STWF Sports | AUSTIN, Texas | August 16, 2026 — FC Dallas returned to MLS play with a statement victory Sunday night, defeating rival Austin FC 2-1 at Q2 Stadium behind goals from Lalas Abubakar and Petar Musa.
The win improved Dallas to 8-5-6 with 30 points and gave the club its first Sunday Night Soccer victory of the season. Austin dropped to 4-10-5 with 17 points.
Dallas set the tone early with an organized, aggressive approach that head coach Eric Quill praised after the match.
“I was really pleased from start to finish,” Quill said. “We started really bright and were very collective.”
That structure paid off when Abubakar, making just his second start of the season, broke the deadlock on a corner kick delivered by Santiago Moreno.
Abubakar rose above the defense and powered home the header for his first goal of 2026 and second in an FC Dallas uniform. The goal also marked Dallas’ seventh set-piece score of the season and second directly from a corner.
Petar Musa’s Impact on the Game
For Abubakar, the moment carried added meaning after limited playing time.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “I haven’t had a lot of playing time, so I’m really happy. But credit goes to the entire team.”
Quill later called Abubakar his man of the match, highlighting the veteran defender’s preparation and readiness despite not seeing regular minutes.
Austin eventually found an equalizer in the second half, but Dallas responded with the resilience Quill had been looking for.
That response came through Musa.
The Croatian striker finished off a move created by Joaquín Valiente, scoring his MLS-leading 14th goal of the season and restoring Dallas’ advantage.
It was Musa’s fourth career goal against Austin and pushed him to 48 career goals for FC Dallas, leaving him five shy of Jesús Ferreira for second on the club’s all-time scoring list.
Valiente picked up his team-leading sixth assist of the season.
Musa, who also leads Dallas in shots on target and expected goals, continued strengthening his Golden Boot case while delivering another important goal in a rivalry match.
“We know how special every game is, but we always want to beat Austin,” Musa said. “I am very happy with the three points.”
Dallas then protected the lead to finish off a key road win and improve to 9-2-3 all-time against Austin FC.
The victory was also Dallas’ first at Q2 Stadium since May 13, 2023, improving the club to 3-2-2 all-time at the venue. It also handed Austin its first defeat in Sunday Night Soccer.
The result came at an important moment for FC Dallas after the club exited Leagues Cup earlier in the week.
Valiente said the group understood the need to quickly refocus.
“All wins are important, but beating a rival makes it a little more special,” he said. “We had to quickly turn the page because we had an important game today.”
The road does not get easier.
Dallas continues its away stretch Wednesday, August 19, against Real Salt Lake at America First Field before traveling to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on August 22.
Both matches are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.
For now, FC Dallas leaves Austin with three points, renewed confidence and another rivalry win — powered by an unlikely hero in Abubakar and another decisive finish from the league’s leading scorer in Musa.
