Meet the Newest Faces on D.C. United
Our D.C. United season preview series continues today with a look at the newest players who will be suiting up for the black and red this season. Read on to learn more about these new acquisitions who will look to help the club achieve success in 2019.
Earl Edwards Jr.: D.C. United acquired goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. from Orlando City SC in exchange for a 2019 second round draft pick.
During Edwards Jr.’s four years in Orlando, he made six total MLS appearances after making his debut on Oct. 22, 2017. In his five starts last season, Edwards made 16 saves.
Chris Seitz: D.C. United acquired veteran goalie Chris Seitz from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for D.C. United’s second round pick (33rd overall) in the 2019 draft.
Seitz was selected fourth overall by Real Salt Lake in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft and has made 103 total regular season appearances. He played for three seasons in Utah, recording 19 saves in seven regualr season appearances. Seitz also won the 2009 MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake.
After winning that title, Seitz was traded to the Philadelphia Union, an MLS expansion team at the time. In 2011, Seitz was selected by the Seattle Sounders FC in the second stage of the Re-Entry draft that year and then was traded immediately to FC Dallas.
In seven seasons in the Lone Star state, Seitz recorded 163 saves in 67 regular season appearances. He made 87 total appearances across all competitions for FC Dallas, recording 23 clean sheets. Seitz was the recipient of the 2012 MLS Humanitarian of the Year award while also helping lead Dallas to the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as the 2016 MLS Supporters’ Shield (best record).
Following the 2017 season, Seitz joined the Houston Dynamo and recorded 14 saves in six regular season appearances in 2018.
Leonardo Jara: The Argentine defender was acquired by D.C. United on a season-long loan from Boca Juniors in the Superliga Argentina de Futbol. He scored two goals and recorded six assists in 71 appearances across all competitions with Boca Juniors after his acquisition from Club Estudiantes De La Plata in 2016.
Chris McCann: D.C. united acquired Chris McCann off waivers. The veteran midfielder/defender was part of Atlanta United FC’s 2018 MLS Cup team.
McCann scored one goal in 22 appearances in 2018. The 31-year old also made two substitute appearances in Atlanta United’s playoff run, the 83rd minute in their 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals as well as the 89th minute of their 2-0 win over Portland in the final.
McCann joined Atlanta United in their 2017 inaugural season, making 45 appearances in the regular season. His first career MLS goal came on April 28 last season in a 2-2 draw against New York City FC.
Akeem Ward: D.C. United selected Akeem Ward with the 14th overall pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. They went on to sign the Creighton University defender a few weeks later.
Ward played three seasons at Creighton after he transferred from Hastings University. At the former, Ward scored two goals and recored five assists and was named a 2015 USC Second team NAIA All-American. Over at Creighton, Ward scored two goals and recorded six assists in 47 appearances with the Blue Jays.
Ward earned a USC First Team All-East Region selection in 2018 and was First Team All-Big East Conference after scoring two goals and four assists.
Donovan Pines: D.C. United signed the former University of Maryland standout and D.C. United Academy product to a homegrown contract. The 20-year old defender joins an elite group of homegrown products with the black and red featuring Chris Durkin, Bill Hamid, and Jalen Robinson.
Pines spent four seasons with the D.C. United Academy and made 99 U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) appearances, qualifying for the USSDA playoffs each year. He was named team captain and posted a 0.80 goals agaisnt average during his time with the black and red youth team.
Over in Maryland, Pines played three seasons scoring three goals and recording three assists in 56 appearances, 39 of them starts. In his 39 starts, Pines recorded 21 clean sheets and averaged 0.77 goals per game. In 2018, his junior season, he scored two goals in 22 appearances to lead the Terps to an NCAA Championship.
Antonio Bustamante: D.C. United signed former William and Mary standout and D.C. United Academy product to a homegrown contract. Antonio Bustamante became the 10th homegrown signing in club history.
Bustamante was born nearby in Fairfax, VA and joined the academy team in 2012. He spent three years on the black and red youth team until going to college at William and Mary in 2015.
Bustamante played four seasons with the Tribe, scoring 34 goals and recording 17 assists in 68 appearances. His best season was his junior year in 2017, scoring 15 goals in 21 appearances. The 15 goals ranked him as the fourth top scorer in the nation at the collegiate level and earned him the title of CAA Player of the Year.
Lucas Rodriguez: D.C. United acquired midfielder Lucas Rodriguez on a year-long loan with an option for a permanent transfer from Club Estudiantes de La Plata of the Argentine Primera Division pending receipt of his visa. In return, D.C. United sent $50,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for the player’s discovery rights.
In five seasons playing for the Estudiantes First Team, Rodriguez scored eight goals and recorded five assists in 90 total appearances, including 12 games played in the Copa Libertadores and three in the Copa Sudamericana. This past season, Rodriguez started in 14 of his team’s 15 Primera Division matches.
Rodriguez also appeared on the U-20 Argentina National Team at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
Rodriguez enters his first season with the black and red with an already instant connection with Luciano Acosta. The two played together at Estudiantes during the 2014-15 season.
Those are the new faces you’ll see suiting up for D.C. United this summer. Coming up tomorrow on our weeklong D.C. United season preview series on MSB, we will take a look back at D.C. United’s old home: RFK Stadium.
D.C. United season preview series articles:
A Recap of D.C. United’s Preseason Action
After the Impact Made Last Season, Wayne Rooney Looks to Guide D.C. United Further in 2019
Top Moments from D.C. United’s Memorable 2018 Season
D.C. United opens the season on Sunday night at Audi Field
Top photo: Lucas Rodriguez is one of several new faces on D.C. United this upcoming season (Photo: D.C. United)
