Author’s plug: If you want to catch a glimpse at Alajuelense, DC United’s opponent in the quarterfinal of the CONCACAF Champions League, they will be playing Herediano tonight at 9pm. The match isn’t on TV but Google it.
Hooray the preseason has started! Hooray let’s get the preseason over with!
Preseason friendlies and exhibitions are very weird games. On one hand, supporters are excited because well it is their team playing. For some it has been many months since they have seen their team and they are pumped to see how the team is shaping up. For others it is a good excuse to not work and watch a match silently online and hope no one stops by their desk check out the highlights when they get off of work because their attention is solely on their job.
*Hopes boss reads this and gives him huge bonus.*
But in all seriousness these are just exhibitions. Even though D.C. United did not win any of their preseason matches in Bradenton, Florida they can be considered a victory in that no players were injured and that new players had chances to get acclimated to coach Ben Olsen’s style. No one remembers how teams do in the preseason but they do remember when a terrible injury happens. So far, so good for D.C. United.
But over the next couple of matches it is expected that the pressure will build on players. This is a club that is less than three weeks away from a very important CONCACAF Champions League match against Alajuelense. With Perry Kitchen and Steve Birnbaum back from U.S. Men’s National Team duty this week, Olsen will finally have a chance to assemble his full roster.
Aside from a loss to Malmo and two draws to Orlando City SC and Jonkopings Sodra, it has been a busy week so let’s dive right into it!
D.C. United and Richmond Kickers Extend Their Affiliation Agreement.
DC United and the Richmond Kickers, who play in USL Pro, will continue their affiliation agreement for the 2015 season. The two teams have worked with one another for the past two seasons with United sending down 3-4 players at a time.
This is a win-win scenario for both teams. Richmond has wisely used United players in the past to strengthen their squad turn them into one of the dominant teams in USL PRO. The Kickers finished in fourth place (13-12-3, 51 points) in the regular season last year and made it to the semi-finals of the USL PRO playoffs. Richmond lost to the Harrisburg City Islanders 3-2 in that match.
Meanwhile for United, players that are not getting minutes with the senior team can go down two divisions and play regularly and against competition who are in similar situations. Players like Michael Seaton and Collin Martin, who have tremendous promise but are very young, were able to make the trek to Richmond and gain experience.
It certainly benefited center-back Steve Birnbaum who gained professional experience while playing briefly with the Kickers last season. As opposed to being another first round draft pick riding the pine, Birnbaum got to start immediately which helped smooth over the transition to becoming a full-time starter with United.
The question will be how much longer this agreement will last. In an interview with The Washington Post’s Steve Goff, D.C. United General Manager Dave Kasper said that the club is “doing due diligence and looking at the possibility of starting our own team.” Kasper did go on to caution that “We are so far from anything.”
With added pressure to develop young players (and to have greater control over their future,) more MLS teams are looking at USL Pro as a way to serve as a bridge between the academies and the senior team. Eight clubs (New York Red Bulls, Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake and Vancouver Whitecaps) will have their own USL Pro team this year while the twelve other clubs have established affiliation agreements with pre-existing clubs.
So what players will be going to Richmond? On to the roster moves!
St. Ledger’s trial ends without a contract.
Defender Sean St. Ledger’s trial with D.C. United ended earlier this week without a contract being offered. St. Ledger, who featured for the Republic of Ireland at Euro 2012 (he actually scored against Croatia,) did not really impress in the exhibition against Orlando City SC and seemed to be more interested in Taylor Swift and getting a contract with a European club.
The club also let go of goalkeeper Richard McCallum, who faced United in the CONCACAF Champions League last year while playing for Waterhouse FC, and defender Futty Danso. They have added on goalkeeper Travis Worra who will compete with Diego Restrepo (former Tampa Bay Rowdies starter) and Ricardo Anedda ( a former backup at Cagliari in Serie A) for the third goalkeepers spot.
