He will face the winner of the cross between Dallas and Minnesota United
Real Salt Lake missed three penalties
With two goals from Argentine Sebastián Driussi, Austin FC qualified this Sunday for the semifinals of the MLS Western Conference after beating Real Salt Lake on penalties in a very close and exciting game.
Those from Texas, who had only won 4 of their last 14 duels in the regular season but who started as favorites this Sunday as seconds in the West, they had to sweat the shirt in a match that they were losing 0-2 against Real Salt Lake (seventh) and that they played with one more during almost the entire second half and the extra time due to the expulsion of Rubio Rubín.
Austin will face the winner of the MLS in the next round of the MLS playoffs. crossover between Dallas and Minnesota United.
When only three minutes had been played, Venezuelan striker Sergio Córdova, with a header from the small area after a long kick from the wing by Andry Brody, he nailed it near the left post to put Real Salt Lake ahead.
Only ten minutes later, andThe Colombian Jhojan Valencia committed a hand inside the area del Austin y Córdova, with a low shot to the left post, scored his second goal to put the visitors with a very comfortable lead.
The Austin closed the gap in the 31st thanks to Driussi, who took advantage of a header from the Uruguayan Diego Fagúndez to put the ball in the right side of Zac MacMath’s goal.
The black-and-green fans of Austin did not stop chanting and waving their flags from the start of the game and They continued to cheer for their team to turn the score around.
The second half started with Austin pressing and Venezuelan Daniel Pereira missed a shot apparently easy in the small area that could have tied the match.
in 52, Real Salt Lake suffered a severe setback with the expulsion by double yellow of Rubio Rubín.
With superiority in the field, the locals harassed the MacMath goal on the wings and in the middle, above and below, with persistence but without aim.
But the visitors gritted their teeth and they held on despite the numerical disadvantage.
The Real Salt Lake was already caressing the feat but in injury time his numantine defense collapsed when Scott Caldwell touched the ball inside his area in 92.
Driussi converted the penalty and the match went into overtime.
in overtime, Austin did not know how to take advantage of the numerical advantage despite their constant siege but, in the penalty shootout, Real Salt Lake missed three shots against an imperial Stuver and the Texans achieved classification.
– Data sheet:
2. Austin FC: Brad Stuver; Nick Lima, Julio Cascante, Ruben Gabrielsen, Jon Gallagher (Kolmanic, d. 64); Alexander Ring (Martins, m.82), Jhojan Valencia (Pereira, m.45); Diego Fagúndez, Sebastián Driussi, Ethan Finlay (Rigoni, m.45); Maximiliano Urruti (Djitté, m.45).
2. RLS: Zac MacMath; Andrew Brody, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Bryan Oviedo (Schmitt, m.73); Maikel Chang (Besler, m.61), Braian Ojeda, Pablo Ruiz (Cadwell, m84), Jefferson Savarino (Hidalgo, m73); Sergio Córdova (Loffeelseni, m.60), Rubio Rubín.
Goals: 0-1, m.3 Córdova. 0-2, m.15 Cordova. 1-2, m.31 Driussi. 2-2, m.92 Driussi.
Penalties: Silva: goal (0-1). Driussi: goal (1-1). Brody: fails (1-1). Fagungez: goal (2-1). Ojeda: fails (2-1). Rigoni: goal (3-1). Smith: fails (3-1).
Referee: Victor Rivas (USA). He showed yellow card to Rubio Rubín, Justen Gld, Scott Caldwell, from RLS and Alexander Ring from Austing
Incidents: Match corresponding to the semifinals of the MLS “playoff” played at the Q2 Stadium before nearly 20,000 spectators.