Diego Rubio’s scored in the 70th minute off an assist from Sebastian Driussi to lift host Austin FC to a 2-1 victory over short-handed FC Dallas on Saturday in a Copa Tejas game.
Rubio ran to the far post to get his head on a curling pass from Driussi and beat Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes to the right side of the net. Dallas defender Nkosi Tafari was caught flatfooted on the play, allowing Rubio to get just behind him.
The goal allowed the Verde (1-2-3, 6 points) the early lead in Copa Tejas, an in-season competition between the three Texas MLS clubs (including Houston). Austin FC has won the event the last two years.
Austin outshot Dallas 13-8, and each team placed four shots on goal.
Dallas (1-4-0, 3 points) produced the first shot on goal in the game’s seventh minute when Eugene Ansah challenged Brad Stuver with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box, but he could not beat the Austin goalkeeper.
The Verde responded in the 18th minute with Jader Obrian’s shot on target from the left side of the box, but Paes easily gobbled it up. Dallas answered with an opportunity by Paul Arriola in the 31st minute, but Stuver made the stop.
Austin’s Alexander Ring then clanged a shot off the right post four minutes into the second half.
Ansah got the scoring started when he found the net in the 51st minute with a right-footed shot after a headed assist by Petar Musa. The play started with a long pass from the Dallas defensive end.
The Verde produced the equalizer almost immediately as Julio Cascante headed home a pass from Jon Gallagher in the 54th minute that beat Paes in the center of the net.
Dallas’ Sebastian Lletget had a great scoring chance in the 58th minute that was stopped by Stuver. Austin countered with by a shot on goal by Driussi in the 67th minute that Paes turned away.
That set the stage for Rubio and his winning tally.
Austin had a chance to play add-on in the third minute of stopped time, but Paes stopped Gyasi Zardes.
–Field Level Media
