Osman Bukari, Brad Stuver lead Austin to 1-0 victory over Sporting KC in season opener

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Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp (1) dives to make a save during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Austin FC in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City defender Logan Ndenbe (18) is tripped up by Austin FC forward Brandon Vazquez (9) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC forward Brandon Vazquez (9) and Sporting Kansas City defender Robert Voloder (4) leap for a pass during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC forward Jáder Obrian (7) heads a pass in front of Sporting Kansas City defender Robert Voloder (4) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City forward Dániel Salloi (10) moves the ball past Austin FC midfielder Daniel Pereira (8) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City midfielder Memo Rodriguez, left, and Austin FC forward Osman Bukari, right, chase down a pass during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC forward Jader Obrian (7) and Sporting Kansas City defender Logan Ndenbe (18) battle for control of the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy (26) and Austin FC defender Mikkel Desler, right, chase pass during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff (33) reacts to a play during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Sporting Kansas City in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC midfielder Daniel Pereira, center, is tripped up by Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy, left, during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City midfielder Memo Rodriguez (8) and Austin FC forward Jáder Obrian (7) compete for control of the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City midfielder Memo Rodríguez (8) and Austin FC forward Osman Bukari (11) pursue the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City forward Dániel Salloi (10) and Austin FC defender Guilherme Biro (29) compete for a pass during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC defender Julio Cascante, left, and Sporting Kansas City forward Willy Agada, right, leap for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC players celebrate a goal against the Sporting Kansas City during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Sporting Kansas City defender Zorhan Bassong (22) moves the ball past Austin FC forward Diego Rubio (21) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Austin FC forward Brandon Vazquez (9) and Sporting Kansas City defender Logan Ndenbe (18) leap for a pass during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Osman Bukari scored late in the second half and Brad Stuver made it stand up in his 81st consecutive start in goal to lead Austin FC to a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in a season opener on Saturday night.

Austin earns a victory in its first match under Nico Estévez, who was head coach for FC Dallas the past three seasons.

Bukari, who had one goal and two assists in eight starts and nine appearances as a rookie last season, used an assist from 20-year-old midfielder Owen Wolff to find the net in the 76th minute. Wolff has nine career assists in 87 appearances over five seasons with the club — notching a career-high four last season.

Stuver finished with two saves. He has the most saves of any goalkeeper in each of the past two seasons and began his string of consecutive starts against Sporting KC in July of 2022.

John Pulskamp turned away one shot for Sporting KC.

Austin, which scored the fewest goals in the Western Conference last season, added designated players Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni in the offseason as well as midfielders Ilie Sánchez, Besard Sabovic, and Nico Dubersarsky.

Not PARSE.LY: Sporting Kansas City

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi looks down the pitch as he plays in subzero temperatures during the first half of a CONCACAF Champions Cup soccer match against Sporting Kansas City, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Messi goal makes up for bitter cold as Inter Miami win in Champions Cup

Sporting KC missed the playoffs last season under Peter Vermes, the longest tenured head coach (2009). The club added Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia as designated players. The club acquired Joveljic for $4 million from the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first cash-for-player trade in league history. Joveljic scored 21 goals and had a league-best six netters in the playoffs for the MLS Cup champions last season.

Austin travels to play the Portland Timbers on Saturday. Sporting KC will host the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer