Greg Vanney knows the LA Galaxy must stop giving themselves a mountain to climb if they are to set right their miserable start to the season.
With three points from their first eight matches of the year, the MLS Cup champions have equalled the fourth-worst start to a season in MLS history.
Only CF Montreal this season (two), the Colorado Rapids in 2019 (two) and Toronto FC in 2012 (none) have recorded fewer points in their first eight matches of a campaign.
They fought back to claim a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo last week despite having defender Zanka sent off in the first half, and while Vanney praised their resilience, he feels they gave themselves too much to do again.
"For us it's about the intensity that we start with. The other night it wasn't high enough and that left us vulnerable in some of our defensive actions," he said.
"We ended up taking a goal early, we ended up going a man down, and a lot of that for me was just that we didn't start the game with the correct intensity and the right intentions.
"I thought we were solid 10 versus 11, and we've got to have that intention right from the start, not get ourselves into these positions where we're digging ourselves out of holes."
While the Galaxy are bottom of the Western Conference, Austin are sixth, even after losing 5-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps last time out.
"They have speed in their transitions, their wingers are two very good players and they get numbers up there," Vanney said of Nico Estevez's team.
"They'll play pretty direct, they haven't necessarily been a team that has had high quantities of possession, but they are stable on the defensive side of things.
"I know they struggled a little bit in that regard last game, but they've been pretty solid, and they're building out of that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Austin FC – Brad Stuver
Austin have only scored six goals in eight games, but their supreme defensive record – excluding last week's match – has kept them flying high in the Western Conference.
Goalkeeper Stuver has played a key role for them, boasting a save percentage of 75% and keeping four clean sheets – no goalkeeper has more in MLS this season.
LA Galaxy – Diego Fagundez
Fagundez scored the Galaxy's leveller last week after they had been reduced to 10 men.
No Galaxy player can match his tally of 12 chances created in MLS play this year, so they will surely lean on him again.
MATCH PREDICTION – AUSTIN FC WIN
Austin are looking to bounce back from a chastening 5-1 defeat to Vancouver last week, a result that ended a four-match unbeaten run (W3 D1).
Estevez's team had conceded a total of three goals in their first seven matches of 2025 before allowing five to Vancouver.
All seven points Austin have earned against the Galaxy have come at home (W2 D1 L1).
The only road win in the eight-match history of this series was a 1-0 Galaxy victory at Q2 Stadium in May 2022, but their current from suggests a repeat is unlikely.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Austin FC – 42.3%
LA Galaxy – 31%
Draw – 26.7%