AUSTIN, Texas — Despite an admirable defensive effort, a second half sendoff ultimately doomed Austin FC at Q2 Stadium Saturday night, as FC Dallas was able to land a gun-punch in the 90th minute, scoring the game-deciding goal and heading back up to Frisco as 1-0 victors.
An evenly played match throughout the first half was turned on its head early in the second half. Winger Rodney Redes picked up consecutive yellow cards in the first 10 minutes of the second half, leading to his expulsion from the match and leaving Austin shorthanded for the remainder of what had been a close match up to that point.
FC Dallas began controlling possession more consistently, and while Austin was defensively sound for 88 minutes, one backline lapse in the 89th minute allowed Dallas striker Jesus Ferreira to break through and deliver a right-footed shot past Austin FC keeper Brad Stuver, resulting in the match's proverbial knockout blow and handing the Verde and Black yet another gut-wrenching result.
Despite holding firm defensively for the vast majority of the match, Austin FC's continued offensive inefficiency once again burned them.
The Verde and Black only registered a single shot on goal on eight attempts. By comparison, FC Dallas fired off 14 shots with three on target, including Ferreira's goal.
Austin FC possessed the ball 46% of the time compared to 54% for their North Texas rivals – a number that further highlights the current ineffectiveness of the team's attack.
The loss means that Austin FC is now winless in eight straight MLS matches and will remain well out of a playoff position for the time being, as the team currently sits 12th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference.
The Verde and Black will next travel to the Pacific Northwest and face the Western Conference's second best team in the standings, the Seattle Sounders, next Saturday night.