February 21, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, United States; DC United forward Ty Barivo (9) plays against the Philadelphia Union at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Image Austin FC will look to continue their successful history against DC United and enter the winning column when the two sides meet in Austin, Texas on Sunday afternoon.
Verde (0-0-1, 1 goal) opened the 2026 season with a 2-2 draw at home against Minnesota United on Feb. 21. Austin got goals from Brendan Hines-Eyck and Mirto Uzny and an assist from flash offseason signing Facundo Torres, but was content to concede the equalizer in the 90th minute and take a point.
“We’ve only played one game and I think we’ve already seen a team that’s more vertical and moving forward,” Austin coach Nico Estevez said Thursday. “We don’t want to waste a lot of time building if we’re sure verticality is possible, but we use buildings to create space between the lines.
“We want to be a team that is fun to watch, a team that wants to move forward and score goals, and that’s what we’re continuing to do.”
Verde announced Friday that he has acquired forward Christian Ramirez from MLS waivers. Ramirez played for the LA Galaxy last season, starting 10 of 25 games, scoring four goals and adding an assist.
Austin has won each of their three previous meetings with D.C. United, most recently a 4-2 win in the nation’s capital last season.
D.C. United began their campaign with a 1–0 home win over the Philadelphia Union, with the only goal of the game scored by Tai Baribo in the 23rd minute. Baribo signed with the Black and Red in the offseason after playing 2025 for the Union, adding insult to injury in a Week 1 win.
D.C. coach Renee Wyler praised his new scoring threat after the win.
“As a striker you have to be decisive and he scored the goal. It was a decisive goal so he did his job,” Weiler said. “It helps us a lot because it’s uncomfortable to play with him.”
Sean Johnson looked sharp in his first competitive start for DC United, making three saves to earn his 113th clean sheet of his MLS career.
D.C. United finished last in the Eastern Conference in 2025, but they are already off to a better start.
“We wanted to be unpredictable, so we played a few diagonal balls and then a few long balls,” Weiler said. “So that’s an option that opens up the field.”
–Field level media
