Scant seconds had passed from his goal to his fall. His Cup and his MLS season, sadly, are over. ACL rupture. Surgery. Best wishes. But his Austin FC team – guided largely by his incredible performances – survives in the 2025 Open Cup thanks to a slim win in a penalty shootout. So, it's onto a first-ever Semifinal for this young Texas club.
A win over Minnesota United FC on the road in St. Paul on September 17th would bring the U.S. Open Cup Final to Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium. Will Vazquez be there, a bespectacled Clark Kent in street clothes? We’ll have to wait and see how all the moments build toward that grand finale on October 1st.
Fontela is editor-in-chief of ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Follow him at @jonahfontela on X/Twitter.
