Austin FC on Life Support After 2-2 Real Salt Lake Draw

Austin FC defender Guilherme Biro (R) scored in the 89th minute to secure a 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake. (photo courtesy of Austin FC)

Austin FC came back from a 0-2 deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake at Q2 Stadium Saturday night to successfully delay its playoff elimination by at least another four days.

Jáder Obrian and Guilherme Biro both found the back of the net in the final 10 minutes of normal time to rescue a point for the Verde and Black, who scored multiple goals in a match for the first time in over a month.

The first half was highlighted by an outstanding defensive recovery by Julio Cascante, who executed a goal-saving slide tackle against Diego Luna (the RSL midfielder, not the actor) after Luna had gotten behind goalkeeper Brad Stuver on a breakaway.

Austin had an excellent chance to take a 1-0 lead off a corner kick right at the end of the half, but Sebastián Driussi couldn’t direct the final shot on target.

Early on in the second half, RSL took advantage of a sloppy defensive play by Biro, who whiffed on an attempted clearing header only to see the ball fall right over his head to MVP candidate Cristian Arango. Arango’s shot drew a strong save from Stuver, but the ensuing rebound diverted straight to RSL’s Matt Crooks, who redirected it over the goal line for the 1-0 lead.

RSL’s second goal came from the penalty spot thanks to VAR, which spotted a handball against ATX midfielder Owen Wolff in the Salt Lake penalty box. Diogo Gonçalves sent Stuver the wrong way and converted the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.

With Austin pushing numbers forward into the RSL penalty box, the hosts pulled the first goal back in the 81st minute when Obrian took a Jon Gallagher first time and placed his shot perfectly inside the goalpost for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.

Then, in the 89th minute, Driussi played a gorgeous pass toward Biro, making a run into the box. The Brazilian took one touch, then lifted a precise finish over goalkeeper Zac MacMath to tie the match.

Massive equalizer from Biro! pic.twitter.com/P0XEHxeIYV

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) September 29, 2024

Biro came within a foot of winning the match for Austin in stoppage time, missing on a wide-open shot that just went wide of the far post.

Though it almost certainly delayed the inevitable as far as making the playoffs, the draw – coupled with another draw between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps later Saturday night – means that Austin will travel to Portland Wednesday with a chance to extend its season, mathematically speaking, until at least next weekend.

Austin would have to win all three of its remaining games, while either Portland or Minnesota United would need to lose all of its final three, for Austin to tie either team in points (the tiebreakers don’t favor Austin either).

All of the above means that Saturday’s match was almost certainly the last of any remote significance at Q2 Stadium this year. When Austin FC returns for the final match of the season on October 19 against the Colorado Rapids, things could feel more than a little pointless.

For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle's Austin FC hub. Follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.