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Matchday Report: Garcia’s Late Stunner Lifts Bold FC Past Toros

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 06/16/21, 10:09PM EDT

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Free kick from 30 yards in second-half stoppage time earns Austin 2-1 win at H-E-B Park

EDINBURG, Texas – Fabien Garcia fired home a free kick deep in second-half stoppage time to lift Austin Bold FC to a 2-1 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC on Wednesday night at H-E-B Park, extending the side’s positive recent run of form to three games undefeated.

Austin was awarded a free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Emilio Ycaza was brought down 30 yards from goal just to the left of the center of the goal. Garcia stepped up and produced a perfect strike that lifted over the wall and dipped down into the bottom-left corner of the net to hand the Toros their second loss of the season.

Both sides settled into the game gradually as it took until the eighth minute for the first serious look on goal to arrive for the Toros. Vicente Sanchez found space on the left side and delivered a cross that found Wan Kuzain but his headed finish was comfortably saved by Austin goalkeeper Elliot Panicco. The hosts took the lead in the 21st minute, however, as a free kick from the right by Josue Soto found Adrian Diz Pe at the back post for a header that came back off the right post, but rebounded to Alexis Cerritos to put away the rebound.

Cerritos threatened again 10 minutes later as Juan Cabezas found him between defenders moving toward the top of the penalty area, but the shot was too close to seriously test Panicco.

Austin thought it had leveled in the 32nd minute as Juan Pablo Torres delivered a good cross from the left that found Stefano Pinho for a headed finish, only for the offside flag to be raised. The visitors then went close again early in the second half as a corner kick by Xavier Baez was flicked on target at the near post by Garcia, but RGV’s Baboucarr Nije was manning the right post and cleared.

Ten minutes after the break, however, Bold FC struck as Omar Gordon picked up possession after a ball upfield into the right channel and laid a pass inside to Sean Okoli. The former Championship Golden Boot winner controlled to bring the ball onto his left foot and then lace a shot from 25 yards into the bottom-left corner of the net.

The Toros almost hit back nine minutes later as Nije delivered a cross from the right side that picked out Sanchez at the back post for a header across goal that hit the inside of the right post and went back through the six-yard area. Sanchez recovered to send the ball back into the six-yard area, but David Cabezas was unable to control cleanly, allowing Panicco to cover.

Cerritos’ had a chance at a second goal on the night for the hosts with 18 minutes to go as he fired a first-time show from just inside the top of the penalty area off a cross by Christian Sorto that was blocked by Garcia away to safety. But just when it appeared the game was going to end all square, Garcia’s free kick lifted Bold FC to all three points, ending the Toros’ perfect home start.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Fabien Garcia, Austin Bold FC – Garcia delivered with almost the final kick of the game to send Austin to victory against its Copa Tejas rival, and also completed 35 of 43 passes and won 5 of 7 duels overall

Scoring Summary
RGV
– Alexis Cerritos 21’
ATX – Sean Okoli (Omar Gordon) 55’
ATX – Fabien Garcia 90+6’

Full Box Score

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