'It's proving elusive': Austin FC can't finish chances in 0-0 tie with Vancouver Whitecaps

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC pushed the pace in the second half but couldn't find the go-ahead goal in a 0-0 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday at Q2 Stadium.

Austin outshot Vancouver 18-13 for the match after being outshot 9-8 in the first, but Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka was up to the task, saving all seven of Austin's shots on goal. He pushed a rocket from Dani Pereira over the bar in the 87th minute, then had to stop a Sebastian Driussi shot in the 90th minute.

Austin FC had another chance in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, but Gyasi Zardes' header wasn't exactly hit with pace from a Rodney Redes cross and Takaoka grabbed it easily.

Alex Ring had a shot in the 11th minute that was as close to going in as it could have been without it counting. His shot glanced off the post and had to be cleared away near the line by Vancouver.

Austin head coach Josh Wolff was disappointed that Verde didn't come away with a win given the shots they had.

"It's a game that we should have come away with three points," Wolff said. "We created enough chances, so we gotta keep doing that. We're knocking on the door, and we just gotta capture those moments."

According to advanced metrics, Austin FC should have scored at least a goal. Verde's expected goals, based on historical data on goals that came from similar shots to what Austin FC took, was 1.4. Vancouver's, meanwhile, was 0.8.

Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver was outstanding once again. Vancouver's Brian White charged toward the net in the 61st minute and tried to hit it past Stuver, but Stuver sprawled to his left and made a tremendous save to preserve the scoreless tie. Stuver made a pair of saves in the first half, one in the 7th on White's first shot of the match and another in the 21st minute on the Julian Gressel shot.

"A real positive is we pitched a shutout with Brad making a couple of saves and the back line did a great job competing and fighting," Wolff said. "The ball fell to a number of guys and we just couldn't put it in the back of the net. It's proving elusive, and it can be frustrating but that's what the game is."

As if Austin FC wasn't banged up enough after Zan Kolmanic tore his ACL and will need season-ending surgery, midfielder Diego Fagundez limped off the pitch in obvious pain early in the second half. Wolff said after the match it's a groin injury and he wasn't sure how long he could potentially be out.

"We'll have to get the pictures and go from there," he said. "He hasn't missed too much time with us during his career, so we'll see."

Julio Cascante has been out since the opening match of the season he went down with a groin injury, but Wolff said he's back in training and could be back in "a couple of weeks."

Driussi, the runner-up for the MLS Golden Boot award with 22 goals last season with five coming in the club's first seven MLS matches, has just one goal in the same time frame this season. When asked about that discrepancy, Wolff simply replied, "he's human after all."

"He's doing anything and everything he can, and others have to contribute," Wolff said. "A lot of good things happen in and around him, and opportunities are falling to different guys. Wherever Sebas goes to be part of an attack, he arrives well."

Austin (2-3-2, 8 points) sits in 9th place in the Western Conference after the draw, still two points behind the Whitecaps in the standings. Austin is off to the West Coast on April 22 to take on the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park.