Austin FC Steal a Point in St. Paul: Tactical Grit, Missed Chances, and the Slow Burn of Progress

For Austin FC, it wasn’t artistic. It wasn’t clinical. It may not have even been fair. But it was exactly what they needed.

On a cool, restless night in St. Paul, the Verde & Black walked off the Allianz Field pitch with a gritty 1–1 draw against a Minnesota United side that had beaten them 3–0 just 22 days prior. And while head coach Nico Estévez insisted post-match that Austin “came here to win,” he and everyone watching knew a point on the road against the second-best team in the Western Conference was more than respectable — it was a critical moment of survival in a May schedule that’s asked as many questions as it’s answered.

There were breakdowns. There were wasted chances. But there was also a show of tactical flexibility, individual resilience, and the kind of fight that’s often the precursor to better days.

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A Tale of Two Set Pieces, and a Moment of Transition Magic

Minnesota United came out humming. Manager Eric Ramsay’s side has looked increasingly comfortable in a 5-2-3 system that pushes fullbacks high and stretches the field laterally, and the Loons took full advantage of that spacing in the opening minutes. The early press pinned Austin in, with Joaquín Pereyra and Carlos Harvey pulling the strings centrally, and it didn’t take long to turn possession into pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 16th minute, and it was textbook: a recycled corner from Nicolás Romero curled to the far post, where veteran center-back Michael Boxall timed his run perfectly and nodded the ball home. Brad Stuver had no chance. It was a goal born from repetition — the kind of sequence Minnesota rehearses weekly.

But Austin, who’ve been vulnerable to conceding early this season, didn’t fold. Instead, they responded with a goal that reminded everyone that this squad — inconsistencies aside — has talent that can turn a game in seconds.

Just 11 minutes after the Loons’ opener, Austin carved through Minnesota in transition. Jon Gallagher’s ball over the top skipped past a pressing backline, freeing Osman Bukari in open space. Bukari, electric all night in transition, drove wide, pulled defenders toward him, and then unselfishly squared to Myrto Uzuni. Rather than force the issue, Uzuni coolly laid it off for a trailing Zan Kolmanic, who stepped into the shot and buried it low into the far corner.

The move took 11 seconds from turnover to finish — a devastating counterattack that featured five precise touches and a moment of calm amid chaos.

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“That’s the type of goal we’ve been waiting for,” Estévez said postmatch. “It was transition football at its best, but we needed more of it.”

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The Uzuni Dilemma: One Moment of Quality, Two Moments of Regret

For all the praise Austin’s equalizer earned, it also highlighted a lingering issue: their $12 million Albanian striker is still not finishing the chances he was signed to bury.

Myrto Uzuni’s one-touch assist was a moment of maturity and vision. But the rest of his evening will be remembered for what might’ve been — especially in the 43rd minute, when he broke free for a near one-on-one with Dayne St. Clair, only to miscontrol the ball and let the chance evaporate. Later, in the 72nd minute, he found himself in space at the edge of the box and sliced the ball wide again.

Estévez, to his credit, defended his striker after the match: “Zero concerns. He’s working harder than anyone. He leads our running metrics almost every game. The goals will come.”

That may be true, but patience is finite — and Austin fans, watching their marquee signing sit on just one goal in mid-May, are beginning to ask questions the club hoped would be answered by now.

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Stuver’s Heroics Keep the Ship Afloat

Austin FC’s season — and this match — might look entirely different if not for Brad Stuver.

In the 18th minute, just after Minnesota’s opener, a careless giveaway by midfielder Nicolás Dubersarsky left Tani Oluwaseyi with a free header six yards from goal. Stuver, anticipating the moment, stayed tall, exploded to his left, and pawed the ball wide. It was a world-class save in a first-half sequence that could have buried Austin early.

Stuver would go on to make five saves in total, including a critical late stop on Kelvin Yeboah in the 83rd minute after the Loons pounced on a defensive breakdown. It wasn’t flashy — it was just what Stuver does: keep Austin in games they have no business staying in.

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“It’s what I expect from myself,” he said afterward. “There’s pride in making sure we don’t collapse under pressure.”

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Tactical Shift: Back Five Returns

Estévez made a notable adjustment for this match: reverting to a five-man backline — only the second time he’s done so this year. It wasn’t due to rotation or fatigue. It was tactical.

“Minnesota are one of the most dangerous teams in the league on crosses and set pieces,” he explained. “We needed more aerial presence and better structure in both boxes.”

The change had mixed results. On one hand, Austin limited Minnesota to mostly speculative chances from wide areas. On the other, they conceded 17 total shots and 10 in the second half alone, struggling to keep pace as the Loons rotated in fresher legs.

Still, Brendan Hines-Ike and Jon Gallagher looked more comfortable in a structured defensive shell. Kolmanic, meanwhile, thrived with the added license to push forward — a subtle but important positional tweak that gave Austin one of its most dangerous threats in open play.

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Man of the Match: Zan Kolmanic

For all the talk about strikers and tactics, it was Kolmanic who left Allianz Field with the highest marks. His goal — a curling left-footed shot placed just beyond St. Clair’s reach — was only part of the story.

The Slovenian fullback, typically relied upon for delivery and width, adapted well to a more centralized role in transition. He completed 88% of his passes, led the team in ball recoveries (9), and was responsible for initiating several key second-half sequences.

“I wasn’t at my best crossing-wise tonight,” he said. “But I’m glad I could contribute in a different way.”

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What It Means: A Turning Point or More of the Same?

With the draw, Austin FC moves to 5-6-4 (19 points) — good enough for a mid-table standing in the Western Conference, but still far from the playoff cushion they’re hoping to create. More notably, the result snaps a six-match winless streak in MLS play and gives the team a psychological foothold ahead of a home match against Real Salt Lake.

For Minnesota, the match will sting. The Loons controlled possession (58%), doubled Austin’s expected goals (2.1 to 1.0), and still walked away with only one point. It was their third draw in the last six matches, and a reminder that volume without finishing won’t win titles.

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Looking Ahead: Austin vs. Real Salt Lake, Wednesday

The fixture congestion doesn’t let up. Austin now faces Real Salt Lake at Q2 Stadium on short rest — a must-win if the club wants to capitalize on the positive momentum from Saturday’s draw.

There’s no hiding the fact that goals remain a concern. Uzuni, Brandon Vazquez, and Bukari need to start finishing chances. But the team showed something in Minnesota that Estévez has been calling for all year: bite. Fight. Response.

If they can bring that same edge to Wednesday’s match — and perhaps a sharper touch in front of goal — then maybe, just maybe, this road point will be remembered not just as survival... but as the spark.

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Final Score: Minnesota United 1, Austin FC 1
Scorers:

• MIN: Michael Boxall (16’)
• AUS: Zan Kolmanic (27’)

Attendance: 19,847 | Allianz Field, St. Paul, MN