Austin FC made history Wednesday night, reaching the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals for the first time after a 3–1 win over in-state rivals Houston Dynamo FC at a roaring Q2 Stadium. Under coach Nico Estévez, Austin controlled most of the game and fed off the crowd’s energy, full of chants and excitement.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Brandon Vázquez finished off a perfect cross from Jon Gallagher with a clever flick and a powerful shot to the far post. That goal marked Vázquez’s fifth in five matches and his third of this year’s Open Cup, which ties him for the tournament lead. .
After the match, Vázquez said, “Yeah, incredible — another ball in the net. Winning is what matters most. We’re happy and motivated. The group knows what we can do, and even when things aren’t perfect, our quality shows. If we keep this up, I think we’ll do well.”
Gallagher added insight on the team’s success: “Sticking to the game plan from the first minute and having the right mentality helped us. Being more direct and playing in strings worked well, especially with Brandon up front and Bukari creating one-on-one chances, even if not every pass paid off. We got good territory and controlled the game.”
Captain Ilie Sánchez notched his first goal for Austin off a low cross from Osman Bukari just after halftime. Sánchez told the media, “We take Open Cup games exactly as they are—playoffs. You win, you advance. You lose, you’re out.”
Bukari earned man of the match honors, scoring a penalty at 56-minute mark and assisting Sánchez’s goal shortly after. Despite recent criticism and rumors about his future with Austin FC, Bukari said he was unaware of the chatter and proved his value tonight with a strong performance.
The match was physical, with nine fouls called in the first 40 minutes. Houston held 59% possession in the first half and took seven shots but failed to test Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver with a shot on target.
Houston pulled one back in the 70th minute through Ezequiel Ponce, assisted by Franco Escobar, but Austin held firm.
The closing minutes grew intense as Houston pushed forward, putting Austin’s defense under pressure. In the 91st minute, Houston’s Brooklyn Raines received a second yellow card and was sent off. Just two minutes later, Austin’s Julio Cascante was shown a straight red card for a controversial challenge that stirred reactions from the crowd and sidelines. Cascante will now miss the club’s Quarterfinal match in July on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes.
