D.C. United’s academy was well-represented and even better showcased in Saturday night’s 2-3 win over Colorado. Not only has United’s 10-year veteran goalkeeper Bill Hamid already put his name in the history books this season with a franchise-record 435-minute shutout streak, Homegrowns Chris Durkin and Jalen Robinson earned their first starts of the season, and Donovan Pines made his MLS debut on the night. 16-year-old Griffin Yow also received his first call-up to the first team after some impressive displays for United’s USL Championship affiliate Loudoun United FC.
In the 35th minute of the match, Donovan Pines settled down a corner kick with his head, putting the ball in place for Luciano Acosta to blast it past Tim Howard, which gave the Black-and-Red their first goal of the game. Thrilled to contribute to D.C.’s triumph over the Rapids, Pines was ecstatic about his successful debut in MLS.
“I honestly couldn’t believe I was playing for my hometown team. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty surreal,’ so when I got on the pitch, I’m like ‘Alright, I’m going to fight as much as I can to get a point for my first MLS game.’ I did it and I’m really, really happy that I did,” Pines said.
Head Coach Ben Olsen was also impressed with the way Pines handled his debut “I thought [Donovan] held up well for his first game and he didn't do a lot wrong,” Olsen said.
Durkin went on to log D.C.’s second goal of the match three minutes later off a pass from Lucas Rodríguez. The 19-year-old is United’s youngest Homegrown signing to score a goal since 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year Andy Najar scored at just at 17 years of age in 2010. Olsen took away positives from Durkin’s offensive outing in Saturday’s victory.
“I thought Durkin put in a solid performance and it was nice for him to get the goal. It gives us increased depth and builds a little team spirit and competition, which is always healthy,” Olsen said.
Robinson also recorded his first start of 2019 in the match against Colorado and successfully warded off tough opposition in the second half as the Rapids sought to narrow the 1-3 lead. Even after a 2-3 scare from Kei Kamara in the 66th minute, Hamid and his Homegrown backline were able to defend the goal for the remainder of the match.
Olsen was happy with the team’s overall response after Colorado’s second goal, praising the players for putting up a fight until the end. “In the second half, we were able to buckle down, grind and fight. That’s hard to do especially with the amount of quality service they have and Kei [Kamara] who is an absolute handful on a day like this,” Olsen said.
This is just the beginning for United’s younger Homegrown signings. Pines, Durkin, and Robinson all add depth to the club’s roster and will be vying for more starts in the near future.
