Ticket prices through the roof as Austin FC hosts league-best Los Angeles FC Friday

Q2 Stadium is the place to be Friday as Austin FC hosts Los Angeles FC in what is the biggest game in the club’s short history — and the secondary ticket market reflects that.

With the two teams being first and second in the Western Conference — LAFC leads MLS with 57 points while El Tree has compiled 48 points — it would cost you at least $130 for an upper-deck ticket and north of $900 for a spot in a sideline box as of Thursday afternoon.

Yes, Q2 is always a party, but it’s going to be an especially wild atmosphere with LAFC bringing a star-studded lineup of players such as forwards Cristian Arango and Carlos Vela, midfielder Jose Cifuentes and recently acquired midfielder Gareth Bale — who three months ago was suiting up for Real Madrid — to face off against Austin’s MVP candidate Sebastián Driussi and roster of high quality.

Oh, and did we mention the game will be nationally televised on ESPN?

“It’s a big game and our guys will be excited,” Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said. “We’ve responded well after losses, so it’s an opportunity to bounce back against the best team in the league in the best stadium in the league. Our guys should find the energy and be confident and proud of what we’ve put forth this year, but it’s going to be a tough game against a really good side. We’ll need to utilize all of our players, the fans and community and we’re going in with the full intention of going for three points.”

If Austin FC is going to make one last run at the Supporters’ Shield — this is it.

A win brings El Tree to within six points with seven games remaining in a race that will also include Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia Union, while a loss leaves Austin FC focusing on securing a home playoff game over its final seven games.

In all honesty, the team doesn’t have any pressure on it from a big-picture perspective.

More:Hitting the road has been no problem for Austin FC this season

The club has already wildly surpassed preseason expectations from anyone outside of its own facility, won Copa Tejas and it would take an unforeseen collapse down the stretch to miss the postseason (It’s even possible Austin FC could lose-out and still be a playoff team). On the other side, LAFC — which is the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth — is the favorite to win the MLS Cup by both the media and Las Vegas sportsbooks.

Oddly, considering their places in the standings, both teams are coming off losses.

Austin FC fell 2-1 at Minnesota on Saturday while LAFC suffered a puzzling 2-1 loss to a San Jose squad near the bottom of the Western Conference in what was its third game in a week.

More:Austin FC announce signing of Ecuadorian winger Washington Corozo

Both teams are tied for the most goals in the MLS with 55, though LAFC has had the stronger defense, only allowing 26 scores to El Tree’s 36 (Philadelphia leads the league defensively with 20 goals allowed).

Defense has been a bit of a concern for Austin FC recently, having allowed 10 goals over its last three home matches, and overall having some lapses in judgment on challenges and play out of the back.

It will be interesting to see if Wolff makes a lineup change on the back line tonight or changes formation.

Another question that looms is whether new addition Emiliano Rigoni makes an appearance off the bench?

Understanding the game at a high level:DP Emiliano Rigoni ready to add to Austin FC attack

Rigoni trained with the team for the first time this week and is a highly regarded addition who provides hopes that the team becomes even more potent offensively for a postseason run.

Wolff noted it will take time for him to get up to speed with the club, but a second-half appearance by the right-side winger in a close game tonight would send the home crowd into a frenzy.

“We’ve added quality and that’s a good thing,” said midfielder Ethan Finlay, whose spot in the lineup may be challenged by Rigoni. “LAFC was active in the summer transfer window and added good players, and it was important for us to do the same. Good clubs continue to add quality throughout the year.”

At Q2, Austin FC is a respectable 6-4-2, while LAFC is 7-1-4 on the road — good for the fourth-best mark away from home in the MLS.

Though it may not seem like it, El Tree is actually one of the top 10 teams in the league at home, and it will need to take advantage of what Wolff has previously noted as, “A cup of Q2,” to pull out a win in the local and national limelight.

“The best teams in this league respond after losses,” Finlay said, “and that’s what we need to do.”

Friday's match

Austin FC vs. Los Angeles FC, 7 p.m., Q2 Stadium, ESPN, 97.5

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC plays league leading Los Angeles FC Friday at Q2 Stadium