D.C. United vs Austin: Resumen

D.C. United suffered another disappointing defeat as Austin FC claimed an impressive 4-2 victory at Audi Field in an entertaining MLS clash on a warm Saturday evening in Washington.

The visitors demonstrated clinical finishing throughout the match, with Myrto Uzuni opening the scoring in the 22nd minute before Owen Wolff doubled their advantage just before halftime. D.C. showed brief signs of life when João Peglow reduced the deficit shortly after the break, but Osman Bukari restored Austin's two-goal cushion on the hour mark. Late drama saw Robert Taylor add a fourth for the visitors before Christian Benteke converted a consolation penalty in stoppage time.

The atmosphere at Audi Field was initially hopeful during D.C. United's Legacy Night celebration, with fans admiring the team's Archive Kit. However, the mood quickly soured as Austin took control, leaving home supporters frustrated by their team's ninth match without a win.

This result further compounds D.C. United's miserable run of form, extending their winless streak to nine matches (0-8-1) and keeping them rooted near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 19 points from 25 games. Meanwhile, Austin FC secured back-to-back road wins for the first time this season, improving their record to 10-8-6 (36 points) and strengthening their hold on a playoff position in the Western Conference.

"We're extremely pleased with the character shown by our players tonight," said Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez. "To score four goals away from home shows the offensive potential we've been working to unlock all season. I believe this could be a turning point for our attacking confidence."

"It's unacceptable to concede four goals at home," lamented D.C. United coach Kevin Flanagan. "We had moments where we showed promise, but defensively we weren't organized enough and Austin punished our mistakes. We need to regroup quickly as the season isn't getting any easier."

"We've been working hard on our finishing in training," revealed Austin's Myrto Uzuni, who opened the scoring. "Tonight everything clicked for us offensively, and we're delighted to take all three points back to Texas. This gives us momentum to push for a stronger playoff position."

"Despite another difficult result, we have to stay together as a team," insisted D.C.'s Christian Benteke. "The fans deserve better, and it's on us as players to turn this situation around. We created chances tonight but weren't clinical enough when it mattered."

"Austin showed tremendous efficiency tonight," noted MLS analyst Taylor Twellman. "For a team that had struggled offensively for much of the season, they were ruthless in front of goal. D.C. United, meanwhile, look devoid of confidence, and it's hard to see where their next win is coming from."

Possession: D.C. United 54% - 46% Austin FC

Shots (On Target): D.C. United 15 (6) - 12 (8) Austin FC

Corners: D.C. United 8 - 4 Austin FC

Fouls: D.C. United 12 - 15 Austin FC

Yellow Cards: D.C. United 2 (Peltola, Benteke) - 3 (Sánchez, Pereira, Wolff) Austin FC

Despite having more possession and shots, D.C. United were considerably less efficient than their opponents. Austin FC demonstrated clinical finishing with 8 shots on target resulting in 4 goals - a conversion rate of 50% for attempts on target.

Individual Performances:

Gabriel Pirani (D.C. United) created a game-high 5 chances and provided an assist for Peglow's goal.

Christian Benteke led D.C. with 5 shots, including his successfully converted penalty, taking his season tally to 8 goals.

Brad Stuver made 4 crucial saves for Austin FC, including a spectacular stop to deny Benteke in the 54th minute.

Myrto Uzuni was Austin's most dangerous attacker, with 3 shots on target and creating 2 chances in addition to his goal.

Osman Bukari completed 5 successful dribbles - the most of any player on the field - while also contributing a goal and an assist.

22' - GOAL (0-1): Myrto Uzuni broke the deadlock for Austin FC with a well-placed finish from the edge of the box after Bukari's clever cutback.

45' - GOAL (0-2): Owen Wolff doubled Austin's advantage just before halftime, capitalizing on a defensive error to slot past Barraza, silencing the home crowd.

48' - GOAL (1-2): D.C. United responded early in the second half when João Peglow finished a flowing move involving Pirani and Leal, briefly igniting hopes of a comeback.

54': Crucial moment as Brad Stuver produced an outstanding save to deny Benteke's powerful header that seemed destined for the top corner.

60' - GOAL (1-3): Osman Bukari restored Austin's two-goal cushion, finishing coolly after being played through by Ilie Sánchez's precise through ball.

75': D.C. United coach Kevin Flanagan made a triple substitution, switching to a more attacking 4-2-4 formation in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the match.

90+2' - GOAL (1-4): Substitute Robert Taylor added Austin's fourth with a spectacular long-range effort that gave Barraza no chance.

90+4' - GOAL (2-4): Christian Benteke converted a penalty after being fouled in the box, providing minimal consolation for the home side.

This encounter marked just the third-ever meeting between D.C. United and Austin FC in MLS history, with the Texas club having entered the league as an expansion team in 2021. With this victory, Austin now leads the all-time series with two wins to D.C.'s one.

In their previous meeting at Audi Field in 2023, D.C. United claimed a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to a late winner from Christian Benteke. However, Austin won the first-ever meeting between the sides 3-0 at Q2 Stadium in Texas during their inaugural season.

The individual battle between Christian Benteke and Austin's central defenders proved particularly intriguing. Despite scoring from the penalty spot, Benteke was largely contained by Brendan Hines-Ike and Oleksandr Svatok, winning just 3 of his 9 aerial duels - well below his season average of 62% success rate.

Another key confrontation saw Austin's Osman Bukari consistently troubling D.C. left-back David Schnegg, completing 5 successful dribbles past the defender and creating numerous dangerous situations down that flank.

The tactical matchup between the coaches also proved decisive, with Nico Estévez's counter-attacking strategy perfectly exploiting the spaces left by D.C. United's aggressive approach. This continues a pattern seen in previous meetings, where the team scoring first has gone on to win each time.

Following this result, Austin FC have improved to 10-8-6 with 36 points, solidifying their position in 8th place in the Western Conference. The victory has created a four-point buffer between them and the playoff line, giving them breathing room in their quest for postseason soccer. Their recent form of 4-1-1 in the last six matches suggests a team finding their stride at a crucial point in the season.

Meanwhile, D.C. United remain near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a dismal 4-14-7 record and just 19 points from 25 games. They sit 13 points below the playoff line with just nine matches remaining, making a postseason appearance virtually impossible. Their nine-match winless streak is now the longest active drought in MLS.

The top three in the Eastern Conference (Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, and Cincinnati) remain unchanged, while in the Western Conference, LAFC continue to lead the way with Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders completing the top three.

Austin's victory creates momentum for a potential push toward a higher playoff seed, while D.C. United are increasingly likely to finish among the bottom three teams in the league, raising questions about potential offseason changes.