AUSTIN, Texas — Sebastián Driussi scored twice and Brad Stuver saved two penalty kicks as Austin FC erased a two-goal deficit to win its first-ever Audi MLS Cup Playoffs match.
The match ended 2-2 after extra time, and the Verde and Black won the penalty shootout 3-1.
Austin FC now advances to the Western Conference Semifinals, where it will host the winner of the Oct. 17 match between FC Dallas and Minnesota United FC on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Real Salt Lake took the lead in the third minute through Cordova, who then doubled his tally 12 minutes later from the penalty spot.
Austin responded to the early deficit and got a goal back through Driussi in the thirty-first minute. Diego Fagundez played an inch-perfect cross for the Argentine to head in, the eighth time in 2022 that pair combined to score.
Austin FC came to life in the second half, with a pair of chances falling Emiliano Rigoni’s way. Between those chances, RSL forward Rubio Rubin was shown a red card for a foul on Stuver.
Austin forced multiple saves from RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Just when it looked as though time might run out, Rigoni won a penalty kick in stoppage time. Driussi converted the ensuing penalty kick to tie the score with only moments remaining in the match.
Driussi came close to winning the match on three separate occasions in extra time, hitting the post once and twice having goals ruled out.
In the shootout, Stuver saved a pair of RSL penalty attempts and a third was missed, meaning successful attempts from Driussi, Fagundez, and Rigoni won the contest for Austin.
PHOTOS: Austin FC beats Real Salt Lake in first round of playoffs
Next Match
Austin FC will host the winner of Monday’s match between FC Dallas and Minnesota United FC at Q2 Stadium in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. CT. The match will feature national television broadcasts on ESPN in English and on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
On radio, the match will be broadcast on KASE-FM (ALT 97.5) in English, as well as on TUDN Radio Austin (104.3-HD2, KLQB) in Spanish.
Season ticket members who opted into the "Playoff Pay As We Play Strip" will see their tickets on their SeatGeek accounts by 3 p.m. CT on Monday, Oct. 17, according to a release. Oak Collective waitlist members will have access to a ticket pre-sale on Monday, Oct. 17. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. CT.
All matches played in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs are single-elimination matches. The winner of the Western Conference Semifinal between second-seed Austin FC and its to-be-determined opponent will advance to the Western Conference Final hosted by the highest remaining seed on Sunday, Oct. 30.
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