The Town FC overcame a steep halftime deficit and shut out Austin FC II in the second half to earn a division-clinching victory in Texas. (Photo / JJ Moothart)
AUSTIN, Texas. — The Town FC overcame a two-goal deficit to complete a spirited comeback against Austin FC II on Sunday, winning 4-3 at Parmer Field to clinch the Pacific Division title.
Austin (7-10-11, 36 points) jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage in the regular-season finale, as defender Ervin Torres and midfielder Steeve Louis Jean each tallied goals within the match’s first 22 minutes. Needing a win to survive in the playoff race, Austin FC II made an early statement but got complacent as the game progressed.
Midfielder Eduardo Blancas — who would notch a brace for The Town (13-7-8, 51 points) — scored twice in the first half, both on set pieces. Blancas cut the deficit in half with a direct free kick in the 26th minute, and scored right before half on a penalty kick, giving TTFC life before the break. Blancas’ eight total goals make him the regular-season leader for The Town.
Forward Micah Burton posted Austin’s third goal in between Blancas’ two scores, setting up a 3-2 slugfest in favor of the Texas-based club at the 45-minute mark.
The Town FC’s stout defense shut down Austin FC II in the second half, and head coach Daniel DeGeer utilized a variety of substitutes to change the tempo. Playing aggressively yet still losing, TTFC applied pressure in the attacking third.
In the 82nd minute, midfielder Beau Leroux found the equalizer on a line-drive shot to allow The Town FC to capture late momentum. The long-distance strike was Leroux’s fourth goal of the campaign.
Defender Aaron Edwards found the game-winning goal three minutes later by heading the ball in off a beautiful pass for his seventh of the year, and arrived just after the 21-year-old entered the match as a substitute. The tally effectively sealed the match’s fate and tied TTFC’s season-high in goals scored in a single game.
The Town FC held on in the final moments to conclude the regular season on a high note. The impressive performance clinched the highly competitive Pacific Division along with the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
The loss effectively eliminated Austin from playoff contention.
Conference Quarterfinal matchups will be determined Tuesday with the “Pick-Your-Opponent” format. Seeds 1-3 will host and pick opponents from seeds 5-8, so The Town FC will have the opportunity to play a high-stakes match in front of its home fans.
The Town FC finished the regular season with only 28 goals allowed, the lowest in MLS NEXT Pro. The team will look to utilize its stubborn defense in the postseason to eke out wins in a physical, do-or-die setting.
The “Pick-Your-Opponent” selection show will take place Tuesday at noon and will be broadcast on MLSNEXTPro.com.
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
Austin FC II 3 – 4 The Town FC
Parmer Field
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Scoring Summary:
ATX (1-0) — E. Torres 8’
ATX (2-0) — S. Louis Jean 22’
TTFC (2-1) — E. Blancas 26’
ATX (3-1) — M. Burton 29’
TTFC (3-2) — E. Blancas (PK) 45’
TTFC (3-3) — B. Leroux 82’
TTFC (3-4) — A. Edwards 85’
Misconduct Summary:
TTFC — R. Ibarra (Caution) 41’
ATX — N. Van Rijn (Caution) 45 + 5’
TTFC — W. Eisner (Caution) 57’
ATX — A. Gomez (Caution) 69’
TTFC — E. Ochoa (Caution) 90 + 2’
Austin FC II: A. Cervantes (GK), C. Toure (D. Anda – 73’), S. Mazzaferro (C), N. Van Rijn, A. Gomez, S. Louis Jean (P. Grogan – 73’), B. Arellano (A. Ramirez – 64’), E. Torres, C. Fodrey (A. García – 73’), M. Burton, B. Fakarlun (D. Abarca – 87’)
Substitutes not used: C. Garcia, S. Pineau, M. Alstrup
SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 11; FOULS: 14; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 3
The Town FC: E. Ochoa (GK), R. Ibarra, C. Walls, A. Cano, W. Eisner (S. Bilter – 62’), C. Medina (C) (J. Donnery – 62’), R. Rajagopal (J. Garcia – 73’), B. Leroux, R. Lynch (J. Ricketts – 62’), E. Blancas, W. Richmond (A. Edwards – 82’)
Substitutes not used: J. Spivey, D. Sweeney
SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 11; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 8