A year after being drafted, midfielder finally signs
Andrew Jacobson’s relief at being back in the United States was evidenced by his voice alone as he spoke by phone Wednesday from Florida, where D.C. United was ending a weeklong phase of training camp.
“In Europe, the soccer is good,” said Jacobson. “I think the life is just not what I want to be doing right now. I want to be happy at this point, and I just wasn’t happy there.”
A year after being drafted, Jacobson officially signed yesterday, ending a journey that took him from California-Berkeley to the West Coast of France and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before finally returning stateside.
Instead of moving to Washington last winter after his second-round selection by United, Jacobson tried out, impressed and immediately signed with French first division side Lorient FC. But he never played — breaking his foot before he could make his spring debut and then never finding his way into lineup once he was healthy last fall.
He also detoured last summer with the U.S. futsal team, playing as a reserve in the Futsal World Cup in Brazil.
Despite his initial snub of Major League Soccer, Jacobson hasn’t encountered any bitterness since he arrived in D.C.
“I don’t know that he spurned the team at all,” said United head coach Tom Soehn. “Every player looks at his own situation, and he was given a situation to make a heck of a lot more than we were able to pay. I think we’re happy to get him back, but like anybody, he’s going to have to earn his respect and earn his time.”
With veteran defensive midfielders Clyde Simms and Joe Vide — not to mention, Ben Olsen — on the roster, Jacobson provides added depth at a position where United is already stocked. But the former PAC-10 player of the year’s two-way ability could help set him apart.
“In France, they called me a box-to-box player, where you’re not really a set defensive mid or set attacking mid,” said Jacobson. “You’re to do both.”
