Gyasi Zardes scored in stoppage time and Austin FC secured its first MLS win at Q2 Stadium in over two-and-a-half months as the Verde and Black eked out a dramatic, 1-0 win over Toronto FC Saturday night.
Coming off Wednesday’s hard-fought road victory against the Seattle Sounders – a win that felt to some ATX players as a possible turning point in the season – it was imperative that Austin continue its momentum at home against Toronto, a team languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
From the opening minutes of the match, it was clear that Bob Bradley’s struggling Toronto side had no intention of competing for a win at Q2 and were content to play for a goalless draw, making things difficult for Austin FC in a crowded and well-defended final third. Toronto attempted just three shots on the night, with the first not coming until the second half.
On the other hand, Austin turned 62% possession into 16 shot attempts, though none were of the particularly dangerous variety through the 90 minutes. The threat of a fifth consecutive home match without a win loomed as the clock ticked into the first of four minutes of stoppage time.
From the left flank, defender Adam Lundkvist fired in Austin’s 20th cross of the match, which Toronto defender Raoul Petretta deflected straight up into the air in front of goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it would be a routine catch for the World Cup keeper, but a fallen Julio Cascante obstructed Johnson’s path and allowed Nick Lima to position himself under the ball. Lima’s header deflected back off the crossbar right to Zardes, whose striker’s instinct had positioned him perfectly to head the ball into the open net for his second match-winning goal in as many games.
“Something in my head when Nicky went up for the ball and I saw the keeper didn’t come out, I was like, this ball is going to come back to me. And sure enough, it hits off the crossbar and came straight back to me,” said Zardes of his first Q2 Stadium goal in Verde. “Scoring where our supporters are, you know, they’re throwing beer, beating on the drums, and going crazy, and I’m just looking at them as I’m running… it’s a surreal moment. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
The release of emotion wasn’t just felt in the stands, but also farther back on the pitch, where midfielder Sofiane Djeffal desperately hoped to cap off his first Austin FC start with a win. “I’ve never screamed that hard in my whole life. That’s how I felt,” Djeffal said grinning. “It was amazing. I don’t even know if I can put words on it but great feeling for sure.”
With back-to-back wins for the first time all season, El Tree has now positioned itself squarely in the mix of the Western Conference playoff picture, with a chance to continue its ascent next Saturday against the slumping Houston Dynamo on the road. But first, ATX goes once again at Q2 Wednesday night, taking on Chicago Fire FC in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16.
For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle‘s Austin FC hub. Follow “The Verde Report” columnist Eric Goodman on Twitter: @goodman.
This article appears in Guide to Summer.
