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The D.C. United Academy is the youth and development program for the Major League Soccer club D.C. United. The program consists of teams at four age levels:[1] the under-23 and under-20 teams, as well as the Academy (U-17, U-16, and U-15).

D.C. United Academy

Full name	D.C. United Youth and Development Academy
Founded	2005
Ground	RFK Auxiliary Fields Washington, D.C.
League	MLS Next
Website	Club website
Home colors Away colors

The D.C. United Academy has been one of the most successful MLS academies.[2] Many players have been signed directly from the Academy to the professional team, or have later played professionally. Notable players to have graduated from the D.C United Academy include Bill Hamid, who has been called up by the U.S. national team and who was the MLS 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year, and Andy Najar, who has been capped for Honduras and who was the MLS 2010 Rookie of the Year.[3][4][5]

History

The D.C. United Academy was created in 2005 in an effort to provide local talent an opportunity to have professional training. D.C. United was one of the first MLS clubs to develop its own academy.[5] The D.C. United Academy gained some press in 2013 when D.C. United Academy graduate Michael Seaton made his league debut with D.C. United; Seaton was the first player to play an MLS game who was born after MLS began play in 1996.[6] D.C. United decided in 2015, however, to reduce its outlays on its academy in part to help defray the expenses associated with the team's new soccer-specific stadium.[7]

Structure

D.C. United Academy Structure

Level	Type	League
Senior team	Professional	Major League Soccer
Reserve team	Professional	USL Championship
U-17	Development Academy	MLS Next
U-16	Development Academy
U-15	Development Academy

Like most Major League Soccer teams, United's academy features youth pre-academy teams that ascend to the ranks of the senior team on the professional level. Starting in 2016, United will field their reserve team in the second-division USL Championship. Beneath their reserve and senior squads is the under-23 side, whom play exhibition matches.

The teenage brackets represent the main academy as well as the pre-academy structure. Players from the under-15 to the under-18 age level play in MLS Next, playing against other academy teams around the nation. Formerly, the academy played in the USSDA.

Consisting of players aged from under-12 to under-14, the Pre-Academy is a stepping stone for younger players to adapt to an academy setting. This age group of players participates in Northeast Pre-Academy League.[8]

For players at the U-10 level and below, United offers specialty training camps.

D.C. United Academy is fully funded and does not charge any fees for its players.[9]

Notable alumni

Andy Najar, who transferred from D.C. United to Belgium's Anderlecht for a reported $2 million, was the first player from the D.C. United Academy — and first from any MLS academy — to move to Europe on a permanent contract.[10] The youngest D.C. United Academy signing is Chris Durkin, who signed for D.C. United in 2016 at 16 years old.[11] Furthermore, several D.C. United Academy players have played with U.S. national youth teams.[12]

MLS players

The following list includes players who, after leaving the D.C. United Academy, have played at least one match in Major League Soccer.

D.C. Academy prospects who played in MLS

Name	Turned Pro	DCU apps	Left DCU	Departure	National team (caps)
Bill Hamid	2009	240	—	—	United States (7)
Andy Najar	2010	100	2013	$3 million transfer to Anderlecht (Belgium).[13]	Honduras (36)
Conor Shanosky	2010	5	2014	Released. Signed with Louisville City FC.	United States U20
Ethan White	2010	38	2013	Traded to Philadelphia for Jeff Parke.	United States U20
Michael Seaton	2013	5	2015	Traded to Portland.	Jamaica (14)
Collin Martin	2013	15	2016	Traded to Minnesota for 4th round draft pick.	United States U20
Jalen Robinson	2014	26	2019	Contract ended.	United States U18
Romain Gall	2014	0	2010	Moved to Real Salt Lake academy.	United States U20
Tyler Rudy	2015	0	2011	Played college soccer for Georgetown.
Chris Durkin	2016	36	2020	$1.1 million transfer to Sint-Truiden (Belgium).	United States U20
Ian Harkes	2017	33	2018	Released. Signed with Dundee (Scotland).	United States U20
Eryk Williamson	2017	0	2018	Traded to Portland Timbers.	United States U23
Antonio Bustamante	2019	2	2019	Released. Signed with Blooming (Bolivia).	Bolivia (2)
Donovan Pines	2019	64	—	—	United States (2)
Griffin Yow	2019	36	2022	$100,000 Transfer to K.V.C. Westerlo (Belgium)	United States U18
Moses Nyeman	2019	32	2022	$350,000 transfer to S.K. Beveren (Belgium)	United States U16
Kevin Paredes	2020	41	2022	$7.35 million transfer to VfL Wolfsburg (Germany)	United States U20
Jacob Greene	2021	1			United States U20
Jeremy Garay	2021	1			El Salvador (1)
Ted Ku-DiPietro	2022	2
Jackson Hopkins	2022	5			United States U20
Matai Akinmboni	2022	1			United States U17

Notes:

• D.C. United appearances updated as of November 29, 2020.
• Where a player has played with multiple levels of a national team (e.g., men's team, under-20 team, under-18 team), only the highest level is listed.

Source: D.C. United

The Academy

U16/U17 Team

As of February 19, 2022 [14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  USA Jason Guevara — GK  USA Luke Peacock — GK  USA Ethan Talapatra — DF  USA Alexander Aguilar — DF  USA Gleb Bogdanov — DF  USA Gustavo Borges — DF  USA Alexis Gonzales — DF  USA Greg Jones — DF  USA Dash Papez — DF  USA Diego Vasquez

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  USA Jonathan Aguirre — MF  USA Christopher Argueta — MF  USA David Ayala — MF  USA Isaiah Chisolm — MF  USA Diego Diaz — MF  USA Luciano Lanzas — MF  USA Nelson Hernandez — MF  USA Alessandro Maldonado — MF  USA Justin Melly — MF  USA Ethan Pendleton — MF  USA Gavin Turner — MF  USA Gary Zhang

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  USA Ignacio Alem — FW  USA Sydney Aggrey — FW  USA James Ashby — FW  USA Noel Calix Ortiz — FW  USA Gabriel Cossio — FW  USA Wilson Holman — FW  USA Gage Lyons — FW  USA Teymour Mohammed — FW  USA Hugo Portillo

U15 Team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  USA Jason Guevara — GK  USA Owen Pschigoda — DF  USA Michael Bosley — DF  USA Myles Mercer — DF  USA Kemari Kerr — MF  USA Ayaan Ali — MF  USA Emidio Castro-Valdez — MF  USA John Chisholm — MF  USA Ejani Christian — MF  USA Neil Das — MF  USA Kevin Diaz-Blanco

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  USA Braxton Hayes — MF  USA Brice Hall — MF  USA Jimmy Juarez — MF  USA Jerry Lopez Felix — MF  USA Ada Karatepe — MF  USA Jason Molina — MF  USA Damilola Olupona — MF  USA Diego Torres — MF  USA Makai Wells — MF  USA Aiden Zarate — FW  USA Raul Avalos — FW  USA Langston Fabiyi — FW  USA Haadi Khalid

No. Pos. Nation Player —  USA German Argueta —  USA Jerry Boasmanboon —  USA Julian Dix —  USA Alan Flores —  USA Gabriel Fuentes —  USA Brown Huffard —  USA Cameron Marbray —  USA Jakub Porada

U14 Team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player —  USA Anthony Applewhaite —  USA Mayson Barillas —  USA Braydon Bloom —  USA Jeffrey Bonilla —  USA Austin Brown —  USA Kamil Castillo —  USA Pascal Crosley —  USA Juani Cuneo —  USA MJ Day —  USA Nate Free

No. Pos. Nation Player —  USA Chase Gould —  USA Luca Nicolacci —  USA Marco Nicolacci —  USA Edwin Ortiz —  USA Dominick Pell —  USA Mateo Pinto —  USA Valentino Quaranta —  USA Edwin "SJ" Rios Jr. —  USA Austin Roberts —  USA Brayden Stevens

Coaching staff

As of February 7, 2022 [15]

Position	Staff
U-17 Head Coach	Matt Arrington
U-16 Head Coach	Keyon Khalilian
U-15 Head Coach	Scott Sutter

Reserves

From 2005 until 2012, D.C. United fielded a reserve team that played in the MLS Reserve Division. The reserve team disbanded when Major League Soccer and USL Pro announced a player development partnership, and United announced Richmond Kickers as their USL Pro affiliate.[16]

Honors

• MLS Reserve Division: 1
  • 2005

Seasons

Season	MLS Reserve League								Top goalscorer(s)
	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	Pts	Pos	Name	Goals
2005	12	8	0	4	26	21	24	1st	Jamil Walker	9
2006	12	6	1	5	22	11	19	5th
2007	12	4	5	3	16	12	17	5th
2008	12	5	1	4	19	21	16	5th
2011	9	6	3	0	21	9	21	Eastern Division 2nd	Joseph Ngwenya	4

See also

• D.C. United
• D.C. United U-23
• D.C. United U-20
• U.S. Soccer Development Academy

References

General

• Academy alumni sourced to: "Alumni & First Team Signings". D.C. United. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
• Academy rosters sourced to: "Academy Teams". D.C. United. Retrieved 14 July 2011.

Footnotes

External links

• D.C. United Academy
  • D.C. United U-23's
  • D.C. United U-18's
  • D.C. United U-16's

Pre-Academy

• D.C. United Pre-Academy U-15's
• D.C. United Pre-Academy U-14's

Alumni

• Academy Alumni

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