Christian Ramirez wins for new team, Austin wins DC 1-0

Christian Ramirez’s 82nd-minute header was all that host Austin FC needed to secure a 1-0 victory over DC 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 D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson went off his line following Besad Savovic’s shot from the left side of the box.

The ball bounced off D.C. defenseman Matti Peltola and then right to Ramirez, whom Austin picked up on waivers from the Los Angeles Galaxy two days earlier.

Austin (1-0-1, 4 points) earned its first win of the year after opening the season with a 2-2 tie with Minnesota United. Verde goalkeeper Brad Stuver had to stop just two shots (none in the second half) to earn his 39th career clean sheet.

Ramirez’s goal spoiled Johnson’s great performance. Johnson had eight saves and was less than eight minutes removed from recording his second straight shutout to start the 2026 season. The Black and Red (1-1-0, 3 points) dropped their first game of the year after defeating Philadelphia 1-0.

Austin had two shots on Ilier Sanchez in the fifth minute and another on Guilherme Biro in the sixth minute, but Johnson blocked all three.

Hosei Kijima had the first shot on target for the Black and Red in the 25th minute, but Stuver saved the match to keep the match goalless. Facundo Torres counterattacked Verde a minute later with a weak left-footed shot, but Johnson easily stopped it.

DC United’s Joao Peglow tested Steuber with a volley from outside the box in the 34th minute, but the Verde goalkeeper saved the shot. Brendan Hines-Ike attempted Johnson with a low-percentage shot two minutes later but missed.

Verde outscored DC United 7-4 at halftime and held a 5-2 advantage in shots on target despite the game being scoreless.

Torres (57 minutes), Oleksandr Svatok, and Heinz-Icke (both 68 minutes) had low shooting rates and were ignored by Johnson.

–Field level media