WASHIGNTON – D.C. United rookie defender Chris Korb doesn’t like to lose. That much was clear even a few days after the 23-year-old made his professional debut in a 2-1 defeat at New England.
Starting at the right back for injured regular Jed Zayner, the Akron product looked comfortable in DC’s defense and was glad to get that first pro experience done and dusted.
“It was exciting to get that first game out of the way,” Korb told MLSsoccer.com. “I wish we would have won. It’s never fun when you lose and I’m pretty competitive, so it wasn’t the best first game.”
Korb did admit to having a few nerves before the game began, but he settled down soon after the initial whistle.
“Not going to lie, I was a little nervous at the start,” he said. “But once the first whistle blows, it’s just another game, you settle in and, before you know it, the 90 minutes is over.”
WATCH: Highlights: NE 2, DC 1
After starting for three years at the University of Akron, Korb spent the last two months adjusting to the new level of play. And while he wasn’t dumped into the fire right from the first game, he said that his preseason experience helped him feel prepared before his first-ever start in MLS.
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“It’s been an adjustment all the way through preseason, and the first two months of preseason really helps you get up to speed from college to MLS,” Korb said.
Head coach Ben Olsen was happy with the rookie’s performance.
“I thought he did well,” he said. “He had a moment or two where he showed some youth, but overall he’s a competitive kid. His one-v-one defending is pretty sharp. He had a good day.”
In the first half, DC conceded two quick goals to find themselves down early. Regardless, Korb looked comfortable while going up against New England’s speedy winger Sainey Nyassi, and even showed ability to get forward on a couple occasions, displaying decent speed and getting in a good cross or two.
While Korb said he likes launching into attack from the back, he refrained from doing that in the second half because DC switched up to a 3-5-2 formation as they chased the game. That switch required the rookie to adjust on the fly.
“We never really worked on the 3-5-2 in the back,” he said. “It was an adjustment, but the other guys … helped me push in when I needed to and I didn’t really get forward as much.”
With his first pro game out of the way, Korb is ready to go, if needed, when United face the Colorado Rapids this Sunday. (7 p.m. ET on Galavisión)
