Diego Rubio’s goal three minutes into stoppage time lifted host Austin FC to a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in a Western Conference match.
Rubio’s tally, off a short corner by Dani Pereira and an assist to inside the six-yard box by Zan Kolmanic, allowed The Verde (5-6-5, 20 points) to split the points for the fourth consecutive MLS match. Austin has not won in league play since beating the LA Galaxy 1-0 at home on April 19, a span of seven MLS matches.
Real Salt Lake looked poised to grab the crucial road victory after William Agada’s header off a free kick by Diego Luna in the 67th minute staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead. Agada swooped in from outside the box and ran onto the kick from Luna from 10 yards outside the box and beat Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver low to his right side.
Instead RSL (4-9-3, 15 points) continued its streak without a win that has grown to six contests, dating to a 3-1 decision on the road vs. San Diego FC on April 26.
Austin ended up with four shots on goal to three for RSL, with three of the Verde’s chances coming in the final seven minutes.
The Verde had the match’s first scoring chance in the 22nd minute when Osman Bukari worked hard to get the ball deep into the zone before passing to Brandon Vazquez, whose header clanged off the crossbar and out of harm’s way.
RSL’s Pablo Ruiz tested Stuver in the 26th minute with a low percentage shot from just outside the box that the Austin keeper gobbled up. The Verde’s Jon Gallagher countered with his team’s first shot on goal in the 31st minute, challenging Rafael Cabral with a left-footed shot that was easily saved.
The sides combined for 12 shots in the first half, seven of them by the visitors, and each produced just one shot on goal.
–Field Level Media
