Ataide and forward Flores were ready to play significant roles in the coming season. A new core was being built at the squad. Lindsay wouldn’t be there to see it blossom, but he took pride in knowing that, if nothing else, he’d set Austin up for continued success.

Canary in the coal mine (The offseason - Part I) Alexander Ring is not the type of player who can change a match by himself, that would be left winger Sebastián Druissi. He is not the type of player that will get double digit assists and goals in a season, that would be right winger Emiliano Rigoni. What Ring has done for the past three years, though, is personify the way Austin play under Brian Lindsay. He is tireless, he is aggressive, and he’s also a technically excellent soccer player who is comfortable on the ball, who can pick a pass, and score when you need it most. He has been the beating heart of Austin’s midfield. That is why the news that Ring will not be returning next year is a big deal. Contract negotiations have been going on for months, but the club have confirmed that Ring has been set for release. You can see where Head Coach and de facto Sporting Director Brian Lindsay is coming from. Ring is 33, and while he’s still performing at a high level, it’s clear his age is starting to catch up to him. He is no longer able to effectively cover the left flank anymore and his feet seem a bit heavier when he’s on the ball. More to the point, though, like the two players he was compared to in the opening above, he takes up one of three Designated Player slots at Austin. Currently on a $1.9 million a year contract, reports say that Ring was willing to give up his Designated Player status, but that his salary demands remained in the region of $1 million a year: far lower than previously but still far above the average starter’s wage [$400k-600k/a]. Without the Designated Player status, his full wage would also count against the cap, making that annual $1 million even more difficult to afford. [Designated Player Salary impact explained below…] It appears Lindsay thought this was simply too much. Paying roughly twice the usual starting wage for that for a player likely to fade into a squad role would be folly. Then there’s 37 year old leftback Criscito who is retiring. On the pitch, Criscito won’t be a huge loss Though a huge part of Lindsay’s first two years in Austin, Criscito has been reduced to a squad role this year. However, he’s another team leader who is departing this offseason. There are legitimate fears that Austin may suffer from lack of leadership on the field [pitch] and in the locker room [dressing room]. They also are like two canaries in a coal mine - a warning of what likely awaits this club over the next few years. The core of Austin’s squad is heading towards the wrong side of 30. At the start of the 2025 season, three of Lindsay’s current preferred 11 will be 32 or older, not including Ring. Four more will be 29. They will need a new core of players and soon. There are signs that Lindsay is aware of this. 23 year old American midfielder and right back Taylor Booth will arriving from FC Utrecht in the Netherlands for $675k, and 25 year old Brazilian leftback Matheaus Bidu will be arriving on a free transfer. Both players are on the younger side and are both high quality replacements for Ring and Criscito. It must be said, however, that Booth is nowhere near the level that Ring is even now. As the off-season continues, Lindsay will need to replenish the squad. He’ll have a decent amount of cap space, and he’ll also have something he hasn’t had before - an open Designated Player slot which he can use to bring in a truly talented player. [That was the other part of Designated Players - the transfer fee normally counts against the salary cap in the MLS, with the fee divided across the length of the contract. So, with a $1.5m transfer fee and a 3 year, $500k contract would normally mean a salary cap impact of $1m/a (500k+(1.5m/3)). But, to use the impossible comparison, Mbappe for a $200m fee + his $54m/a contract would still only be $744k against the cap.].

Phew, that looks much better after a rough start. Looks like you've recovered. Any tactical tweaks that made the difference?

Good to see you back! Oh that pesky life/work/family. The club seems like the right mix of solid foundation but plenty of challenge as well.

Good to see a new career thread from you! Definitely going to be a project, but I’ll be here for it.

Tough ending but solid first season, but plenty of reasons to be positive. Turnover gives you the chance to revamp the side.

So sounds like you’re living dangerously, but it’s quality play that’s seeping the goals against down - both from defenders and the keeper!

Know when to hold ‘em After significant deliberation, Lindsay decided to stay for one last season in Austin - or at least part of it. It wasn’t that Lindsay had any sense of unfinished business - far from it - and he would be on the prowl for promising jobs in Europe. A few things swayed him to stay, however. He still found the project interesting. There was a tricky but fascinating offseason to deal with. Tactically, he had ideas that he felt would make the team reach a whole new level. He felt like he’d done a lot to turn Austin from an expansion team into a powerhouse, but he wanted to set them up to last. There was also the fact that the jobs that were available in Europe for someone of his limited pedigree didn’t look promising at all. There were no underperforming fallen giants, no decent sides that weren’t living up to their potential. Most top flight sides wouldn’t consider him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave a successful side playing the best football in North America to go be blamed for a poor team continuing to play poorly. Not just yet anyway. Finally, with the choices evenly balanced, one thing tipped the scale - the Club World Cup. As much as it was seen as a distraction in Europe, Lindsay would love to take his Austin side and (hopefully) put on a strong showing, even if he had little expectation that they could beat top European sides. He decided he wouldn’t rush his move. He was still in his 30s, still enjoying managing Austin. All that said - he planned to be a bit more active in keeping his eye open for good opportunities during the season. Even if he didn’t get another job during the season, though, he’d definitely resign after - hopefully with his reputation boosted by another trophy or four. [One other major factor in my decision - work is a bit crazy and about to ramp up even more, so the thought of starting from scratch with a struggling side might be a bit much for me. I don’t plan on doing monthly updates for this season, but more general, thematic tactical ones other than, possibly, some big matches. A big squad building post is next, then tactics!]

A bit of a dip there at the end, but things are looking great overall. Over the course of a season it seems your xGA must not be a good indicator of your defensive quality (before injuries!). Are your players getting a lot of blocks in? Or does the keeper have a really good xG prevented?

Getting over the line MLS Cup Final - Post match press conference Reporter - Brian [Lindsay], you sit here after winning your first MLS Cup. Even though you’ve won the NACL, Leagues Cup, and the Supporters Shield, you’ve come so close both of the last two years only to fall just short in the MLS playoffs. Even today it wasn’t as easy as the final scoreline suggests, how does it feel to finally get over the line? Lindsay - I’m thrilled obviously, and proud of the team. Mentally, I always knew that three years is hardly a long time to wait, but to be so close, as you said, made the wait harder. It's so difficult to win a championship, and each time you fall short you wonder if your window is closing. Will you be able to keep the side together and make it all the way back. So yeah, it’s a massive relief to win it. I never doubted our ability to win but when the title comes down to one game you never know! Reporter - The squad has gone through some changes, but the core of the team that fell just short in Columbus two years ago is still with the club. All told, five starters and three subs on the team sheet today started in that final, including the whole starting midfield trio. What did it mean for those players? Lindsay - Winning a major trophy always means a lot, but I do think it was especially sweet for those that have been here with me since the beginning. Reporter - You brought on Bender for Rigoni in the 75th minute when it was 2-2 and he scored what would prove to be the winner only three minutes later. It proved to be a masterstroke but it was a brave move to take out Rigoni when you were looking for a goal. After that goal, you completely took control of the match and never looked back. Can you tell us what drove you to make that decision? Lindsay - Emiliano [Rigoni] has been crucial to this playoff run, and to all our success this season. He won the match for us in the Conference Finals, and has been a massive player for this club. Today, he’ll be the first to admit, he wasn’t at his best. Really though, I just felt like we needed a change after Mason [Toye] equalized again and Montreal seemed to be growing in confidence. I felt like we were in danger of losing control of the game. I was hoping Ben [Bender] could come in with some fresh legs and fresh ideas. He’s been a creative force on the right wing and it’s fantastic to be able to bring someone of his quality off the bench. His run to the far post was timed to perfection, and Olmes [Garcia’s] cross was a thing of beauty. I honestly brought him on to create, but was happy to see him finish instead! Reporter - Speaking of Garcia, he earned the man of the match award today after scoring two and providing the assist to Bender's goal. What a difference between this year and last, when he had so many chances to win the game against Colorado, only to fail again and again. That match seemed to confirm his reputation that he wasn’t a big game player. Can you tell me what was different this year? Lindsay - Olmes [Garcia] took last year hard. He’d been in spectacular form and he ended up having a bad day at the office at the worst time. This season though, he got us the last minute equalizer in the NACL final and put on a performance here today as well. I would say that should silence the doubters. I don’t know that anything has truly changed, but I have made sure he knew that I had complete faith in him. [Prematch - “I have faith in you” individual dressing room chat. Garcia has the doesn’t like big games personality trait] Reporter - What did you make of Mason Toye’s performance today for Montreal? He barely got any service but still managed to score twice. Lindsa - Obviously he was great, yeah. Our game plan was to limit his impact and try to stop him from getting the ball in dangerous areas [high press, much higher defensive line, counter press to stop quick transitions]. On the whole we did a good job, but we allowed him two good chances and he scored both. That’s just the kind of form he’s in so I’m glad we managed to put away our chances too. Reporter - What went through your mind when Ditta so carelessly allowed Toye to take the ball off him for Montreal’s second? Lindsay, with a chuckle - In the moment? I don’t think that would be appropriate to say out loud to all you fine folks. He and I had a laugh at the end, but had we not gone on to win Willer [Ditta] would have been harder on himself than I could be on him. He knows that was inexcusable to dally on the ball in that moment and it was very uncharacteristic of him. You can’t gift wrap chances to anyone, much less a player in that kind of form. Reporter - Criscito announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season and got a short send off at the end of the match, even chipping in with an assist for Garcia’s second and Austin’s fourth. Did you put him in at the end just to give him a send off or was there some other reason? Lindsay - Mimmo [Criscito] has been a fantastic servant to the club and we’ve been lucky to have him these past two and a half years. Francisco [Venegas] was looking pretty gassed, we were protecting a one goal lead, and Mimmo is as dependable as it comes at the back. But yeah, giving him a cameo at least was always in the back of my mind. Reporter - Along with Criscito, rumors are swirling that Ring has also just played his final game for Austin. He has yet to sign a contract and it seems talks have stalled. Can you comment? Lindsay - This is not the time or place. What I can say is that to see him raise the Cup today after all he’s given to this team was a thing of beauty. Reporter - What about you Brian? Can we expect to see you in the dugout next season? There have been reports that you’ve applied unsuccessfully to a handful of jobs in Europe in the past year as well as the US men’s national team. What are the chances that Austin FC have just seen the last of Brian Lindsay? Lindsay after a short pause - I love this club and all that we have built here. I will remain committed to making this team better so long as I am employed here. I have a plan to take us forward into next season and have every intention of getting to work on it as soon as I’m done celebrating this win. I can’t guarantee what the future will hold, but I can guarantee my commitment to this club as long as I am head coach…

You mentioned the defense conceding less than expected - Is the defense giving up lots of bad chances? Or do you fear a regression to the mean? I've had sides that gave up a lot of xG technically, but it was because they allowed a lot of shots but low quality shots. Curious if that is the case here.

Fatigue Q2 Stadium - Austin Texas Western Conference Final 90 + 8 min: Austin 2 - 2 San Jose [Fade in to a player standing near the corner flag, the fans behind him clearly anxious, we hear the announcer] We are over seven minutes into stoppage time here at the Q2 stadium, and the score has remained locked at 2-2 since Rigoni scored late in the first half. Austin have a corner. One last chance to avoid extra time. An extra time that would surely be advantage San Jose. Austin look exhausted while San Jose still have more in the tank. They’ve taken full advantage of their extra rest, and extra time might prove too much for Austin’s tired legs. Rigoni stands over the ball, and a hush falls over the Q2. Memories of Colorado’s shock win here in extra time of last season’s Western Conference Finals are still all too fresh in the minds of the fans and players alike. Will this be another repeat? Rigoni steps up to take the corner… It’s cleared by San Jose, but only as far as Fagundez outside the box. Fagundez plays it to Bender…Bender to Gabrielsen…takes a touch and…Rigoni is open, surging into the box. San Jose have been caught flat footed… Rigoni shoots…. GOAL!!!! GOAL GOAL GOAL GOOOOOOOOOAL!!!! RIGONI CURLS IT INTO THE FAR CORNER IN THE 98th MINUTE TO PUT AUSTIN THROUGH TO THE MLS FINAL!!!!! What a time to score his second and what a goal! San Jose collapse onto the field, stunned. They had Austin, the dominant Austin, right where they wanted them. Their match planned had seemingly worked perfectly. Instead, Rigoni has broken San Jose’s hearts and the noise here in Austin is deafening!!! What. A. Finish. Austin had looked in control early as Garcia scored after a lovely move down Austin’s right. Then two minutes of madness allowed San Jose to score twice. The first was a bit unlucky, with a blocked shot falling right for San Jose’s forward. The second was just horrible - only seconds after the restart, a weak pass to LB Venegas from CB Carlos was pounced on, and Austin simply didn’t get organized. GK Sivera didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either. An equalizer from RW Rigoni to end the half gave Austin hope, but they rapidly ran out of energy in the second half… Until Rigoni’s stunning 98th minute goal, which sent Austin to their second MLS Final in three seasons. The bad news - and the reason there was so much stoppage time - was that CM(a) Roldan pulled his hamstring in the 90th minute and had to come off. This forced Austin to finish out the match with 10, but, more importantly, meant he would miss the final. The early season trade from Seattle had taken a while to bed into the team, but when he got a run in the team as a CM(a), he took control of the role. While plenty of other factors played a part, his excellent play was crucial to Austin’s fantastic end to the season that saw them win 23 straight in all competitions. The MLS Final would be a showdown between the league’s two best teams. Last time, Austin were plucky underdogs against the juggernaut which had been Columbus. Now they were heavily favored to win. As much as Lindsay knew his side was the better team, massive defensive lapses in two of the last three games had Lindsay a bit worried - especially when Montreal’s CF Toye had been all but unstoppable all season long, scoring an incredible 37 goals in 37 appearances.

Do it! No worries! I honestly have trouble keeping up with your output so struggle to follow your careers - I try to pop in and look around regularly though! That’s the big question isn’t it? It’s hard to leave a dominant team and go to a struggling one in a lower league. The calculation is to which one will help Lindsay succeed in Europe in the long run. Should he win more with Austin (or at least challenge) and grow his reputation that way, or just get his foot in the door in Europe even if that risks getting into a relegation battle in a second division? The goal has not changed - Lindsay wants to manage in Europe at the highest level. The question is only what is the best path?

The only thing to fear, is fear itself It was a match that Austin really should be winning, but Colorado had always been a difficult matchup for Austin. Even though Lindsay had gotten the better of them in the 2024 season (2W-1D-0L), the awful memories of the 2023 Western Conference final were still fresh in Lindsay’s mind. To have another promising season end in bitter defeat at the hands of Colorado was a thought Lindsay couldn’t bear. There was no repeat of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Austin took control of this match early and never let go. While it may have just been a fortuitous bit of luck and hard work combined, the first goal seemed to stem from a new instruction that Lindsay had added to this match. With Colorado happy to absorb pressure and dangerous on the break - with wingers that could cause trouble by physically overmatching Austin’s fullbacks - Lindsay didn’t want Colorado to be able to break. So he decided to counter-press when they lost the ball. This would hopefully force some rushed clearances or at least some backpasses that would allow Austin’s backline to get organized. It only took 12 minutes for Garcia to follow these instructions to get himself the opening goal. Colorado recovered the ball in their own box, but were instantly put under pressure. The CB turned, trying to lay it back to his keeper, but Garcia pounced, nicked the ball, and blasted it past Bond in goal to set Austin off on a far easier win than Lindsay had expected. In the end, Garcia bagged another goal, and Rigoni joined the fun with a curling effort in the 82nd minute. More importantly, however, Colorado were allowed only two shots all match, and none on target. Austin had beaten San Jose twice, including a 3-1 win in San Jose. The only issue? Due to the NACL match against DC United, the game against Colorado had been postponed to…three days before the Western Conference final. That meant that while San Jose were on a full week of rest, Austin had only two days between their win over Colorado and another massive playoff match.

This has been the hope, but the MLS is considered a backwater. Even though Austin have been dominant there, anyone in the the big 5 won’t touch Lindsay, and neither will legendary clubs Ajax etc. So the question is - better to win more with a dominant Austin team and get that final coaching badge? Or move to a struggling struggling side, whether that’s in the Eredivise/Jupiter Pro, or in the 2nd division of a bigger country, but at least be in Europe? Lindsay has been applying sporadically, lowering hopes and expectations along the way. The sleeping giants/under-performers have said he’s a good candidate but doesn’t make the shortlist. He hasn’t been declaring interest, however, after getting in a bit of trouble with the Austin board. Thanks! I didn’t expect to dig into that side of it - was going to let the DoF take care of that. Until he torpedoed the end of a great season by letting two important players go. Since then I actually enjoyed the strange combination of the American and World squad building challenges!

I’m enjoying this new thematic write up theme - and the dashboard is nice to see the specifics as well. I think I’ll be stealing the idea, but without the dashboard as I lack the necessary technical knowledge to do that in any simple way. That young Brazilian seems the real deal, and there’s definitely something great about getting the best out of a player that hasn’t had the right opportunity yet.

Funny thing is - Austin is one of the few 3.5 star teams in the MLS after all the success so far. It’s possible that some still have a higher reputation, but not by a lot.

Great start, especially as you’re finding your bearings. Fascinating about the defender being so high - is he especially aggressive or something? Id strongly considered O’Brian for my Born to Run but decided to go fictional - him in Holland seems about right though.