Daily training report
Preseason reset: Day 3
While the Northeast braced for the latest dose of winter weather, conditions in Bradenton continue to be sunny and friendly for D.C. United, which had plenty going on Monday both on and off the field. Even team vans have been busy, not only shuttling players back and forth to the training fields, but also retrieving new trialists from the airport in Tampa. After a gym session at IMG Academy on Sunday night, the Black-and-Red were back on the field at 10 a.m. for the first of Monday’s two field sessions. Groups of defenders and attacking players worked on passing patterns and formations with the forwards and midfielders finishing on goal before the players split into 8v8 on half the field, each team defending two small goals. They’ll be back on the field again after lunch and for many of them, a marketing photo shoot.
On Field Highlight of the Day: Draft picks Miguel Aguilar and Dan Metzger, and D.C. United Academy guest players Eryk Williamson and Jorge Calix are clearly feeling a little more comfortable on the ball and with the team. All four were active participants in the morning training and were heavily involved in the final 8v8 to goal drill. Aguilar finished the session off with a great through ball to David Estrada for a goal in the final game of the day.
Off Field Highlight of the Day:
With D.C. United gone from the District for nearly all of preseason, the marketing photo shoot - for things such as banners, posters and the like – again came to them in Bradenton. On Sunday night Director of Marketing Jamie Gustafson flew in, and the marketing team took over a section of the hotel boathouse, pulling in players
Davy Arnaud
,
Chris Rolfe
,
Bobby Boswell
,
Fabian Espindola
,
Luis Silva
and
Jario Arrieta
to show their chops to the camera.
Q&A with Homegrown midfielder Collin Martin, who is entering his third full season with D.C. United. Watch the additional answers with On Frame with Collin Martin HERE.
In 2014, Martin made six regular season appearances (two starts):
DCU: So you had your first two-a-day yesterday, how are you feeling?
CM: Not too bad. I worked out a lot before coming in to preseason so the soreness isn’t as bas as I thought it would be.
DCU: This is your second preseason camp, what did you take away from last year to help you this season?
CM: The runs have been a little easier because I knew what to expect, and I think the lifting that I did in the offseason will pay off as preseason goes on.
DCU: What are your individual goals this season?
CM: I want to be on the 18-man roster every weekend, and from there hopefully I will get more playing time. Obviously I want to start more games and play more often but I think a good start would be consistently in the 18.
DCU: How’s everything here? How are the guys so far?
CM: They are good. Last year was a lot different as I was meeting all the new guys because we basically had a whole new team. So this year it’s just trying to get to know all the guys a little bit better.
Quote of the Day:
After the teams evening workout at IMG Academy, Bobby Boswell was asked, “Bobby, you feeling jacked after your workout?”
Boswell: “People don’t usually use my name and jacked in the same sentence. Unless they say, ‘Hey Bobby, your car just got jacked.’ But that’s about it.”
Notes:
- Ireland international Sean St. Ledger has joined D.C. United on trial. St. Ledger, 30, was most recently a part of English club Ipswich Town following a three-year stint with Leceister City. See the full preseason roster HERE.
- Eryk Williamson announced Sunday, via Twitter, that he has verbally committed to the University of Maryland, joining fellow training camp guest player and U18 Academy teammate Jorge Calix.
