Overview
- Nathan Ordaz came off the bench to tap in the winner in the 79th minute after a move initiated by Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga.
- LAFC opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Brendan Hines-Ike turned Ryan Hollingshead’s low cross into his own net.
- Jon Gallagher equalized for Austin in the 63rd minute, finishing after LAFC failed to clear a chaotic sequence sparked by Dani Pereira.
- The first round is a best-of-three, and the winner will meet FC Dallas or the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference semi-final.
- Austin had blanked LAFC in both regular-season meetings, but the hosts produced a decisive late breakthrough at BMO Stadium.