San Diego FC Aims to End Winless Streak Against Austin FC

San Diego FC will try to snap a nine-match winless run in league play on Wednesday when they host an Austin FC side facing a second tough away assignment in four days.

San Diego (3-5-4, 13 points) has looked close to a much-needed breakthrough in recent weeks, earning a 2-2 draw at home to LAFC on May 2 and a 1-1 result at the Seattle Sounders last Saturday.

And in the latter match, manager Mikey Varas’ group was only 10 minutes from earning a road win at one of the league’s toughest venues.

Marcus Ingvartsen scored his team-leading eighth goal in the 18th minute and San Diego edged possession and shots on target throughout the match.

But a late Sounders surge resulted in Danny Musovski’s 80th-minute equalizer and reinforced that Varas’ side is not one designed to concede the ball.

“The learning lesson against Seattle is we renounced the ball at the end a little bit, and they start to gain momentum and we get pushed back,” Varas said. “We also are a team that defends well because we have the ball so much. We just need to remember that we’ve got to stay brave and we’ve got to keep playing our game.”

Austin (3-4-5, 14 points) is unbeaten in its last three. And the Verde showed bravery in escaping Minnesota with a 2-2 draw on Sunday after the Loons scored twice in nine minutes through assists from James Rodriguez to take a second-half lead.

Two minutes after the second of those, Christian Ramirez answered with a 79th-minute strike for his fourth goal of the season since he joined Austin during the second week of the season.

Each of those goals from the 35-year-old veteran striker has either tied the match for the Verde or given them the lead.

“This is why we brought him,” manager Nico Estevez said. “We felt like he could help the team throughout the season and we believe in his qualities and how he is as a person also. … I think he’s doing exactly what we expected.”