D.C. United Sign Griffin Yow, Local Homegrown Product
The Washington Capitals weren’t the only ones this week who signed a hometown kid. D.C. United signed 16-year old Griffin Yow as the 12th homegrown player in club history. Yow grew up in Clifton, Virginia and spent four seasons with the D.C. United Academy.
Yow has played for the club’s USL Championship affiliate Loudoun United FC, making his professional soccer debut on March 9 against Nashville SC when he came on in substitution in the 59th minute. He started the next game against Memphis 901 FC and scored not only his first pro goal but the first goal in Loudoun United history in the 1-1 draw.
D.C. United GM and VP of Soccer Operations Dave Kasper raved about Yow stating, “Griffin is a promising young prospect who has grown tremendously in the past 18 months in our Academy. He has been a top performer for our U-17 Academy team and has represented the U.S. Youth National Teams at various levels and we’re looking forward to utilizing our new USL Championship club, Loudoun United FC, to begin his development as a professional soccer player.”
Full press release from D.C. United:
United have signed D.C. United Academy product, Griffin Yow, as the 12th Homegrown Signing in club history. The 16-year-old forward joins Donovan Pines and Antonio Bustamante who signed Homegrown contracts with the Black-and-Red in the offseason, along with Chris Durkin, Bill Hamid and Jalen Robinson on the list of Homegrown players on the current roster.
“Griffin is a promising young prospect who has grown tremendously in the past 18 months in our Academy,” Dave Kasper, D.C. United General Manager and VP of Soccer Operations, said. “He has been a top performer for our U-17 Academy team, and has represented the U.S. Youth National Teams at various levels and we’re looking forward to utilizing our new USL Championship club, Loudoun United FC, to begin his development as a professional soccer player.”
Yow made his professional debut for D.C. United’s new USL Championship affiliate, Loudoun United FC, as a 59th-minute substitute in their inaugural match as a club against Nashville SC on March 9. Yow started the following match against Memphis 901 FC and scored his first professional goal and the first goal in Loudoun United history in the 30th minute on the way to a 1-1 draw.
Born in Clifton, Va., Yow spent four years with the D.C. United Academy (2016-2019) and scored 41 goals in 68 U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) appearances. The forward has been called up to the U.S. Youth National Team multiple times including the 2018 U-17 Nike Friendlies that took place in November and December. Yow featured in all three matches against Portugal (1-1 Tie, November 28), Turkey (1-0 Win, November 30) and Brazil (1-1 Tie, December 2). He scored the lone goal for the U-17 YNT in the 1-1 draw against Portugal. In five total appearances for the USYNT, Yow has scored three goals.
“We are incredibly proud of Griffin and his efforts to reach the first team,” Ryan Martin, D.C. United Academy Director, said. “He’s obviously talented but his mentality and drive make him unique. This signing paints the picture of how clubs can successfully work together to provide a professional pathway for young players in the DMV. Matt Lacey, Mike Cullina and the entire Virginia Development Academy (VDA) staff did a tremendous job with Griffin’s development but also with their support in him joining the D.C. United Academy to push him towards his ultimate goal of being a professional. With the continued belief in the Academy from ownership and management and the addition of Loudoun United FC as a pipeline to get young players professional minutes, Griffin signing a Homegrown contract is a special day for the Academy, the Pathway to Pro (P2P) program and soccer in the DMV.”
Top photo credit: TopDrawerSoccer.com
