He’s had a locker with a name plate above it inside RFK Stadium since training camp opened at the end of January. So it was only a matter of time before D.C. United signed 17-year-old Honduran midfielder Andy Najar.
The revolving door of trialists had been going full bore as well, but it was Najar who got significant playing time in both Bradenton and Charleston. But he was still just “D.C. United Academy prospect” then. And now that he’s signed, all the days that he missed attending Edison High School in Alexandria, and I hear the number extends nicely into double digits, won’t exactly matter since he’s turning pro and becoming an adult. United said he wasn’t with them the whole time.
“The way it worked out, the time that he was with us, were a lot of snow days, especially Bradenton, I think he only missed three days of school,” said United general manager Dave Kasper. “He had coursework that he was doing while he was with us. We want to make sure that he finishes at least a GED, but preferably getting his high school diploma.”
If they make a good-faith effort, that will be enough. Kasper said Najar’s Generation Adidas status also allows him to put money aside for education. Again, the way I hear it, Najar’s got a ways to go to get a diploma. Still, his personal story, from the bits and pieces I’ve heard, is way more compelling.
And wherever he’s been, in school or not, he was getting noticed for his play on the field. From the United release: “Najar is a versatile player who enjoyed a decorated youth career with United’s U-16 and U-18 Academy teams. In 2009, he played right back with the U-16 team and tallied four goals before moving up to the U-18 side and scoring nine goals as a forward. During his time with the Academy program, Najar has received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding play. He was named to the United States Soccer Federation Development Academy Starting XI in 2009 and he was the leading scorer in the US Developmental Academy Finals in Los Angeles in 2009.”
Najar is just 5-foot-7, but his upside is significant.
“We think he’s ready to contribute first-team minutes,” said Kasper. “He’s very comfortable on the ball, he’s a very good passer. He sees the game very well. He has a tremendous work rate and covers a lot of ground where he plays. He competes. He’s only 5-foot-7 but he’s a very tough competitor. He has all the tools to be a very successful MLS player, and we think he’s ready to contribute now.”
Meanwhile, United release John DiRaimondo this evening. Kasper said the team is planning to start the year with four goalkeepers, meaning Andrew Quinn has a job, and it’s hard not to see Juan Manuel Peña as a frontrunner for a defender job despite his 37-year-old frame.
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