D.C. United's U-16 boys team fared very well in Monday night's friendly match against the Maryland '90 Olympic Development Program team by earning a 3-2 victory. United went up in the fourth minute when William "JR" Bioh took on several players at the top of the box and calmly slipped the ball past the Maryland goalkeeper. D.C. doubled its lead in the 16th minute with Michael Funes's beautiful left-footed strike into the top corner from just outside the 18-yard box.
The ODP squad made its way back into the match with a free kick at the 30-minute mark and leveled the score at 2-2 just before halftime with a very nice finish off a cross from the right side. The game stayed level until the 80th minute, when Funes headed home his second goal of the game off a beautifully placed cross from Alex Cavanaugh.
"It was a very impressive performance from our players against a team that has won at every level," said director of youth development John Maessner. "Our Super Y-League schedule will start up in early June and we look forward to the continued development of our players and teams."
The impressive showing came at a good time for United's youth, as there were several college coaches in attendance including representatives from Maryland, George Mason, Towson, Delaware and Marymount.
"The boys showed signs of the potential that this group has, beating a very good Maryland ODP team with quite the reputation," said assistant coach Judah Cooks. "This group has been selected to play high level games like this; we are happy with the start that we've had."
For more information on the Youth Development program at D.C. United, click here >.
WPL
Be sure to tune in to Comcast SportsNet's Washington Post Live on Wednesday and Thursday this week, as D.C. United will be a hot topic on the show. On Wednesday, ESPN analyst Eric Wynalda will be on around 5:30 p.m. ET in advance of being in the booth for Thursday's game on ESPN2.
On Thursday, prior to United's match vs. the New England Revolution, Ben Olsen will appear on the show at 5 p.m. from RFK Stadium. Later in the program - at approximately 6:15 p.m. - owner Will Chang will be on to discuss his first months with the club.
Additionally, on Friday, Washington Post soccer writer Steve Goff will be on the show to discuss D.C. United and other soccer news. Washington Post Live runs from 5-6:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Auction update
The D.C. United tribute jersey auction continues after launching on Monday. Every jersey up for purchase has received a bid and the surprise leader is the kit that was worn by defender Devon McTavish, which has a current bid of $635 - a few dollars more than the kits autographed by Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno.
The friendly competition for the highest amount was given additional importance Tuesday when United's owners, Victor MacFarlane and Will Chang, announced they would each make a personal donation matching the highest-earning player jersey. The two owners also had two limited edition maroon jerseys made with their respective names and numbers. Each has been signed and is open for bids.
All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. To view the auctions (and bid!), click here >
