Petar Musa<\/a> reclaimed the Golden Boot presented by Audi lead in spectacular fashion.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n His 14th goal of the season, a perfectly placed strike from the top of the box, lifted FC Dallas<\/a> to a 2-1 win<\/a> over Texas rivals Austin FC<\/a> on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire. The goal moved Musa one ahead of New York City FC<\/a>\u2019s Nicolas Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau<\/a> in the Golden Boot race.<\/p>\n Musa\u2019s goal also secured Dallas a crucial Copa Tejas rivalry win, pushing them into fifth place in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n As usual, their All-Star striker is serving as the talisman.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n World Cup Star, World-Class Level \ud83e\udece pic.twitter.com\/fdAqvUUyHa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FC Dallas (@FCDallas) August 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n With the score tied in the second half, Musa found a gap in the box and stroked a left-footed curler off the post and in. FC Dallas hunkered down from there and would not relinquish the lead.<\/p>\n The goal marked his seventh goal contribution (4g\/3a) against the Verde & Black, more than any other MLS team he’s faced in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know how special this game is,\u201d Musa told Apple TV after the match. \u201cWe want to win every game, especially this one.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m very happy about three points, but [it\u2019s] more about the performance we put in from the first minute.\u201d<\/p>\n The Croatian has been a goal machine since he arrived in Dallas as a Designated Player from Benfica, scoring a total of 48 league goals in three seasons.<\/p>\n His goal against Austin is his second in league play since the World Cup<\/a> break, and he also got on the scoresheet against Toluca during mid-week Leagues Cup<\/a> action.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Cowboy Hat was made for this man \ud83e\udece pic.twitter.com\/APBYQvr6uA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FC Dallas (@FCDallas) August 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Musa is in the thick of a competitive race for the Golden Boot. Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau has scored 13 goals, while four players have tallied 12 goals. Among them, Guilherme<\/a> (Houston Dynamo FC<\/a>) scored his fourth in as many games to reach that mark in the Dynamo\u2019s 1-0 win<\/a> on Saturday over the LA Galaxy<\/a>. And of course, reigning winner Lionel Messi<\/a> (Inter Miami CF<\/a>) is also very much in the mix with 12 goals of his own.<\/p>\n Musa, however, looks to have reached peak form again as FC Dallas knock on the door of home-field advantage in the postseason.<\/p>\n His prowess in front of goal is well-established. After all, his exploits in Dallas earned him a spot with Croatia\u2019s national team at the World Cup, where he started his nation\u2019s opening group stage game and scored a memorable equalizer<\/a> against England.<\/p>\n “I am having a lot of things go my way, but I am focusing on each game,” Musa added postgame. “I am not happy with my individual performance tonight, but I know the team has my back.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m happy with the goal, but not my performance. There are a lot of things to improve on, but we take three more road points.\u201d<\/p>\n Now his attention turns to helping Dallas climb further up the Western Conference table. Their packed upcoming schedule includes a series of games against teams sitting near them in the standings, starting with a midweek clash at\u00a0Real Salt Lake<\/a> on Wednesday (9:30 pm ET | Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/main><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Ruler of the rivalry<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Golden Boot charge<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n