Osman Bukari Isn’t Emiliano Rigoni 2.0

There’s reason to be optimistic about what Bukari can deliver for Austin FC in 2025.

If our tech overlords could get something right, a Google search for “underperforming Designated Player” would turn up an image of Emiliano Rigoni’s grimacing face and a cross launched ten feet above its desired recipient.

The on-field avatar for the misguided transfer business Austin FC conducted during Claudio Reyna’s tenure as sporting director, Rigoni represents a cautionary tale for the team’s supporters. For at least the next couple of seasons, any new Austin FC Designated Player (DP) that comes in and fails to set the league alight immediately will have the Verde faithful anxiously muttering to themselves: “Surely, he’s not another Rigoni…please say he’s not another Rigoni.”

Enter Osman Bukari. Signed in late May of last year as Rigoni’s de facto replacement after the Argentinian exited the club earlier in the month, Bukari made his Verde debut on July 20th against Charlotte FC, was sent off in his next match in Leagues Cup against Pumas UNAM, and proceeded to register just one goal and two assists across the remainder of the 2024 campaign. The sound you hear after reading that last sentence is the ringing of alarm bells.

Bukari’s arrival in Austin via FK Crvena zvezda (colloquially known in this part of the world as Red Star Belgrade) was optimistically received. He was the first DP signing of the Rodolfo Borrell era. He had scored goals in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City and the World Cup against Portugal (mocking Cristiano Ronaldo in the process). There was plenty to be excited about.

And then Bukari failed to make much of an impact as Austin FC (again) missed the postseason. It’s worth stressing here: a goal and two assists across nine matches may sound like middling production from a DP attacker, but it’s also a goal and two assists more than Rigoni had in his late-season 2022 cameo. Sure, Rigoni played a little over 300 fewer MLS minutes in 2022 than the 614 Bukari played in 2024 (all stats per FBRef.com), but we at least got to see tangible evidence the Ghanian international can wear an Austin FC jersey and put the ball in the back of the net at the same time.

Before we do a deeper dive into some real nerdy numbers that point to Bukari having a successful 2025, let's do a quick comparison of Bukari’s 2024 and Rigoni’s 2023 FBRef.com charts (FBRef.com doesn’t have a 2022 MLS chart for Rigoni, presumably because he didn’t play enough minutes) to fully put to bed the notion that Austin FC has again acquired a lemon of a DP. These percentiles are based on per 90 numbers and compare Bukari and Rigoni to other MLS attacking midfielders and wingers.

Rigoni’s 2023 numbers come after he got a taste of the team and the league in 2022 and a preseason’s worth of preparation. Even so, Bukari betters Rigoni in most key metrics (sorry Rigoni, clearances aren't the most important stat a winger can excel in). And what’s crucial to understand here is that Bukari delivered elite-level per 90 production in a couple of vital attacking categories. Bukari was a monster at carrying the ball forward and beating defenders with slippery dribbles. Rigoni wasn’t elite in any attacking category.

We’ve all come to know and loathe the dreaded horseshoe shape Austin FC’s attack under Josh Wolff would settle into in the final third against stubborn, low defensive blocks. It might be tempting to dismiss those struggles as a Wolff-specific problem - and Austin FC’s former head coach isn’t blameless for the team’s ponderous attacking third play - but breaking down a compact, settled defense is onerous. Every weekend, some heavily favored team somewhere in the world drives their supporters insane by failing to break through against a resolute opponent despite having over 70% of the ball.

Having an elite dribbler on your team can help with that problem. If you can’t pass around your opposition, you might as well just dribble straight through them. No one on Austin FC in 2024 did a better job on a per-90 basis of carrying the ball into the penalty area than Bukari. And dribbling wasn’t the only way Bukari got Austin FC into its opponent’s 18-yard box - he also led Austin FC in passes into the opposition penalty area per 90. In fact, no one on Austin FC had more opposition box touches per 90 than Bukari.

With the signing of Brandon Vazquez, there’s less uncertainty about Austin FC’s ability to put away chances. Vazquez knows how to score. The key for Austin FC in 2025 is ensuring Borrell’s second DP signing has a platform to work his magic and the Spaniard’s first DP signing is a player capable of providing that platform. Who led Austin FC in expected assisted goals (xAG) per 90 in 2024? If you didn’t guess Osman Bukari, I’m disappointed in you.

It might be tempting to dismiss Bukari’s team-leading numbers in those statistical categories as small sample size flukes. And yes, we need to acknowledge that 614 minutes isn’t a lot of action. But Bukari showed an ability to deliver similar production in Red Star Belgrade’s 2023-2024 Champions League campaign. These percentiles are comparing Bukari’s per 90 attacking stats to other forwards in that season’s UEFA Champions League (i.e. some pretty spectacular competition).

A pedestrian level of touches in the attacking penalty for Bukari was likely influenced by Red Star Belgrade being one of the weaker teams in the competition and thus not seeing much of the ball. But the xAG, the progressive carries, and the successful take-ons are all still there. Now, these numbers are also based on a small sample size, as Bukari only played 486 Champions League minutes, but - combined with what we saw in MLS last season - the profile of a player who can terrorize opponents on the dribble and offer an end product in the form of assists is there.

Concern about Bukari being a flop isn’t warranted. While he might not top the goal-scoring charts, he still has plenty to offer Austin FC’s attack. Forget about the ghosts of failed DPs' past; Bukari should have a more-than-fine 2025.