Austin FC pulled off a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders at Q2 Stadium, thanks to Myrto Uzuni finding the net in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time. The victory pushed the Texas side into sixth place in the Western Conference, just a single point behind Seattle in fifth (44 to 45), and gave them a solid eight-point cushion above the playoff line.
First half with balance and a costly mistake
Seattle came out sharper. They controlled possession through the opening half hour and almost broke the deadlock when Albert Rusnák struck a first-time effort from the edge of the box. The shot clipped Svatok on its way and spun out for a corner. Cristian Roldan followed that up with a header that looked dangerous, but Brad Stuver was alert and blocked it at the near post.
It looked like the first half would end without goals. Then Diego Rubio pounced. In the 42nd minute he pressed Jackson Ragen near midfield, won the challenge and suddenly had open space. The forward sprinted clear and finished with composure, leaving Andrew Thomas no chance. Thomas was in goal for Stefan Frei, who missed the game due to illness. Uzuni had a look during stoppage time as well, but Thomas dealt with it comfortably.
Seattle responds, Stuver shines and Uzuni seals it
The equalizer arrived almost immediately after the restart. Just 35 seconds into the second half, Roldan sent a long ball to Danny Musovski, who whipped in a quick cross. Georgi Minoungou met it first time and smashed home to level things up. It showed how quickly Seattle can strike when they pick up the tempo.
After that, the game broke wide open. Rubio tried a volley, Obed Vargas carried the ball nearly half the field before firing just wide, and Jordan Morris, coming off the bench, forced two strong saves. Both times Stuver came up big. The Austin goalkeeper added another highlight in the 86th minute, diving to his right to stop a dangerous shot from Minoungou. On the other side, Thomas produced a big stop of his own, pushing away a close-range header from CJ Fodrey deep in stoppage time.
It seemed like a draw was inevitable. But in the final action of the game, Dani Pereira floated a ball into the box, Fodrey rose to head it back across goal, and Uzuni was perfectly placed to tap it in. For Austin, it was the second time in just a few days that they found a winner deep into stoppage time — they had pulled off the same trick in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal.