Your Saturday Kickoff: Can Austin FC get their revenge on LAFC?

Soccer Saturday

A ton of good stuff today, including FC Cincinnati hosting Philadelphia Union, LAFC welcoming Austin FC, Atlanta United visiting New York City FC, and Seattle Sounders FC taking on St. Louis CITY SC in one of the year’s biggest early games. Check out the full schedule here.

LA Galaxy appoint Kuntz as SVP of player personnel

The LA Galaxy have hired Will Kuntz as their senior vice president of player personnel after he spent the previous six seasons (2017-22) at El Trafico rival LAFC. Kuntz will be responsible for multiple aspects of the club’s soccer operations, including salary cap management, club development, immigration process, executing player and personnel contracts, and technical administration.

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This Saturday isn’t quite loaded from top to bottom, but the best games of the day are excellent. Here’s what to keep an eye on while you maybe check in every now and then on everything else.

Minnesota United FC came out and let St. Louis have the ball a little bit, thus making life difficult last week. That was a test, but it’s not the big test. There will be other teams who back off a bit and choose to sit in against St. Louis, but those won’t be the best teams in the league. The best teams in the league right now are either going to want to play ball or to try and outdo St. Louis at the same beat-‘em-up fighting style that’s given them so much early success.

Seattle are going to be just fine having the ball. And they’re one of the few teams in the league good enough to handle whatever St. Louis’ press throws at them. While St. Louis have thrived on forcing critical errors against possession-based teams for most of their start, it shouldn’t be quite so simple against the Sounders.

Essentially, the big question here is whether or not their stuff will work against MLS’s most successful team of the last decade. That’s a big, big question. If the answer is yes, then it’s going to be official: St. Louis aren’t just a team having a hot start. St. Louis are contenders.

Cincinnati’s first steps out of the strugglebus began when they brought on two Philadelphia Union products. Their roster improved thanks largely to moves made by general manager Chris Albright, a former Union assistant technical director. And their game model took on a new level of effectiveness under the direction of manager Pat Noonan, a former Union assistant coach. 

Both teams came into the year with high expectations, but, so far, it’s Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference with double the points of a Philly team that’s struggling to find their rhythm in the league as they deal with Concacaf Champions League rigors. It hasn't necessarily been beautiful soccer from Cincy that’s pushed them there, but it has been undeniably effective soccer. All four of their wins have come by one goal and three have come by 1-0 scorelines. They’re getting the job done.

But is the kind of play that gets the job done enough to beat up the team that provided the framework for their success? Both teams will be fighting for bigger wins the rest of the way; however, this could set a precedent for a Cincy team looking to take the next step this season. A team trying to out-Philly Philly will have to be up for a fight to make that happen.

We’ve got two excellent games on both coasts today. 

Out West, LAFC knocked Austin out of the Western Conference Final last year en route to lifting MLS Cup. There’s a revenge element as Austin head back to BMO Stadium today. There’s also a sense that this could have come at a better time for Austin. You may have noticed how things haven’t been going all that well for the Verde & Black. Coming off a bye week, you have to wonder which Austin we’ll get. The one that’s stumbled out of the gate? Or the one that went into LAFC’s building last year and gave them one of their few big losses of the year? 

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, NYCFC will welcome an Atlanta United team facing their first road test since the last one didn’t go so well. A couple of weekends ago, the shorthanded Five Stripes got pummeled by Columbus Crew in their worst loss in team history. This time, they’ll be at full strength for one of the toughest road trips in the league. 

NYCFC haven’t been at their best so far this year, but there’s still a ton of talent on this roster. Talent that has an edge in the confines of Yankee Stadium. This will be a major test for both teams. Whoever comes out on top will have plenty to be optimistic about.

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Good luck out there. These kids, they’re good.