Michael Barrios scored the equalizer four minutes into second-half stoppage time to lift the visiting LA Galaxy to an unlikely 3-3 draw over shell-shocked Austin FC on Sunday in a key late-season Western Conference match.
Barrios’ goal came on a header after a pass into the box by Jonathan Perez. The Galaxy scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the match to split the points with Austin.
The Verde (9-13-8, 35 points) saw their winless streak extend to seven matches and are without a win in league play since July 15. Austin remained in 12th place in the conference, four points and three spots below the wild-card playoff line with four matches to play in the regular season.
The Galaxy (8-11-10, 34 points) missed a chance to leapfrog Austin, stayed in 13th place and are still fighting an uphill battle to reach the postseason with five matches to play.
The start of the match was delayed three hours by wind, lightning and torrential rain. Once underway, Austin wasted little time in finding the net as Alex Ring took a pass from Emiliano Rigoni in the 11th minute and beat Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond to the bottom right corner.
The Galaxy tied the match on a delayed penalty kick from Riqui Puig two minutes into first-half stoppage time after a foul by Austin’s Julio Cascante. After a VAR decision confirmed the infraction, Puig found the net off the right leg of a diving Austin keeper Brad Stuver and the score was back to even.
But the Verde retook the lead when Jon Gallagher curled toward the end line deep in the Galaxy zone and found Ethan Finlay in front of the goal. Finlay beat Galaxy defender Raheem Edwards to the ball and pushed it across the goal line in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Rigoni added a goal in the 75th minute when he took a long clearing pass from Daniel Pereira and beat two defenders down the field before unleashing a wicked shot that found the net just under the crossbar.
The Galaxy added a second goal in the 89th minute as Dejan Joveljic headed home a pass from Billy Sharp to pull within 3-2.
–Field Level Media
