Extratime Abroad: Austin FC dig deep to reach MLS last four for the first time

Austin's Q2 Stadium

Austin's Q2 Stadium Credit: None

Austin FC continued their fairytale second season by reaching MLS Conference Finals for the first time in their history.

A penalty shoot-out win in the first round against Real Salt Lake was followed up by a 2-1 victory against local rivals FC Dallas to set up a Western Conference final against Gareth Bale's Los Angeles FC.

After comfortably securing the second seed in the conference, the Verde were guaranteed at least two games at the Q2 stadium should they progress that far, and a packed house of supporters created a vibrant atmosphere for the first ever play-off game at the stadium.

Austin came in as strong favourites, but the visitors from Utah had other ideas in the early stages as Real Salt Lake raced into an early lead.

Andrew Brody whipped in a cross from the right-wing which was redirected into the bottom corner by Sergio Cordova after just three minutes.

The situation became even more dire for the Verde shortly after as Jhojan Valencia was penalized for somewhat harshly for touching the ball with his arm, conceding a penalty which was converted by Cordova for the Venezuelan international's 11th of the season, leaving Austin's season hanging by a thread with less than a quarter of an hour on the clock.

The home side could have capitulated at the gargantuan task they faced, however they settled into a rhythm and got themselves back into the game less than 20 minutes later.

The tried and tested connection of Diego Fagundez and Sebastian Driussi came to Austin's rescue once again as an inch perfect cross was converted by Driussi to halve the deficit and give the Verde a fighting chance as they headed in at the break.

Josh Wolff's side were given a further boost in their fightback as Salt Lake City striker Rubio Rubin was given his marching orders following a second booking seven minutes into the second half.

The former Utrecht man recklessly left his studs up on a challenge on Austin keeper Brad Stuver, leaving his team with ten men and firmly putting the Verde into the ascendancy with a man advantage for at least 40 minutes.



The Texans began to dominate but failed to find an equalizer as quickly as they would have liked with Emiliano Rigoni and Ruben Gabrielsen coming close with headers as the clock ticked down toward full-time.

As the game entered stoppage time it seemed as though Austin's stellar season was coming to a frustrating end, however, a stroke of good fortune came their way as a wide ball into the box bounced off the arm of RSL substitute Scott Caldwell, prompting the referee to instantly point to the spot and award a late, late penalty.

Talisman Driussi once again showed his class to convert the kick and send the game to extra-time with his 25th, and most important goal of the season.

RSL unsurprisingly played in a conservative fashion while being a man down but Driussi was in the mood for his hat-trick as he struck the post with a header and thought that he had won the game for his side as he volleyed home, only to have his celebrations dashed by the linesman's flag.

The visitors were able to hang on and send the playoff game to the lottery of penalties after 120 minutes of pulsating action.

Both sides converted their first kick, while Driussi stepped up once again to put Austin into a 2-1 lead.



Stuver gave his side an advantage by denying Brody as Fagundez dispatched his penalty to make it 3-1 to the Verde.

The Austin keeper went one better, pulling off an incredible finger tip save onto the crossbar which was followed up by a successful kick from Rigoni to make it 4-1 and leave the club on the brink of their first conference semi-final.

Stuver didn’t have to intervene in the final penalty as it was blazed over the top by Tate Schmitt, rounding out a dreadful display of shooting by RSL and commencing raucous celebrations around the Q2 Stadium.

Austin FC then moved on to next round of the playoff where they would face neighbours FC Dallas who made the relatively short south-west journey to ATX to try and get the upset against their local rivals in the first all Texas playoff matchup since 2007.

The hosts started on the front foot and got their noses in front after 26 minutes as Moussa Djitte slammed the ball home after he was in the right place at the right time as a corner made its way through multiple bodies in the Dallas penalty area.

Driussi made it even better for the Verde just three minutes later bursting forward and slotting an inch perfect shot across goal and into to the bottom corner to double Austin's advantage and leave Dallas to climb the same mountain that the Verde had overcome in the previous round.

The visitors were able to stem the tide and get themselves back into the game after the break as they pulled one back with 25 minutes to play.

Austin failed to clear their lines in the box when they had the chance and Alan Velasco smartly fired across Stuver into the top corner to increase the heartrate of fans in every corner of the ground.

Driussi and Fagundez both tested Dallas' Dutch keeper Martin Paes, but neither could put the game to bed as the game came to a nervy conclusion.

Shootout hero Stuver stepped up for his side for one more big save, stopping a Jader Obrian header with his feet as Austin saw out the clock and qualified for their first Conference final after a nerve-racking couple of home games.

The Verde will now dace the daunting task of facing off against Bale, Chiellini and Vela on their home turf in Los Angeles as the prospects of an Irish MLS winner in Jon Gallagher live on for another week.

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