Austin FC and Joaquin Pereyra #26 of Minnesota United FC compete for the ball during the MLS match between Minnesota United FC and Austin FC at Allianz Field on May 10, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/MLS via Getty Images) (Ellen Schmidt/MLS via Getty Images)” />
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – MAY 10: Guilherme Biro #29 of Austin FC and Joaquin Pereyra #26 of Minnesota United FC compete for the ball during the MLS match between Minnesota United FC and Austin FC at Allianz Field on May 10, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/MLS via Getty Images)
It’s becoming clear that Austin FC’s season will be defined by how they perform once the MLS pauses for two months due to the World Cup. When the club resumes play in late July for the final 19 games, the Verde & Black should finally have their full roster healthy and available to play 90 minutes for the first time. But they are slowly positioning themselves to avoid a major hole after a rough start to the year.
A 2-2 draw against Minnesota United at Allianz Field on Sunday looks better than it might appear at first glance. Austin FC was below par for long stretches, continued to struggle defensively in the second half – a problem exacerbated by their injury situation – and likely lost center-back Brendan Hines-Ike to a hamstring injury for the next three matches. Yet the Verde & Black still managed to earn a point on the road against a top-five team in the Western Conference. With a short turnaround and another four-hour flight to face San Diego on Wednesday – a scenario where even a draw feels unlikely – that point is crucial for starting a stretch of three games in seven days.
“Any result you can get on the road is a positive, but we came here to win,” said Austin FC coach Nico Estévez. “But with winning the last two matches, there’s room for results like this.”
Here are some key takeaways from the match as Austin FC (3-4-5, 14 points) got goals from Myrto Uzuni and Christian Ramírez.
Christian Ramírez continues to be clutch
Austin FC appeared to be heading for a loss after Joaquín Pereyra scored in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a give-and-go with James Rodriguez after poor defending. But just two minutes later, Ramírez equalized, giving Austin FC its third straight positive result. Ramírez, signed five days after the season started at age 35, has exceeded all expectations. He now has four goals and one assist, all coming in wins or draws. “This is why we brought him in,” Estévez said. “We believe in him as a player and a person.” Beyond his production, Ramírez is solid in open play and makes smart decisions. His minutes may decrease once Brandon Vazquez can start, but he has already proven well worth his salary.
Luck evening out for Austin FC?
One could argue the Verde & Black were lucky on both goals: Ramírez’s strike deflected off a Minnesota defender, and Uzuni’s penalty came after Mikkel Desler’s shot randomly hit a Minnesota player’s hand in the box. That argument would not be wrong. But it’s hard to say Austin FC has had much luck this season given their injury woes. Winger Jayden Nelson was unavailable Sunday; Owen Wolff, Dani Pereira and Brandon Vazquez were limited to 25 minutes or less due to returning from injuries; and Hines-Ike may not play again until July. While the Verde & Black may have gotten fortunate bounces on Sunday, perhaps they were due.
Austin FC struggled on defense in the second half
Anthony Markanich beat Ilie Sánchez on a header for Minnesota’s first goal, and Pereyra was left completely unmarked on the second. Although Rodriguez provided two excellent assists, the club cannot continue conceding goals in the final 25 minutes as they have this season. “We have to do better when teams overload one side,” Estévez said.
Kelvin Yeboah #9 of Minnesota United FC and Jon Bell #15 of Austin FC compete for the ball during the MLS match between Minnesota United FC and Austin FC at Allianz Field on May 10, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/MLS via Getty Images) (Ellen Schmidt/MLS via Getty Images)” />