Jeremy Ebobisse scored on a header in the 88th minute to lift the visiting San Jose Earthquakes to a 3-3 draw with Austin FC on Saturday in a wild Western Conference match.
Sebastian Driussi scored twice in the first half for Austin, capping a five-goal outburst from the teams before halftime. Druissi’s second goal, in the 44th minute, gave the home side a lead it carried into the final minutes when Ebobisse sent home a crossing pass from Cristian Espinoza and allowed the Earthquakes (5-10-9, 24 points) to split the points in the match.
San Jose still never has lost to Austin in five all-time matches, earning its third draw in the series.
Austin (13-5-6, 45 points) struck early as Julio Cascante leaped high in the sixth minute to head a corner kick from Diego Fagundez past San Jose goalkeeper Matt Bersano. Bersano, who was making his first ever MLS start, couldn’t react in time to keep the header out of the bottom-right corner of the net.
But the Earthquakes needed just more than a minute to respond, tying the match when Benjamin Kikanovic’s redirected kick off a crossing pass from Paul Marie caught Austin keeper Brad Stuver flatfooted. The redirection floated out of reach and into the far corner.
Marie then put San Jose on top in the 20th minute with an extraordinary goal, corralling the rebound of corner kick and unleashing a wicked, 40-yard shot that found the upper left corner, leaving the Austin defense in disbelief.
Driussi evened the game for Austin in the 26th minute, running into the play in time to receive a flawless crossing pass from Ethan Finlay and finding the net.
Driussi then put Austin back into the lead by outworking the Earthquakes’ defense and Bersano in the goalmouth. San Jose did a good job of stopping Driussi’s initial run, but he kept after the ball, saving it before it crossed the end line, clanging it off the near post and then pushing it over the goal line.
It was the league-leading 16th goal of the season for Driussi, Austin’s erstwhile All-Star and the favorite for the league MVP award, but it wasn’t enough for the win.
–Field Level Media
