> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://verdeallday.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # At the Whistle: Sporting Kansas City 1, Austin FC 2 - URL: https://verdeallday.com/match-recap-skcvatx-102426/ - Published: 2026-10-25T02:43:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T02:43:59.000Z - Description: Austin FC fell behind in the second half but got two goals from Myrto Uzuni to secure the rare road win. The win allows them to evade an ignoble fate dating back to 2021. - Author: Phil West - Tags: 2026 season, austin fc, match recap With their slim playoff hopes (and a chance to fully escape Wooden Spoon contention) on the line, Austin FC got a brace from Myrto Uzuni to beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Saturday night at Sporting Park. The biggest news coming out of the lineup announcement was that Damian Las was replacing Brad Stuver as starting goalkeeper, but it also revealed that — rather than using center backs in the back three — interim head coach Davy Arnaud would roll with Guilherme Biro, Ilie Sánchez, and Mikkel Desler as a backstop. Uzuni tested former Austin FC goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland in the first minute, hitting a shot from distance that didn't have enough on it to be a serious threat — though it did show some good initial intent. In the 9th minute, Las has his first maybe-don't-do-that moment, diving for a ball toward the edge of the box to thwart SKC's Stephen Afrifa, only for Taylor Calheira to collect and try his luck with a free shot on goal. Biro put his body in the way and saved the goal. Three minutes later, Capita worked his way into the pocket to the left of the penalty spot and tried his luck, with Las collecting. Facundo Torres took a 20th-minute corner that found Brandon Vázquez's head, but that attempt went wide. Two minutes later, Vázquez went similarly wide with a long-distance attempt with his foot. Ervin Torres, hacked by SKC's Jake Davis midway through the first half, had to come off with a leg injury just after the half-hour mark unexpectedly, with Besard Šabović replacing him in the lineup. Davis, not content with injuring just one young Verde player, made a sloppy tackle on Jorge Alastuey in the 37th minute and picked up a yellow card. Those were going around at this point in the match, as Desler got one just seconds before for clotheslining Capita as he was about to make a break down the sideline. Las had to weather several more threats before halftime, including a couple of well-worked Afrifa attempts, and then André Luiz getting down the right flank past Biro for a one v. one situation, but shooting well wide of target. Afrifa got a yellow card coming right out of halftime for fouling Šabović, and courted a VAR review while Šabović was still down, but Afrifa wasn't sent off and Šabović was able to resume playing. More yellow cards were doled out as the stalemate continued, with Ilie getting one for a bear hug on Afrifa, and Zorhan Bassong for hacking through Alastuey. Afrifa finally broke the deadlock in the 55th, with Verde turning the ball over in their own third, and then SKC pushing forward past stationary and slow-to-react defenders to get the goal. SKC pushed for a second, with sub Calvin Harris getting off a 60th-minute shot from distances that flew into the somewhat-sparse supporters' section. Shortly after, Joseph Rosales had two chances on goal — the first saved by Cleveland, and the second headed away by Jansen Miller. In the 64th, though, Uzuni headed in a shot that Cleveland saved off the crossbar, but the rebound fell to Uzuni (with SKC defenders oblivious), who put in the bouncing ball to equalize. André Luiz, aside from the assist on Afrifa's goal, didn't hurt Verde more than that, coming off in the 74th as part of a double sub that included Owen Wolff. Wolff nearly got an assist with essentially his first action of the match, moving Afrifa close to goal. Afrifa missed that and another point-blank chance three minutes later. Wolff got on the end of a long pass in the 81st at the edge of the 18, attempted a shot, and just missed wide. In the 86th, Przemysław Płacheta — who subbed in at wingback 15 minutes prior, shifting Jon Gallagher into center back — sent a ball into goal, and the rebounded save fell to an unmarked Uzuni for his second goal. F. Torres led a break in the second minute of stoppage time, but Rosales couldn't cleanly get on the end of the leading pass, with brought SKC its first of several stoppage time opportunities to score. But Verde's defense was able to fend off the late threats. ## Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal) Not much got engineered outside of the goals, but Biro putting his body on the line to save a goal early allowed Verde to stay in the match until they could score. ## Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed) Seeing Ervin Torres come off in the first half of his first match after being named to [MLS' 22 Under 22](https://verdeallday.com/ervin-torres-2026-22-under-22-analysis/) was an unfortunate development for both the player and the team. ## One thing you might have missed Benny Feilhaber, of "scared money don't make money" fame (if you don't know the lore, it's a key moment in Austin FC II history) was a third person in the Apple TV broadcast booth to lend his perspective. ## One nerdy tidbit At halftime, Austin FC outpossessed SKC (51.5% to 48.5%), but were outshot eight to four (with four shots on target to one). ## Where this fits into the season's narrative Now at 34 points on the season, Arnaud has avoided tying the inaugural season's point total nadir and has kept the squad from playoff elimination. But this still has the look of a team that's going to miss the playoffs, especially given all the chances that SKC flubbed. ## A question we have heading into the press conference We have to ask why Brendan Hines-Ike, Oleksandr Svatok, and Mateja Đorđević \_ who were all on the bench — didn't start, and why Las did. They were cavalier choices, but perhaps too cavalier given the stakes in this match? *Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out* [Emergency Podcast!](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emergency-podcast-an-austin-fc-podcast/id1742052077?ref=verdeallday.com) (an Austin FC Podcast) *wherever you get your podcasts, and join us on* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/verdealldayhq/?ref=verdeallday.com) *to get updates on all our stories and podcast releases.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1e/d1/1ed16f3e-4f96-4b65-9a04-4b0634738b99/content/images/2026/07/Verde-All-Day-Newsletter-Banner-Ad-2.png)