WASHINGTON ā With five goals in his first seven appearances for D.C. United, Patrick Mullins has already justified the trust shown by his new club.
That said, manager Ben Olsen suggested Monday that everyone could've seen Mullinsā potential, well before his hat trick in the Black-and-Redās 6-2 drubbing of the Chicago Fire on Saturday night, if they'd paid enough attention.
āHeās proven that he can score goals, right? In college, but also in the pros,ā said Olsen of the former New England Revolution and New York City FC man. āIt wasnāt brain surgery to pick the kid and get him over here and understand that heās got qualities to succeed in this league.ā
Young goal scorers donāt typically land on their third MLS team in three seasons, and Mullins arrived at D.C. in July because he no longer fit into NYCFC manager Patrick Vieiraās plans.
Even so, the two-time Hermann Trophy winner at Maryland arrived on East Capitol Street with numbers that suggested he could thrive on the next level: Before the 2016 campaign began, he had averaged 0.40 goals per 90 minutes across his first two years in MLS.
āI just think D.C. United has belief in me and Iām around guys that believe in me,ā said Mullins, who will face NYCFC on Thursday at Yankee Stadium (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE). āThat doesnāt say anything against New York City or what it was, but it was the case where I wasnāt getting any minutes, and now obviously Iām happy to be getting on the field.ā
If he keeps his recent form up to help United to a third consecutive postseason appearance, it will add to the clubās record of producing quality pros from the college ranks.
Former Cal center back Steve Birnbaum has been a regular in US national team manager Jurgen Klinsmannās recent qualifying squads. Former Akron and D.C. man Perry Kitchen is now a staple with Europa League qualifiers Hearts.
āYou can write that,ā Olsen said of the trend. āI certainly think thereās been enough backhanded compliments about our team over the last couple years that you could pat a guy like [D.C. general manager] Dave Kasper on the back for grabbing some of these guys every now and then. But Iām not going to sit here and sing our praises on that.ā
United outside back Luke Mishu, who played against Mullins in the ACC and in the 2013 College Cup Final with Notre Dame, believes the forward may be an exceptionally good fit for his current club.
āHe is a white-collar soccer player with kind of a blue-collar mentality,ā said Mishu. āHeās a team-first kind of guy. You saw that at Maryland, and itās definitely translated here. This is very much a team-first kind of club. We donāt have the superstars to kind of revolve around.ā
Mullins can put those traits to good use again when he faces his former team this Thursday.
With New York City, he had a goal in four appearances against the New England Revolution, the club who drafted him in 2014.
āIt is a stranger feeling than youāre given in a [typical] weekend game,ā he said. āItās not really something that I can describe in terms of the feeling you get. But it is emotional, and I think you just have to contain those emotions, and get those first 15 minutes of sprints in, and then after that itās a regular game I think.ā