Under 16 Team in Action:
The D.C. United Academy's U16 team was in action on Sunday afternoon, when they faced the U17 Freestate Elite team at Crownsiville, MD in a pre-season friendly. The Black-and-Red youth displayed an encouraging performance in their first outing but ultimately went down 2-0 to its Maryland rivals, conceding both goals from restarts.
"It was a great chance to see our group for the first time against a bit older, talented local group in the U17 Freestate Elite," said United's Director of Youth Development John Maessner. "We are very pleased with this year's U16 Academy team and look forward to developing them into a cohesive unit over the next several months."
This was the U16 squad's first test of the 2008-2009 year. Returning players Lester Dewee, Nicky Yin and Sam Bradley led the team with strong performances and were supported by newcomers such as Tobi Iguade and Allan Flott.
"Our group is very talented and the quality of football we displayed at times during the match was certainly of the level to be admired," said U16 Head Coach Richie Burke. "As we move forward, we expect that this group of players will represent out program very well and develop onto a very capable, commanding and effective team."
The Development Academy season will start on December 4, when the D.C. United Academy teams travel to Lancaster, Calif. for the Academy Winter Showcase.
