Sounders surrender two late goals in loss to Austin FC

In sweltering Texas heat, the Sounders thought they did enough to survive.

Instead, more defensive breakdowns led to a pair of late goals and a two-game suspension for center back Jackson Ragen.

This time Austin FC was the beneficiary to defeat the Sounders 3-1 at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday. The Sounders are on a four-game losing streak.

Players wanted to use the match to show last week’s thumping by rival Portland at home was an anomaly. The team was disjointed in ceding five goals, the most in a home match since joining MLS in 2009.

There were shifts in energy against Austin, including finding an equalizer in the first half. But matches slipping away after the break because of confusing errors from veteran players is an underlining problem, too.

On Wednesday, it was a poorly cleared ball by winger Paul Arriola in the defensive end that Austin collected. Teenaged midfielder Ervin Torres tapped forward Myrto Uzuni a ball in the box that the veteran used a left-footed shot to net the game-winner in the 86th minute.

“Portland, collectively, we were not there as a unit, you could clearly see that and feel that in the game as a player,” Sounders forward Paul Rothrock said. “For a good chunk of this game we took some steps in the right direction. But conceding late like that kills you.”

Torres, who subbed on in the 83^rd minute, had his second assist in stoppage time. Christian Ramirez, who also entered the match for Austin in the 83^rd minute, overpowered Sounders center back Stuart Hawkins for a goal in the 91^st minute that visibly frustrated the Sounders.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Verde & Black (4-7-5).

Ragen, who was recently named to the MLS All-Star team, was shown a yellow card in the 59^th minute. He was going to have to serve a one-game suspension against Philadelphia on Saturday due to yellow card accumulation.

But with Austin up two goals in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Ragen was shown a second yellow for a harmful foul on a counterattack. Now Ragen will also miss the rematch against Portland on Aug. 1.

“Everybody is frustrated,” Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák said. “It’s not what we expected. We’ve lost four games in a row now. There is frustration and that frustration led to Jackson making the foul at the end. But they had a clear chance, so I don’t blame him one bit for taking a second yellow.”

Ilie Sánchez headed the opening goal into space at the back post in the 12^th minute for Austin. Midfielder Besard Sabovic provided the service from a corner kick.

Rothrock equalized in the 26^th minute from his knees. It’s his team-leading seventh goal through all competitions this season.

Hawkins provided the through ball to build the play. Teammate Peter Kingston had a cutback pass to Snyder Brunell in the box for the initial attempt.

The Sounders midfielder’s shot bounced off the crossbar and a racing Rothrock stumbled into the right position to get the ball past keeper Brad Stuver, who hadn’t recovered from the first shot.

Referee Ricardo Montero stopped play in each half for hydration breaks. It was 96 degrees at kickoff for the evening match.

“Yeimar is providing leadership and we have (keeper) Stef Frei providing leadership,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. “We can’t shy away from the position that we’re in. We’re going to address it. We’ll address it in a fashion where we give them some ideas and some guidance and some confidence.”

Schmetzer wanted to shake up his starting lineup after the 5-1 loss to Portland. He was left with two defensive changes due to multiple injuries.

Sounders forward Jordan Morris, who suffered a quad injury against Portland, was replaced by forward Danny Musovski.

Schmetzer’s defensive changes were Hawkins for Antino Lopez and Kingston over Kalani Kossa-Rienzi at right back. The nod is a first for Hawkins since the Fox Island native was signed in September 2023.

Hawkins and Lopez will likely start against Philly. Center back Yeimar Gomez Andrade made the gameday roster Wednesday, but he hasn’t appeared in an MLS match since March due to a hamstring injury.

The Sounders (7-5-3) signed defender Gallatin Sandnes to a short-term contract to fill out the roster. Sandnes started 16 of his 17 appearances for MLS Next Pro side Tacoma Defiance this year.

“We may need to focus on results rather than performance,” Rusnák said of how the team ends the losing skid. “I don’t really think that any of us gives a [expletive] how it’s going to happen. We’re just going to have to get a win.”

BOX SCORE