Austin FC Defeat San Jose in Dramatic Shootout to Reach U.S. Open Cup Semis

On Tuesday, Austin FC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 in regulation and 4-2 on penalties to make it to the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals for the first time in the club's history. 

It was an exciting night with a lot at stake and many firsts. Brad Stuver, the goalie, made two saves in the shootout, and Brandon Vázquez, Myrto Uzuni, and Owen Wolff all made outstanding shots that led to the win.

In the 12th minute, Cristian "Chicho" Arango scored the first goal for the Earthquakes by finishing an attack from the left side with a rocket shot past Stuver. Arango scored his first goal in the Open Cup and his 10th goal in all competitions this year, which has made his impact even stronger since joining from Real Salt Lake.

After the halftime break, Austin came back with more energy, and Vázquez scored a penalty in the 65th minute to tie the game. The 26-year-old has scored in all of Austin's Open Cup games this season. He beat Daniel Britto in goal for San Jose with a low shot to the bottom right. Soon after, though, Vázquez had to leave the match because he seemed to have hurt his knee.

In the 99th minute of extra time, San Jose took the lead again. The goal scorer, Benjamin Kikanović, scored when he pounced on a loose ball to make it 2-1. Austin would not stay down for long, though.

Owen Wolff got a penalty in the 112th minute after Mark-Anthony Kaye fouled him. Myrto Uzuni calmly walked his way to a calm finish that once again tied the game.

Stuver stopped two of San Jose's first three penalties in the shootout, and Wolff made the game-winning fourth shot to give Los Verdes a famous win.

Austin FC has been doing well in cup events since it joined the MLS in 2022. They are now just one game away from a possible final. The club will find out who they play in the semifinals in the next few days, but for now, they are celebrating a night that will go down in the history of the brand.

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