Austin FC managed a stunning comeback against Sporting Kansas City to triumph 4-3 as an extra time goal by Sebastian Driussi sent Q2 Stadium into a frenzy.
The Texas team entered halftime losing by two goals, after Johnny Russell, Andreu Fontas and William Agada completely overwhelmed their defense. But the second 45 saw a relentless Austin FC take the helm to earn the three points and maintain their second place spot on the Western Conference table.
The crowds exploded in cheer after the final whistle, while defender Jhohan Romana lifted head coach Josh Wolff into the air in crazed celebration.
“I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that,” Wolff said after the match. “The intensity and the atmosphere…there are a lot of good stadiums in this league, but the atmosphere here is incredible. They give us spirit, they give us energy – the entire stadium.”
“We took a shot in the face. So what? That’s life. You’ve got to pick yourself up and keep moving. We don’t throw the plan out. The plan is exactly what we go back to and that’s why this team performs. If you look at the games that we’ve come back, there’s a really clear blueprint each time. We’re very structured, very organized and we do a great job with it,” he added.
The head coach later hailed Sebastian Driussi for scoring the winning goal, labeling him ‘extremely important’.
“He’s Driussi. He’s extremely important to this group. He’s extremely important to this league when you see what he’s able to do and what he’s been doing since he got here.”
Driussi arrived at Austin FC in July 2021 as a Designated Player from Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg, and has since made an immediate impact on the club. He’s managed 22 goals and 12 assists in 42 overall appearances for the expansion team, and currently leads the 2022 Golden Boot race with 17 braces.
The team heads to Allianz Field next to face Minnesota United on Saturday.
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