Silooy: “We’re confident that each of them will make their mark at their respective universities”

 Washington, D.C. (February 6, 2013) – The D.C. United Academy today announced that 14 of its U-18 players have committed to play soccer at 10 different universities for the 2013 fall season. Six of the 14 players signed with programs finishing the 2012 season ranked in the top 25, including the University of Maryland , Coastal Carolina University and Wake Forest University .

 “We’re proud of the college commitments our Academy players have made for the 2013 fall season,” said D.C. United Director of Youth Development Sonny Silooy. “The chance to play at the collegiate level is a great achievement, and we’re confident that each of them will make their mark at their respective universities.”

 The following players today announced their official university commitments:

Carlos Canas – Longwood University

Date of birth: March 26, 1995

Hometown: Fairfax , Va.

Position: Goalkeeper

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Calverton Revolution

Honors/awards: Second Team All-Region; Honorable Mention All-Metro; Three-Time All-District

Suliaman Dainkeh – University of Maryland

Date of birth: June 1, 1995

Hometown: Reston , Va.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Reston Knights FC

Honors/awards: 2012 NSCAA Youth Boys All-American; 2012 U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team training camp.

James Doll – Duke University

Date of birth: March 2, 1995

Hometown: Bethesda , Md.

Position: Midfielder

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Pachuca FC

Honors/awards: U.S. U-14 National Team pool; Region I Maryland ODP.

Lars Eckenrode – University of Michigan

Date of birth: March 24, 1995

Hometown: Springfield , Va.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Annandale United FC

Honors/awards: Two-time Virginia State champion; Team Player of the Tournament for AEGON Future Cup

Rafael Fagundo – Wake Forest University

Date of birth: February 5, 1995

Hometown: Herndon , Va.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Herndon Real Juniors

Honors/awards: 2011 Virginia Independent School Athletic Association D1 All-State Soccer First Team; 2011 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Second Team; 2011 ESPN High School Greater D.C. Starting XI.

Patrick Foss – University of Virginia

Date of birth: October 2, 1994

Hometown: South Riding, Va.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Herndon Real Juniors

Honors/awards: 2012 USSDA U-18 Eastern Conference Starting XI; 2010-11 U.S. U-17 Residency; AEGON Future Cup Golden Boot; Four-year Virginia ODP player.

Benjamin Ferrell – Longwood University

Date of birth: October 9, 1994

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Va.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: One year

Previous youth clubs: Annandale Boys and Girls Club

Honors/awards: First Team All-Concorde District; Second Team All-Northern Region

Ian Harkes – Wake Forest University

Date of birth: March 30, 1995

Hometown: Fairfax , Va.

Position: Midfielder

Tenure at D.C. United: One year

Previous youth clubs: Herndon Real Juniors; Great Fall Strikers; Braddock Road Strikers

Honors/awards: 2012 NSCAA High School All-American; 2011 and 2012 All-Metro First Team; 2011 D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year.

Braden Horton – University of Pittsburgh

Date of birth: March 28, 1995

Hometown: Springfield , Va.

Position: Goalkeeper

Tenure at D.C. United: One year

Previous youth clubs: McLean Academy ; SYC Fusion; Reston Knights FC; Annandale Boys and Girls Club

Honors/awards: 2011-12 All-Patriot-District First Team, 2011-12 Northern Region Second Team, All-Metro; Maryland ODP; ESPN RISE Class of 2013 Players to Watch.

Christian Kershaw – Loyola University Maryland

Date of birth: January 22, 1995

Hometown: Severna Park , Md.

Position: Defender/Midfielder

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Baltimore Bays

Honors/awards: Two-time USYSA Maryland State Champion; 2011 High School State Champion ( DeMatha High School ).

Kennedy O’Shea – Coastal Carolina University

Date of birth: March 31, 1995

Hometown: South Riding, Va.

Position: Forward

Tenure at D.C. United: Five years

Previous youth clubs: Reston Knights FC; Herndon Real Juniors

Honors/awards: U.S. U-14 National Team pool; Washington Catholic Athletic Conference All-Conference Second Team; Second Team All-State (Virginia); MVP of Paul VI Virginia State Championship.

Michael Sauers – University of Maryland

Date of birth: May 19, 1995

Hometown: Glen Arm, Md.

Position: Midfielder

Tenure at D.C. United: Two years

Previous youth clubs: Baltimore Bays ; Bethesda Soccer Club; Crystal Palace Soccer Club

Honors/awards: 2012 NSCAA High School All-American; 2012 All-State, 2012 All-Region; 2012 All-Metro, 2012 All-MIAA honors; 2011 Second Team All-State; 2011 All-Metro; 2011 All-MIAA.

David Warburton – Loyola University Maryland

Date of birth: September 16, 1994

Hometown: Westminster , Md.

Position: Defender

Tenure at D.C. United: Two years

Previous youth clubs: FC Frederick; C.C. United

Honors/awards: 2011 ASL All-Event Team, Maryland ODP

Abdi Yusuf – University of Central Florida

Date of birth: January 29, 1995

Hometown: Herndon , Va.

Position: Defender/Midfielder

Tenure at D.C. United: Three years

Previous youth clubs: Reston Knights FC; Herndon Real Juniors

Honors/awards: U-14 U.S. National Team pool; Region I ODP Virginia State Champion; State Cup (2009, 2010).

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Both Played on 2008 US U-20 World Cup Championship Team

 Boyds, MD (February 6, 2013) - The Washington Spirit announced the signing of two U-23 Women's National Team players - Goalkeeper Chantel Jones and playmaking midfielder Ingrid Wells. Both add to the Spirit's roster of players in the U.S. national team system as well as players with local ties. The signings will not be official until both players pass the league physical and final paperwork is completed.

 Chantel Jones had a stellar career at the University of Virginia, where she earned the NCAA career shutout record with 47 total and posted a 0.77 goals against average with 14 shutouts in her 2011 senior year. She has played on the U.S. U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 national teams.

 Ingrid Wells, nicknamed "the Little General," was a midfielder for Georgetown University Women's soccer team and started in the 2008 U-20 Women's World Cup Championship game won by the U.S. 2 - 1 against North Korea. In 2012 Wells was drafted ninth overall in the WPS draft, but after the league ceased operations, she played overseas with Göteborg FC in Sweden. Wells graduated from Georgetown as the school's all-time leader in points scored (108) and assists (46) and second all-time in goals scored (34).

 "We are excited about adding Chantel and Ingrid to our talented roster of players with international experience," said Spirit owner Bill Lynch. "These signings further strengthen our roster to ensure the Washington area will be treated to the very best that women's professional soccer has to offer."

 The Washington Spirit expects to add to its talented roster through the supplemental draft that the league will conduct February 7th, which fans can follow on the league Twitter account @NWSL. Opening weekend for the National Women's Soccer League is set for April 13 and 14. The full 2013 schedule for all teams is expected to be announced in the near future.

U-18s and U-16s set for friendlies ahead of the weekend; U-13, U-14 and U-15 Pre-Academy teams to compete in a President’s Day tournament

 Washington, D.C. (February 11, 2012) – As the spring portion of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) league approaches, D.C. United’s Academy teams will log some time on the field this week in a few friendlies. Meanwhile, the Pre-Academy squads are set to participate in the 2013 Potomac President’s Day Pre-Academy Showcase this weekend.

 The U-18s will play the Aegean Hawks men's league team tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Arlington , Va. , and the U-16s, split into two squads, will scrimmage two Freestate Soccer Alliance teams at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. The spring season officially kicks off on March 2 for the United Academy teams, with the U-18s and U-16s set to take on Baltimore Bays Chelsea in Owings Mill, Md., at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively. In the 2012-13 season thus far, the U-16 squad has not lost a single match, sporting a record of 11-0-2, notching 40 goals and conceding only 10, with leading scorer Gerson Umana (Lorton, Va.; Prince William Soccer, Inc.) collecting 10 goals in the process. The U-18s possess an 8-4-1 mark, with Denis Najar ( Alexandria , Va. ) leading the offensive charge, having already tallied six strikes on the season. The U-16s sit in first place in the Atlantic Division while the U-18s hold third place.

 This weekend, five teams from D.C. United’s U-13, U-14, and U-15 Pre-Academy will feature in a President’s Day tournament, held at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. The showcase’s schedule is such that all of the United Pre-Academy teams will play three matches in as many days and will offer exposure to collegiate scouts looking for young talent in the area.

 Last year, the U-15s and U-14s performed well at the tournament, going 2-0-1 and 1-1-1, respectively. This year, those squads will split, and the U-13 Pre-Academy team will also feature in the tournament, for a total of five participating Black-and-Red squads. United’s U-15s will look to have a better showing against a familiar foe in FC Westchester, the team that handed them its only loss in last year’s tournament. Both of the U-15 squads will have a crack at the New York club, once on Saturday, Feb. 16 and again on Sunday, Feb. 17.

Los Catrachos will face the U.S. on Feb. 6 to begin the Hexagonal Round

 Washington D.C. (January 29, 2013) – D.C. United today announced that defender/midfielder Andy Najar has been named to Honduras’ 23-man roster for a February 6 match against the U.S. Men’s National Team in the final round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The game will take place at Estadio Olimpico in San Pedro Sula , Honduras and will be televised on beIN SPORT at 4 p.m. ET. Najar will join the Honduran Federation on February 1.

 Najar, 19, had a fantastic third season with D.C. United, playing in 25 regular-season matches, starting 22, and notching four assists. The converted right fullback is a product of D.C. United’s Youth Academy , and was the second Homegrown Player to sign with the first team on March 22, 2010. That year, he went on to win the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year award, as well as being named the 2010 D.C. United Volkswagen MVP. In his young, yet illustrious D.C. United career, Andy Najar has tallied 10 goals and 11 assists in the 82 MLS matches (72 starts) in which he has appeared.

 Najar has made three appearances with the senior Honduras National Team and seven for the U-23s, including a run in the 2012 London Olympics in which the squad advanced to the quarterfinals. He earned his first cap for the country on September 3, 2011 against Colombia at Red Bull Arena in Harrison , NJ .

Honduras roster vs. United States (February 6, 2013):

Goalkeepers (3): Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), José Mendoza (Marathón)

Defenders (8): Arnold Peralta (Vida), Bryan Beckeles (Olimpia), Víctor Bernárdez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chávez (Wisla Krakow/Poland), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic), Juan Pablo Montes (Platense), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic/Scotland), Juan Carlos García (Olimpia)

 Midfielders (8): Luis Garrido (Red Star Belgrade), Jorge Claros (Hibernian), Roger Espinoza (Wigan Athletic/England), Alex López (Olimpia), Andy Najar (D.C. United), Boniek García (Houston Dynamo), Mario Martínez (Seattle Sounders), Aldo Oviedo (Real España)

 Forwards (4): Jerry Bengtson ( New England Revolution), Roger Rojas (Olimpia), Carlo Costly (Veria/Greece), Georgie Welcome (Motagua)