Missed opportunities were plentiful and both goaltenders had the highlight plays as host Austin FC and the New England Revolution settled for a scoreless draw on Saturday in an interconference match that was more exciting than its final score indicated.
It marked the first time these two teams met in the Texas capital and just the second time overall.
Both goalkeepers — Brad Stuver for Austin and Aljaz Ivacic for the Revolution — recorded their eighth clean sheets of the season. Stuver, who will start in the MLS All-Star Game on July 23, stopped eight shots, while Ivacic had four saves.
Austin (7-8-6, 27 points) continued its struggle to find the net. The Verde have an MLS-low 15 goals in 21 league matches this season. Meanwhile, New England (6-8-7, 25 points) is winless in its past six matches (0-4-2) and hasn’t won since May 31 at CF Montreal.
The Verde had the match’s first legitimate chance to score as Myrto Uzuni got behind the New England defense and was one-on-one with Ivacic in the 16th minute. Uzuni’s effort produced a 59 percent goal expectancy but was instead kicked aside by the New England goalkeeper to keep the game scoreless.
Brayan Ceballos countered for the Revolution in the 20th minute with a shot that Stuver easily stopped. Ten minutes later, New England’s Carles Gil found Luca Langoni on a runner with a pass deep in the Austin that forced Stuver to come way off his line and deflect the ball just enough for it to brush off the left goalpost.
Langoni tested Stuver once more three minutes into first-half stoppage time with a shot that carried a 28 percent goal expectancy, which the Austin keeper kicked aside.
New England’s Tomas Chancalay poured in on goal in the 47th minute and forced a sprawling save by Stuver. The Verde responded when Zan Kolmanic tested Ivacic with a low-percentage shot in the 49th minute.
Austin recorded its third shot on goal in the 67th when Osman Bukari uncorked a right-footed shot from the right side of the box that was deflected away by Ivacic.
Uzuni looked to have broken the deadlock in the 81st minute, but his shot from the right side clanged off the crossbar. New England’s Will Sands and Gil forced saves from Stuver in the 89th minute and 91st minute, respectively, but each to no avail.
–Field Level Media
