Gyasi Zardes scored a dramatic late winner to lift Austin FC to a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night at Q2 Stadium. The match marked Austin FC’s 43rd consecutive MLS home sellout, extending the league’s longest-active streak.
The Verde & Black had the game's first big chance in the 15th minute. Nick Lima drove through the heart of the Toronto defense and played in Maxi Urruti, but the Argentine’s low shot caromed off the post.
The hosts continued to dominate the ball and the scoring opportunities in the second half. Emiliano Rigoni entered the match as a substitute, and shot a free kick inches wide of the post. Adam Lundkvist then hit a powerful volley that narrowly missed the target.
Just when it looked as though Austin's promising play wouldn’t pay off, Zardes popped up to score the only goal of the match in the 91st minute. After Lima nodded an attempt off the crossbar, Zardes guided in the rebound with an accurate header to seal Austin's second consecutive league victory.
The decisive tally was Zardes' second game-winning goal in as many matches, following another headed game-winner against Seattle away on Wednesday. It was also the 26th game-winning goal of his MLS career, tied for second-most among active players.
Goal-Scoring Summary
ATX (1-0) – Gyasi Zardes (unassisted) 90+1’
Next Match
Austin FC will host Chicago Fire FC in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, May 24 at 8:00 p.m. CT. The match will feature a live broadcast on the B/R Football YouTube channel, as well as on the B/R Football app.
