Brandon Vazquez is savouring his comeback following a protracted harm lay-off.
Austin FC ahead Vazquez made his first look since July 2025 as he got here on from the bench in opposition to St. Louis Metropolis SC final weekend.
With Austin main 2-0, Vazquez got here on to an enormous ovation within the 89th minute.
“I’ve been visualising this second for a very long time,” Vazquez advised reporters. “Simply grinding via daily, just about, to get right here.
“Having the ability to be again with the workforce, with the ability to step again onto the sector and listening to the stadium go loopy, it was an incredible feeling.
“There have been a variety of days the place I completed rehab, and cried on my means house.
“There have been some very troublesome days. So the consistency of staying constructive, of exhibiting up with the self-discipline to push myself each single day and be the perfect model of myself, that was the toughest half.
“My household, my spouse and son, having them by my facet has been the perfect factor for me; they take my thoughts off the ache and all the things else.”
Again-to-back wins have lifted Austin into eleventh place within the Western Convention, forward of this weekend’s journey to fifth-place Minnesota United.
“I believe everyone knows that there are issues we nonetheless have to work on, however the workforce appears higher and higher with each match,” Vazquez added.
“The standard of the gamers we’ve is unimaginable, so I imagine that after the items fall into place, we’ll undoubtedly be flying.”
Again-to-back ‘s for our No. . pic.twitter.com/DRfldNvp5E
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) Could 5, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah
Yeboah recorded his fifth profession multi-goal recreation with a pair of second-half objectives in opposition to the Columbus Crew final Saturday.
It’s the second time he has scored a number of objectives within the second half of an MLS match as he joins Kevin Molino (3 times) as the one gamers with a number of two-goal second halves with the Loons.
Austin FC – Myrto Uzuni
Uzuni has recorded a objective contribution in 4 straight MLS video games with three objectives and two assists over that point.
The one participant with an extended such streak in Austin’s historical past is Sebastian Driussi, who went 11 straight league matches with a objective contribution in 2022.
MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA WIN
Minnesota are made the favourites by Opta’s supercomputer, having gained 5 of their final six MLS video games.
Nevertheless, Austin are using a three-game unbeaten streak throughout all competitions in opposition to Minnesota (W1 D2), and a four-game unbeaten run at Allianz Area (W3 D1).
The house workforce have did not win any of the final seven aggressive matches between these groups since Austin gained at house in Could 2023.
Austin have recorded shutout wins in every of its final two video games with 2-0 victories over each the Houston Dynamo and St. Louis Metropolis. The membership has by no means recorded three straight clear sheet victories throughout all competitions.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Minnesota United – 56.2%
Draw – 22.9%
Austin – 20.9%
