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Collin Martin earned his first MLS start against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. The 18-year-old Homegrown midfielder played 76 minutes in his debut, playing as a withdrawn forward.
“He’s calm on the ball, he has ideas,” said Head Coach Ben Olsen after the match. “The problem with Collin going forward is we have to find him a position, but I love his starting point.”
Seventeen-year-old Homegrown Michael Seaton also made his MLSdebut on Saturday night, entering the match in the 76th minute, coming on for Martin.
“Now, he has a long way to go but he has got some things about him that we like,” said Olsen. “We will continue to teach and help him grow to help us one day on the full team.”
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D.C. United started four Homegrown players against the Union. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid, center backs Ethan White and Conor Shanosky, and midfielder Collin Martin all developed through United’s Academy. Once Michael Seaton entered the match, DCU had played five Homegrown products on the night.
23.21
According to Elias Sports Bureau, the average age of D.C. United’s starting XI on Saturday night was 23.21 years, or 23 years, 78 days. This was the youngest lineup to ever start a match for the Black-and-Red. The previous DCU record was 23.55, and the MLS record, 22.38 years, belongs to the New York MetroStars from their starting XI on June 19, 2004.
