Austin FC secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. The win, which snapped Austin’s three-game losing streak, came as the team entered the match eight points outside the postseason picture with four games remaining.

Myrto Uzuni was the standout for Austin, scoring both goals to lead the rally. His first came in the 64th minute following a rebound off Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland. After Cleveland made a diving right-hand save on Uzuni’s header, Uzuni quickly gathered the loose ball and tapped it into the right side of the net. The match had been tied at 1-1 until the 86th minute, when Uzuni capitalized on a defensive miscue. Emir Karic failed to clear the ball from the penalty area, allowing Uzuni to control the ball near the penalty spot and fire a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner past Cleveland.

Despite the victory, Austin FC remains in 14th place in the Western Conference standings, five spots below the final playoff spot, with a record of 8 wins, 13 losses, and 10 draws, totaling 34 points. Sporting Kansas City, the last-place team, fell to 8-18-5 as they continue to struggle late in the season. The result is an important boost for Austin FC as they look to extend their season, but the team still faces a challenging path to reach the postseason with only a handful of matches remaining.