RSL Earns 2-2 Road Draw at Austin

September 29, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Real Monarchs News Release

AUSTIN, Texas – Real Salt Lake (14-7-10, 52 Pts, 3rd West) drew away at Austin FC 2-2 under the lights at Q2 stadium, the Utah side earning its 18th road point of the year after clinching an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs just last week. Early second-half goals from Matt Crooks and Diogo Gonçalves paced RSL to a 2-0 lead, but concessions in the 81st and 89th minutes led to a disappointing draw.

Homegrown RSL All-Star Justen Glad, with his 231st career MLS start for the Claret-and-Cobalt, moved into third on the all-time franchise rankings, surpassing Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert, now staring up at only Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman.

Coming out for the first 45 just seven days after clinching a fourth consecutive trip to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, it was a period defined by transition and blistering pace, Austin’s high press often reaching all the way into the box of RSL veteran goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Despite both teams registering more than a handful of shots in the early going, fireworks wouldn’t start flying until the 37′ mark when an incisive through ball from Chicho Arango to Diego Lunanearly yielded a highlight breakaway goal for RSL before an impressive last-minute sliding block by Julio Cascante kept the affair scoreless.

Despite a 17-shot first half, the two sides would head to the locker rooms with zeroes on the scoreboard, RSL leading in possession, shots, passes and pass accuracy. Glad was a fixture of the first half clean sheet, marking his move into the top three all-time for RSL starts (231) with 30 passes at more than 95% accuracy.

Coming out for the second 45, it wouldn’t take long for Real Salt Lake to claim the advantage, Crooks collecting his third goal of the season with a 48′ second-chance goal. Then, flying around with pressure as they searched for a second goal, RSL found it in the 65th minute when an Austin handball turned into an RSL penalty kick Diogo Gonçalves converting the chance for his second score in as many matches. Austin, fighting back, injected life into the home crowd when Jáder Obrian broke through to put Verde on the board at the 81′ mark.

Then, with the momentum in their hands, Austin threw themselves forward in search of a late equalizer, finding their second goal just seven minutes after the first when Guilherme Biro got behind the RSL back line and finished a perfect pass from Sebastian Driussi in the 89th. The even 2-2 scoreline would hold…