Sebastian Driussi and Ethan Finlay scored two goals each as Austin FC continued the torrid start to their second campaign with a dominating 5-1 victory over visiting Inter Miami CF on Sunday afternoon in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Austin FC (2-0-0, 6 points) picked up right where it left off last week in its 5-0 win over FC Cincinnati, scoring two goals in a four-minute span of the middle of the first half to take a 2-0 lead.
First, Driussi ran to the back post for a crossing pass off the end line by Diego Fagundez in the 22nd minute and calmly sent the ball into the bottom left corner of the net past Miami keeper Clement Diop.
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Then, in the 26th minute off a set piece situation, Zan Kolmanic sent a pass deep into the box and onto the head of Cascante, who out-jumped a Miami defender and scored to the right of Diop.
Austin added to its lead in the 51st minute as Driussi was able to easily clean up a deflected pass from Fagundez from the second level after a deep run into the area.
Inter Miami (0-1-1, 1 point) finally got on the board two minutes later, scoring its first goal of the season as substitute Leonardo Campana converted an assist from Gonzalo Higuain, sending the ball into the bottom-right corner past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
It was the first goal allowed by Austin FC this season.
Any momentum Miami took from Campana’s tally was snatched back by Austin and captain Alex Ring, whose left-footed pass to the far post missed intended target Maxi Urruti but ended up on the head of Ethan Finlay, who sent the ball into the net in the 64th minute to rebuild the home side’s three-goal lead.
Finlay added to the rout with his second goal, a laser into the top-left corner off another Fagundez assist in the 90th minute.
Austin FC’s 10 goals is the most by a single team over its first two matches of a season in MLS history.
Inter Miami has now lost six of its past seven road matches dating back to last season.
