With 119 minutes and 40 seconds having been played at Minnesota’s Allianz Field on Wednesday, and a stadium filled with a crowd of Minnesota jerseys with a hint of Austin fans repping the Verde and Black, the fans were waiting for an iconic moment.
Twenty seconds remained before the referee announced how many minutes would be added to the game, after already playing an additional 30. Tied 1-1, if neither Minnesota United or Austin FC scored in the dying embers, the U.S. Open Cup semifinal would have to go to a penalty shootout.
Five seconds had passed, and Austin defender Jon Gallagher received a ball on the edge of the box on the right side. Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair saved a header by forward Myrto Uzuni, but the ball landed in the path of forward CJ Fodrey.
With the game clock near the 120th minute, Fodrey produced the iconic moment for Austin FC, volleying the ball into the back of the net from only yards away.
“I blacked out, to be honest,” Fodrey said about celebrating the goal. “I don’t even remember all of it, to be honest. Looking at the traveling fans was amazing. I think that’s when I got the consciousness back.”
Moments later, the final whistle blew, with the scoreboard reading 2-1 in favor of Austin.
However, 10 minutes earlier, head coach Nico Estévez thought his team would have to win through a penalty shootout.
After a grueling 90 minutes, in which forward Osman Bukari scored at the end of the first half for Austin and midfielder Joaquín Pereyra equalized in the 67th minute, both teams were already 110 minutes deep into their semifinal.
But before Estévez could turn to his coaching staff to discuss penalty shootout tactics, he had a moment of realization.
“Why am I thinking that? There are still minutes to play,” Estévez said. “We can win this game. I’m not turning there. I’m going to believe that we can win the game.”
Fodrey’s goal was his second late winner in 10 days, after scoring an 82nd-minute goal to win at Kansas City. It’s only the second goal that the 21-year-old has scored for Austin FC.
With the win, Austin FC created more club history. The semifinal was Austin’s first, and now the Verde and Black have the opportunity to not only play in their first final but also to host at Q2 Stadium.
“We’re a very young club and we need to keep making the right steps. When you are not a team that has won trophies, it is difficult that people see as a someone that could (win),” Estévez said. “We have to change that. The only way to do it is to have nights like today, calling the attention for people that didn’t think (about) us. Now we have to make the final step because people remember the winners.”
The U.S. Open Cup final between Austin FC and Nashville SC will be held on Oct. 1 at Q2 Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
