Austin FC defeats Western Conference leader Los Angeles FC, vaults to top of standings

Austin FC is now in first place in the Western Conference on goal differential after Wednesday’s 2-1 road victory over Los Angeles FC at Exposition Park — the biggest win in the club’s brief history.

Ruben Gabrielsen’s first-half goal and Diego Fagundez’s clinical score in the second half gave El Tree a 2-0 lead, and it weathered a push by the hosts in the final 15 minutes, which included Carlos Vela’s goal off a penalty.

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Here are some observations from the game as Austin FC comes back home for a Sunday match against Orlando City in what should be a wild environment at Q2 Stadium.

Seizing conference lead from host LAFC

It’s hard to argue this isn’t the club’s biggest result ever, as it just defeated the team that was leading the West in its home stadium to take over the conference lead.

Outside of a frantic final 10 minutes, El Tree had the better run of play, and this win further proves that the club is here to stay in the competition to win the West.

Austin FC has 23 points and a goal differential of plus-13, both the best in the MLS — an impressive achievement for an organization in its second season.

Bottom line: El Tree fans should be thrilled and look to be in for an exciting summer.

The win was the first for Austin FC over either of the two Los Angeles clubs, and though that wasn’t a huge concern, it’s something fans no longer have to stress over.

Ruben Gabrielsen looking like a striker

Gabrielsen’s goal was a thing of beauty — especially for a defender.

In LAFC’s box for a corner kick, Gabrielsen received the ball after Jhojan Valencia intercepted a clearance and then played it back into the box on what was most likely a shot attempt.

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Making a nice touch to settle the ball, Gabrielsen waited for a defender to slide by, then craftfully put the ball into the far side of the net.

It would have been a nice goal for any forward or midfielder, but it showed why the club brought Gabrielsen in during the offseason from France to bolster the roster.

Brad Stuver returns, doesn't miss a beat

Brad Stuver returned to his starting goalkeeper spot after missing two games and most of a third due to a knee laceration suffered against Houston.

It’s obvious he didn’t miss a beat, as he made several highlight-reel saves that were a big part of why Austin FC won the game.

MLS salaries were released earlier in the week, and at less than $200,000 per season on his current contract, Stuver is the best deal in the league.

If he keeps up performances like this, don’t be surprised if Stuver starts getting interest from European clubs.

Is this the start of a rivalry between Austin FC and LAFC?

The game was extremely chippy throughout, with the hosts being very physical and arguably displaying some unnecessary aggression.

Austin FC held its ground well and wasn’t drawn into a hackfest while showing it wouldn’t be pushed around.

But this is a match both teams are likely to remember.

Diego Fagundez makes good on a bad first-half miss

Fagundez redeemed himself with his goal after a bad miss in the first half in which he put a shot off the post from 8 yards out while LAFC goalie Maxime Crépeau was on the ground outside of the goal’s frame.

It was a glaringly bad miss, but one that is forgivable even if he hadn’t scored, as Fagundez is a workhorse and one of the team’s best players.

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Owen Wolff earns first start

In our game preview Wednesday morning, we noted that midfielder Owen Wolff wouldn’t be starting anytime soon but added depth to what was already a deep midfield.

We were wrong, as Wolff started and played a solid 60 minutes on the right wing.

At 17 years old, Wolff is progressing quickly and could very likely be a player the club sells to a European team in a year or two.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC defeats LAFC to move to the top of MLS Western Conference