Myrto Uzuni’s goal in the 86th minute off a nifty pass from Ervin Torres proved to be the game winner as host Austin FC defeated the slumping Seattle Sounders 2-1 on Wednesday.
The game was delayed for an hour because of dangerous heat. It was still 100 degrees at kickoff as the sun set on the Texas capital and in the upper 90s throughout the match.
Torres, 18, is the first player in Austin FC history to ascend from the team’s academy, to its MLS Next Pro team and onto the top unit. The midfielder entered as a substitute in the 83th minute and made an immediate impact, dribbling confidently through traffic deep in the box before laying off a pass to Uzuni, who had only to push the ball into the net to give the Verde a 2-1 lead.
Torres also had an assist on an insurance tally by Christian Ramirez one minute into second-half stoppage time as Austin FC (4-7-5, 17 points) snapped a four-match winless streak (0-3-1) and won its first outing in its return from the six-week World Cup break.
The Sounders (7-5-3, 24 points) have dropped four straight matches, including a 5-1 decision at home to Pacific Northwest rival Portland on Thursday in their return from the break. Seattle has won just once in its past seven outings (1-4-2) and has been held to one goal or less in six of those seven contests.
The Verde got on the board first as Ilie Sanchez (who also had an assist on Uzuni’s goal) leapt at the near post in the 12th minute to head home a corner kick from Besard Sabovic. Sanchez’s header was directed behind him and into the lower right corner of the net, giving Seattle keeper Andrew Thomas no chance to make a save.
The Sounders immediately pressed for the equalizer, but Danny Musovski’s left-footed shot in the 15th minute was cleared off the line by Austin defender Guilherme Biro.
Seattle tied the game in the 26th minute when Paul Rothrock was on the doorstep to send home a shot from Snyder Brunell that caromed off the right post and bounced into his feet.
Thomas made a pair of sterling saves on Brandon Vazquez and Uzuni on back-to-back shots in the 34th minute to keep the game knotted. Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver then turned away a low-percentage shot by Brunell two minutes into first-half stoppage time, and the game went to the break even at 1-1.
Stuver leapt high and to his left to bat away a stinging shot from Albert Rusnak in the 81st minute and deny the Sounders the lead, Austin responded with shots from Przemyslaw Placheta and Jon Gallagher in the 81st and 82nd minute, respectively, that missed the mark.
–Field Level Media
