WASHINGTON – D.C. United ended their seven-game losing skid with Sunday's 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City, but the capital club's winless streak remains – and so does the need for reinforcements.
So United have brought in another batch of trialists this week, headlined by Jesjua Angoy Cruyff , a 20-year-old wide player who happens to be the grandson of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, and a product of the famed FC Barcelona youth system to boot.
“I don't know the exact lineage to the great one, but I'm sure you guys could find that out somehow,” said D.C. head coach Ben Olsen after Angoy Cruyff's first United training session on Tuesday. “It's good. He did fine.”
READ: D.C. United finally earn point, but hard work just beginning: “It beats losing"
The son of Johan's daughter Chantal, Angoy Cruyff spent most of his formative years in Spain but was most recently on the books at English side Wigan Athletic. He is capable of filling multiple roles on the outside of midfield or defense.
Johan Cruyff spent a brief segment of his storied career in D.C. as a star player for the NASL's Washington Diplomats in 1980-81, gracing the same RFK Stadium that United call home.
Olsen and his staff are also running the rule over striker Mike Grella and English full back Peter Gregory this week.
A standout goalscorer at Duke University, Grella was selected by Toronto FC in the 2009 SuperDraft but elected to try his hand in England instead. The former US youth international has logged time with Leeds United and several other clubs in the English lower divisions over the past four years.
Gregory is a 20-year-old prospect who arrives in the nation's capital from Nottingham Forest.
READ: US Open Cup: Former MLS starlet Danny Szetela using amateur club's run to resurrect career
“[Grella] has played soccer at a pretty good level and knows what he's doing,” said Olsen, “and the other kid [Gregory] is a young wide back that has promise.”
Olsen suggested that more trialists will pop up RFK in the coming weeks as the Black-and-Red seek to turn around their difficult campaign.
“You' re going to see a lot of guys come through this door,” he said. “It's a tough task in a couple days to really make decisions on guys like this for the positive because you don't get to see them in big games, but you never know.”
