Austin FC flexes muscle as $10M star ends his scoring silence | OneFootball

Austin FC's marquee signing, Brandon Vázquez, finally left his mark. And it wasn't any goal. It was the one that laid the groundwork for a 2-1 win over San Diego FC at Q2 Stadium. By the way, the stadium experienced its 73rd consecutive sellout.

Austin got the answer it had been searching for in the initial contacts

The ball was still warming up on the lawn when Diego Rubio was being fed the ball by Sabovic, who had stolen a San Diego turnover. The action was quick, simple, no-fuss. Rubio played it through to Vázquez, who out muscled the keeper and shot from a tight angle. A beauty. His first in an Austin jersey. And, appearances suggesting, the first of many.

Vázquez brought star power at $10 million and from CF Monterrey, a club that does not give up players so easily. His resume in MLS was already gaudy: 35 goals, 19 assists, and a steady spotlight with Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati. But at Austin, he had not yet scored. It took four matches, but in the fifth game, he at last showed that he was every penny worth.

Gallagher sped up and doubled the lead

If Vázquez's goal set the tone, Jon Gallagher turned it up a notch. In the 19th minute, Owen Wolff took a free kick in a rush and played it to the Irishman behind San Diego's back line. Gallagher did not hesitate. He took the shot and scored. Two-nil before the 20th minute.

Wolff, by the way, just keeps adding the numbers. That was his third assist in a five-game period, and every sign is that the young fellow is going to be a crucial part of a team that is explosive and possessed of control. The perfect formula for any side that wishes to hit the pinnacle of the table.

San Diego scores one back but doesn't scare anyone

It wasn't all smooth sailing, however. San Diego FC did manage to cut the deficit in the first half, when Luca de la Torre struck a long shot that wickedly deflected and into the net. Even after the scare, however, Austin remained calm.

The second half was written to script: San Diego had the ball, tried to push the tempo, and Austin waited for the counter. Opportunities came, in large part through speed, but no other goals. The score was still 2-1. And no shortage of intensity. No shortage of effort. The kind of game worth every minute.

Crowds, momentum, and a good spot on the table

The win pushed Austin FC to second in the Western Conference, not too shabby for a club that started the season with a few question marks. Once again, the stadium was packed to the gills, a sure sign of how much this team is supported by the fans. And Q2 Stadium, now one of the loudest stadiums in the league, just continues to push the club forward.

That is not something that just happens. That is 73 straight home sellouts. And that says a lot.