As the clock ticked toward 90 minutes on Wednesday night at Q2 Stadium, it looked as though Austin FC and Houston Dynamo might be headed for a scoreless draw. The match was a hard-fought midweek contest played on a warm evening, and both sides were showing signs of fatigue late on.
Yet Austin had a distinct advantage that helped push the team forward in those closing moments when Sebastián Driussi found the match-winner in the 87th minute, which Head Coach Josh Wolff mentioned in his post-match conversation with media – its fans.
“I can’t say enough about the fans,” said Wolff of the atmosphere at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday night. “We had momentum early, we could have taken the lead and probably should have taken the lead. We certainly fatigued and wobbled there at the end. The fans, the supporters, when we got that corner kick and even before that, were bringing energy and lifting these guys. You could feel a surge and you could certainly feel the emotion. That’s what derbies are about.”
The victory was Austin FC’s fourth consecutive win at Q2 Stadium, with the team claiming three points against Dallas, San Jose, LA Galaxy, and Houston during that stretch. Austin’s 14 points earned at home this season are tied for third-most of any team in Major League Soccer.
The team has another home match on Saturday, when the Verde & Black host Sporting Kansas City (7:30 p.m. CT, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
