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'We share in the blame': Josh Wolff inches closer to accountability for Austin FC's latest loss
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'We share in the blame': Josh Wolff inches closer to accountability for Austin FC's latest loss

Saturday's loss to Orlando City continues concerns for Verde, and certainly won't do anything to quell the growing chorus of Wolff Out voices.

Phil West's avatar
Phil West
Mar 24, 2024
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Verde All Day
Verde All Day
'We share in the blame': Josh Wolff inches closer to accountability for Austin FC's latest loss
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It’s not just that Austin FC lost on Saturday night. Losses on the road happen in MLS, and Orlando City was also hungry for its first win of the 2024 season — which it got by besting Verde 2-0.

But it’s the way Austin FC lost, continuing a disturbing trend of being outmatched in two key metrics to start 2024. Through five matches, Austin’s players have been outshot 99-28, and if you take out the 17-13 match against Philadelphia, they’ve managed just 15 shots in the other four matches.

As far as shots on target, they’ve been outpaced 37-8, with the only shot of target against Orlando coming in the dying seconds, with Emiliano Rigoni hitting a weak dribbler following a blocked free kick from distance — which MLS’s stats tracker said had a one percent chance of going in. (It was quite easily handled.)

Handwritten chart of shots and shots on target for Austin FC and opponents
I did some math in between interviews on Saturday night.

After the match, I pointed out to Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff not only that his team's play was flat, uninspired and punchless (which he thought was fair) but also that other coaches around the league have owned losses like this in the past. It was an invitation to accountability. Here’s what he said.

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