LAFC collected a point at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night, playing to a 1-1 draw with Austin FC. Second-half substitute David Martínez scored for LAFC, helping the club improve its record to 14-7-7 for 49 points. LAFC is now in third place in the Western Conference.
Neither side was able to create much in the way of chances for the majority of the opening 45 minutes before Austin grabbed the lead with the final kick of the half. Osman Bukari got free on the right wing, allowing him to find Jáder Obrian alone in the center of the box. Obrian took two touches before firing a low, right-footed shot into the corner of the net, sending the visitors into the locker room with a 1-0 advantage.
In search of an equalizer just before the hour mark, LAFC made two changes, bringing on Martínez and Ilie Sanchez, and three minutes later it was Martínez who tied the score. A quick interplay between Olivier Giroud and Eduard Atuesta near midfield allowed Atuesta to play Ryan Hollingshead in on the left. Hollingshead’s low cross found Martínez, who was able to direct his shot past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver from close range, tying the score at 1-1.
LAFC outshot Austin FC 13-10 and finished the game with a 6-3 advantage in shots on target, but were unable to find a winner and the game ended 1-1.
The Black & Gold will be back in action on Saturday, September 21, when the club heads to Texas to take on FC Dallas. That game, which will kick off at 5:30 p.m. PT, will be shown live on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass, with radio coverage on 710 AM ESPN, ESPN LA App, and KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the draw, LAFC is 14-7-7 in the league this season for 49 points.
- LAFC is now 9-2-4 in the league at BMO Stadium and 15-2-5 at home in all competitions.
- Both regular-season games between LAFC and Austin FC this season ended in 1-1 draws, although LAFC did defeat Austin 2-0 in the Leagues Cup Round of 32.
- LAFC is now unbeaten in its last six games against Austin FC in all competitions dating back to the 2022 Western Conference Final. LAFC is 4-0-2 in those matches with a 2-0-2 mark in the league while also knocking Austin out of the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022 and Leagues Cup this season.
- All-time, LAFC is 7-2-2 against Austin FC, including 4-1-1 in Los Angeles.
- David Martínez scored his second goal of the season and first since March 30 at Colorado. While tonight’s goal was his first in MLS play at BMO Stadium, he did score the club’s opening goal in the 3-1 win over New Mexico in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.
- Martínez is the first substitute to score for LAFC since Lewis O’Brien scored in the 75th minute of the Leagues Cup Semifinal win over Colorado on August 21.
- Ryan Hollingshead and Eduard Atuesta were each credited with assists on the Martínez goal. For Atuesta, it was his fifth assist of the season while it was the fourth for Hollingshead.
- Atuesta now has five or more assists in each of the three seasons that he has played 2,000 or more minutes for LAFC.
- With four assists, Hollingshead is now one shy of equaling his career-best total of five, which he set in 2021 with FC Dallas. He joined LAFC the following season and had never had more than a single assist in the regular season before this year.
