WASHINGTON — On a wild Wednesday night when no less than 40 players took the field at RFK Stadium, the brief list of those who lasted the full 90 minutes of D.C. United’s exhibition match against AC Milan is noteworthy. Its members: Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Alexandre Pato, Christian Abbiati and the home team’s sole representative, Jordan Graye.
Not bad company for a rookie MLS defender widely assumed to be training fodder a few months ago when United used their only pick of the 2010 SuperDraft to make him the 55th overall selection.
His draft day in Philadelphia this winter was overshadowed by the news that D.C. had re-acquired goalkeeper Troy Perkins via the allocation draft – using their first-round pick as a makeweight in the deal – and his local roots suggested convenience rather than selectivity at work in Graye’s eventual acquisition by United.
Yet the University of North Carolina product has proved to be one of the few highlights of a disconsolate D.C. campaign, staking a claim to the right back position in the injury-enforced absence of veteran Bryan Namoff with simplicity, composure and the essentially uncoachable trait of raw speed.
“Jordan Graye, he’s an incredible athlete. His pace is great, his fitness is great – the kid can run forever,” United assistant coach Kris Kelderman said. “Because of injuries he had an opportunity, and he’s made the most of it. He’s stepped up.
For years Namoff has been an institution on the right side of the United defense, and the team has missed his leadership and steady play since whiplash and other concussion-related problems forced him out of action late last season. But Graye, the sixth player to occupy the D.C. right back spot this year, has hauled himself up the depth chart and brought stability to the position while also giving the lineup a much-needed dose of athleticism.
He’s generally shown limited ambition with the ball at his feet, and as with any rookie learning on the job, Graye’s inexperience has led to mistakes. Last Saturday in Houston, for example, his failure to recognize Dominic Oduro’s subtle movement into space allowed the Dynamo striker to lash home the game-clinching goal.
With his selection options constantly limited by injuries, United coach Curt Onalfo has tried to blend the experience of center backs Juan Manuel Pena and Carey Talley with the youthful vigor of Graye and Rodney Wallace on the outside of his back four. Discouraging results have understandably prompted doubts about the unit’s composition as a whole, but a host of more experienced players have failed to settle in on the right side, and Graye can now consider himself the incumbent in that role. Onalfo even tried him out at left back in the second half of the Milan friendly.
“He’s willing to listen and learn, and we’re excited about his potential,” Kelderman said.
Graye is blessed with recovery speed that most MLS defenders would kill for, and his confidence has grown noticeably with each passing week.
“I’m getting a little bit more comfortable. I don’t think I’ve had nearly as good a performance as I think I can have, but I’m staying solid, staying simple,” Graye explained. “That’s what the coaches ask from me and for me, it’s all defense first.”
Graye’s progress offers further vindication for the United youth academy which also prepared teammates Andy Najar and Bill Hamid for their progression into the senior squad. He spent most of his high school years playing with D.C.’s U-14, U-15, U-16, and U-20 teams in addition to his responsibilities at Reston FC and DeMatha Catholic High School in the Washington suburbs, giving the Black-and-Red ample opportunity to monitor his development.
Now the tables have turned as his parents and uncle eagerly make the short trip to RFK to snap up his allotment of tickets for home matches. Few other observers would have predicted his rapid ascent but the soft-spoken 22-year-old reveals an unexpected streak of self-assurance when discussing his own progress.
“Well, I mean, to tell you the truth, I did,” he said when asked whether he expected to reach this point so early in his first pro campaign. “Honestly, I didn't expect to be a fourth-round pick. To me, this is not a surprise. I’m just taking it in stride and working hard, that’s pretty much all I can do.”
