Christian Ramirez’s headed goal in the 82nd minute was all host Austin FC needed to produce a 1-0 win over D.C. United on Sunday afternoon.
Ramirez was in the right place at the right time at the far post to direct a deflected shot into the right side of the net after Besard Sabovic’s shot from the left side of the box drew D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson off his line.
The ball bounced off D.C. defender Matti Peltola and right to Ramirez, whom Austin acquired off waivers from the Los Angeles Galaxy two days prior.
Austin (1-0-1, 4 points) captured its first win of the year after opening the campaign with a 2-2 tie with Minnesota United. Verde goalkeeper Brad Stuver had to save just two shots (none in the second half) to garner his 39th career clean sheet.
Ramirez’s goal ruined a fabulous game by Johnson, who recorded eight saves and was less than eight minutes from recording his second straight shutout to start the 2026 season. The Black and Red (1-1-0, 3 points) dropped their first game after beating Philadelphia 1-0 to start the year.
Austin produced two shots on target from Ilie Sanchez in the fifth minute and another from Guilherme Biro in the sixth, but Johnson saved all three.
Hosei Kijima had the Black and Red’s first shot on goal in the 25th minute but Stuver was up to the task and made the save to keep the match scoreless. Facundo Torres countered for the Verde with a weak left-footed shots a minute later that Johnson easily stopped.
D.C. United’s Joao Peglow tested Stuver with a volley from outside the box in the 34th minute but the Verde keeper gobbled up the shot. Brendan Hines-Ike tried Johnson with a low-percentage shot two minutes later but was unsuccessful.
The Verde outshot D.C. United 7-4 in the first half and forged a 5-2 advantage in shots on target even as the match remained scoreless.
Torres (in the 57th minute), Oleksandr Svatok and Hines-Ike (both in the 68th minute) had low-percentage shots on goal that Johnson turned away.
–Field Level Media
