Austin FC II fell to Foro SC in a penalty kick shootout following a 2-2 tie in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round on Tuesday night at Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center. ATXFC II got goals from Sal Mazzaferro and Sébastien Pineau on the night.
Austin FC II started the better of the two sides. Micah Burton, Jonathan Santillan, and CJ Fodrey all came close to opening the scoring, but it was the visitors who did so in the 39th minute. Johnathan Rey Sauceda connected with a cross from the right flank to head Foro SC in front.
The Verde & Black continued to dominate both possession and attacking chances and were finally rewarded for their efforts eight (8) minutes into the second half. Burton delivered a dangerous free kick into the box, and Mazzaferro poked it home amid a goal-mouth scramble.
Foro were then reduced to 10 men when Ivan Muanze-Bengono was shown a red card for bringing down Santillan as the forward broke through on goal.
In extra time, Pineau was in the right place at the right time to put away the rebound from a deflected shot, putting the Verde & Black ahead. But Foro were able to equalize in the dying moments through Kyle Bennett, sending the match to penalty kicks. The visitors then triumphed 4-3 in the shootout to advance to the next round.
Six (6) Austin FC Academy players appeared for Austin FC II during the match, including professional debuts for defenders Mason Miller and Drake Fournier.
Goal-Scoring Summary
FRO (0-1) – Johnathan Rey Sauceda (assisted by Juan Ramirez) 39’
ATX (1-1) – Sal Mazzaferro (assisted by Micah Burton) 53’
ATX (2-1) – Sébastien Pineau (unassisted) 105’
FRO (2-2) – Kyle Bennett (assisted by Daniel Escorcia) 120+3’
Match Information
Venue: Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center (Austin, TX)
Weather: Cloudy, 59 degrees
Referee: William Hale
Assistant Referee: Jesus Barrera
Assistant Referee: Travis Aldrich
Fourth Official: Abelardo Flores Dominguez
Next Match
Austin FC II will play the first away match and second match overall of its 2024 MLS NEXT Pro regular season against Houston Dynamo 2 on Thursday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
