Washington, D.C. - D.C. United President and CEO Kevin Payne issued the following statement today in regards to the jersey Fred will wear as a member of D.C. United:
"While D.C. United has traditionally used proper last names on the backs of our uniforms, we have agreed to make an exception in Fred's case for two reasons. First, is the long-time tradition of Brazilian players identifying themselves, and being identified by their fans, by a single name. Secondly, we have received substantial feedback from multiple sources that our fans, and others with an interest in D.C. United, want us to follow that Brazilian tradition and allow Fred to become the first 'one name player' in D.C. United history. This will not become a trend at D.C. United, as we still believe the logo on the front of the shirt is more important than the name on the back."
Many Brazilian soccer players prefer to play in uniforms adorned with a first name or a nickname. While Fred is known by one name and prefers that to be on the back of his uniform, United's Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio has chosen to perform with L. Emilio on his shirt. Fred, whose full name is Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva, signed with United last week and will be available for selection in United's return match with CD Guadalajara in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup tomorrow night. The Black-and-Red are set to kick-off against the 11-time Mexican league champions at 9:30 p.m. ET in one of the most highly-anticipated matches in club history. Following a 1-1 draw with CD Guadalajara on March 15 at RFK Stadium, D.C. United must win on the road to advance to the finals of the prestigious event. D.C. United captured the Champions' Cup title in 1998.
