Austin FC turned a tight, level fixture into a convincing late-night statement at Q2 Stadium, pulling away for a 3-1 Major League Soccer win over Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
The hosts struck first in the 11th minute when Ilie Sánchez rose to score with a header, giving Austin an early foothold and energizing the crowd in Texas. Seattle responded well, though, and found its equalizer in the 26th minute through Paul Rothrock, who brought the Sounders back level and ensured the sides went into the break at 1-1.
The opening half had the feel of an even contest, and the numbers backed that up. Austin finished with 52.6 percent possession to Seattle’s 47.4, while both clubs registered 10 total shots. Austin, however, proved more clinical, putting six efforts on target compared with Seattle’s three.
The second half became more tense than fluid. Seattle picked up yellow cards as the pressure mounted, with Jackson Ragen cautioned in the 59th minute after an earlier Sounders booking in the 41st. Austin’s Besard Sabovic also went into the book in the 60th minute as the midfield battle sharpened.
For long stretches, it looked as if the match might drift toward a draw, a fair possibility given how closely contested it was through 80 minutes. But Austin found another gear when it mattered most. In the 86th minute, Myrto Uzuni delivered the breakthrough, restoring the home side’s advantage and shifting the entire mood inside Q2 Stadium.
Uzuni’s goal forced Seattle to chase the match in stoppage time, and that left space for Austin to finish the job. Christian Ramírez struck in the 90+1st minute to make it 3-1, effectively sealing all three points. Seattle’s frustrating finish only worsened when Jackson Ragen was shown a red card in the 90+4th minute.
It was a composed and efficient night from Austin FC, who made the most of their big moments and got goal contributions from three different scorers: Ilie Sánchez in the 11th minute, Myrto Uzuni in the 86th minute, and Christian Ramírez in the 90+1st minute. For Seattle, Paul Rothrock’s 26th-minute goal briefly restored parity, but the Sounders could not hold off the late surge.
In the end, the final score perhaps looked harsher on Seattle than the balance of the match suggested. Until the closing stages, this was a competitive fixture that could reasonably have ended level. Instead, Austin’s sharper finishing in front of goal made the difference, and the home side walked away with a deserved 3-1 result.
