SUMMARY
AUSTIN, Texas – Freshly inserted into the match, Maximiliano Urruti scored in the 88th minute and Austin FC beat CF Montreal 1-0 on Saturday night at Q2 Stadium.
The Argentine veteran converted a header from Jon Gallagher, following a cross from the right flank. Urruti entered the match in the 76th minute.
The CF bowed for the second time in two outings this season, after the setback in Florida in February.
“As long as we create scoring chances, I’m not worried,” said CF coach Hernan Losada. It’s conceding a late goal that’s disappointing but at the same time you have to give Austin FC credit. »
Austin finished the clash with five shots on target and CF two, both in the first half.
CF Montreal lost 2-0 to Inter Miami as the season opener on February 25 in Fort Lauderdale.
“We’ve improved from that game,” Losada said.
“There was more energy and intensity. We also applied pressure faster in sequences. »
The next meeting of the Montreal team will take place on March 11, in Nashville. The CF will begin the local portion of its calendar on March 18 against Philadelphia, at the Olympic Stadium. After CF matches in Vancouver and Foxborough, Stade Saputo will be the scene of a first game in 2023 on April 15, against DC United.
Austin FC’s Nathan Saliba was shown a yellow card in the ninth minute following a dangerous tackle. Shortly after, a slide from Kamal Miller brilliantly stopped a menacing strike from crowd favorite Emiliano Rigoni.
In the 22nd minute, a yellow card was awarded to Owen Wolff of the Texas Capital team, for a tackle at the expense of Mathieu Choinière.
Shortly after the first half hour of action, Gallagher came on alone from the right flank, having eluded Miller, but he cut short the climb with an imprecise pass through the middle.
Moments later, a goal was disallowed for Austin’s Gyasi Zardes, who was offside.
In the 42nd minute, Brad Stuver made a solid save at the expense of Choinière.
Samuel Piette received a yellow card in the 57th minute, having been a little too robust towards Zardes.
On the CF side, goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois made his first start in MLS. About fifteen minutes from the end of the match, he made a very good save against Urruti’s point-blank shot, on an offside sequence, however.
“Jonathan put in a big performance,” Losada said. I’m proud of him. The late goal is a real shame for him and for the whole team. »
Two minutes later, a deflected shot from Urruti hit the post to the right of Sirois.
The Montreal clan’s number one goalie, James Pantemis, will miss at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. Elsewhere, CF veteran Romell Quioto limped off the pitch in the 87th minute.
Austin began a five-game-in-14-day streak on Saturday. After playing against Montreal FC, the club will face first Tuesday, in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Haitian team Violette, in the Dominican Republic.
The Q2 Stadium was inaugurated in 2021, when Austin entered the scene in MLS.