AUSTIN (Interstat) — Austin FC II scored twice after halftime and defeated San Jose Earthquakes II 2-1 on Sunday at Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center. Patrick Gryczewski scored the deciding goal in the 88th minute as the home side completed a comeback after trailing at halftime. The win was Austin FC II’s first of the season. Austin FC II’s rally came after a first half in which San Jose Earthquakes II protected a narrow advantage.

Zach Bohane gave San Jose Earthquakes II the lead in the 24th minute. Bohane played the full match and scored once. Austin FC II trailed 1-0 at halftime despite creating pressure before the interval. San Jose Earthquakes II held the advantage until Ibrahima Sall equalized in the 58th minute. Sall finished with one goal in 69 minutes. His goal changed the match’s momentum, and Austin FC II pushed for a second goal during the final half-hour. Sall was substituted in the 69th minute after his equalizer. Gryczewski, who played 21 minutes, then delivered the winner in the 88th minute as Austin FC II completed the rally.

The match was heavily officiated, with eight yellow cards issued. San Jose Earthquakes II’s Heisner was booked in the 19th minute, and Cano followed in the 26th. Austin FC II received a yellow card in the 27th minute. Chamberlain was cautioned for Austin FC II in the 46th minute, Bery in the 56th and Gonzalez in the 78th. San Jose Earthquakes II’s Mendoza was booked in the 67th minute, and the visitors received another yellow card in the 70th. The bookings interrupted the flow of a game that remained close through the final minutes.

Austin FC II improved to 1-0 in the competition and 1-0 across all competitions. San Jose Earthquakes II fell to 1-1 in the competition and 1-1 across all competitions. San Jose Earthquakes II had won its previous match this season, a 5-4 home result against Tacoma Defiance. Austin FC II protected its home field and secured the win after trailing at halftime. The result left both teams with early-season records that reflected the tight contest.

Austin FC II used substitutions involving Chamberlain, Abarca and Feliciano in the 56th minute. San Jose Earthquakes II substituted Heisner in the 56th minute. Austin FC II replaced Sall in the 69th and Thomas in the 83rd. San Jose Earthquakes II made changes involving Baptista and Allen in the 85th minute and Mendoza in the 89th. The substitutions added fresh legs for both sides as the match entered its closing stages.

San Jose Earthquakes II’s early lead came after a spell of pressure, but Austin FC II answered with a stronger second half. The home side’s equalizer in the 58th minute shifted the match, and the winning goal arrived two minutes from the end of regulation. Austin FC II’s final push produced the decisive moment after San Jose Earthquakes II had defended deep for much of the second half.

The result followed a game in which Austin FC II had to respond after conceding first. Bohane’s opener had put San Jose Earthquakes II in position to take points, but Sall’s equalizer and Gryczewski’s late finish gave Austin FC II the victory. The home side’s second-half pressure produced the two goals needed to overturn the deficit, while San Jose Earthquakes II could not protect its first-half lead.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Austin FC II 2, San Jose Earthquakes II 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Austin FC II with a 50.1 percent probability to win. Austin FC II had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.