When D.C. United host Columbus Crew SC on Saturday, March 18, one country will be represented quite well: Ghana. Between Patrick Nyarko (born in Kumasi), Kofi Opare (Mampong) and Lloyd Sam (one international cap), United rely heavily upon their Ghanaian team members. For Columbus, right back Harrison Afful (born in Tema), midfielder Mohammed Abu (Accra), rookie defender Lalas Abubakar (Kumasi) and new Designated Player Jonathan Mensah (Accra) comprise a strong core of defense and midfield.
Nyarko, who played college soccer at Virginia Tech, is fifth among active players in fouls suffered, a telling statistic for someone who is a constant outlet on the wing and beats defenders one-v-one.
Sam, who was born in the UK but plays for the country of his parent’s birth, played for Charlton Athletic and Leeds United (among other teams) before making the switch to MLS in 2012. A talented dribbler with 20+ goals and assists, Sam made his international debut for Ghana at RFK Stadium on Oct. 13, 2015.
Opare was acquired by United in 2014 from the Los Angeles Galaxy and was one of two players on the roster to score in the CONCACAF Champions League, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and league play in 2015. He was named to the MLS Team of the Week for his performance against Sporting KC on May 27 last season.
For Columbus, the most tenured Ghanaian is Afful, a speedy right back who has been with Crew SC since 2015. The 30-year-old has been a part of the Black Stars’ roster for multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and played in the 2014 World Cup. Mensah, who received a red card over the weekend for his tackle against the Houston Dynamo, most recently played for Russian side FC Anzhi Makhachkala and became Crew SC’s second current Designated Player this offseason.
Gregg Berhalter, the sporting director and head coach for Columbus, also acquired rookie Abubakar in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Dayton and midfielder Abu from Swedish club Strømsgodset. Abu had previously played for clubs in France’s Ligue 1 and Spain’s La Liga.
The match against Columbus kicks off at 7 PM at RFK Stadium and on NewsChannel 8.
