A rabbit made its way onto the field midway through the second half Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. 

Austin FC and FC Dallas played to a scoreless draw in an eye-bleeding stalemate that won’t soon be remembered for anything. 

And while entertainment was in short supply, the Verde and Black should be fine with taking a point on the road from a top four team in the Western Conference on a performance where they did next to nothing offensively. Austin FC also produced a result without interim coach Davy Arnaud, who missed the match due to a family emergency, and was led by assistant coach Terry Boss. 

Here are four key takeaways from the match as Austin FC (7-10-9, 30 points, 11th West) is unbeaten in its last seven matches and two points out of the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

Stuver made three notable saves, but his stop of Logan Farrington’s shot in the box in stoppage time was the play of the match. It kept Austin FC from a loss and a waste of a contest. The club has largely squandered Stuver’s performances over the last four years, but if it can somehow make the postseason, having him in goal gives it a chance in any match. 

The Verde and Black didn’t give up a goal and they weren’t played off the pitch. (Dallas was almost as poor offensively as Austin FC.) 

There are few other positives to take from the match other than they got a point and didn’t seem affected by Arnaud’s absence. 

“I don’t think there was a big reaction when we found out he wasn’t going to be coaching,” midfielder Besard Sabovic said. “Everyone knows their role. Our thoughts were with him. Everyone responded in a good way.”

The Verde and Black were punchless in the attack and finished with an underwhelming 0.26 expected goals stat, according to the Apple TV broadcast. 

Both Sabovic and Boss pointed to Dallas’ physical play and the ability of all 11 of its players to get back on defense as things that made it difficult for Austin FC. And while those two things are true, the Verde and Black created few chances, no matter the personnel on the field. 

It was ugly, but Austin FC avoided defeat, got a point and is still in the playoff race. No one will remember this match in two weeks, but the Verde and Black would do themselves a favor going into the international break with a win Saturday at home against San Diego, a club they are tied with on points in the standings.