United announce U-23 program for 2016 season

D.C. United have announced the Under-23 program for the 2016 season.

Richie Burke will coach the U-23 team for the second year in a row.  D.C. United U-18 Head Coach Tom Torres will act as assistant coach to Burke, and Willie Guevara will oversee the goalkeepers.  

“This will provide a meaningful competition to enhance the summer experience for both our returning college academy players and for talented college players from across the country,” Dave Kasper, United general manager and VP of soccer operations.  

Burke, who holds a UEFA Pro License, has played and coached for various Washington area teams, including the Dips and Stars and at American University.  He more recently acted as technical director of the local youth club Evergreen FC before assuming the same position at FC Virginia.

“We managed to create a very professional and demanding environment for the U-23 players last year and the player's responses to wearing the Black-and-Red were phenomenal,” Burke said. “Our 2015 group shadowed first team training and we were able to give a number of players the opportunity to work in select situations with the club's top players and first team staff, which was a real feature of the program. We anticipate replicating those same standards again this year with a number of key players returning and a new crop of top Academy graduates joining the program.”

Torres holds several advanced coaching licenses, such as the NSCAA National and Advanced National Diploma with Distinction, a USSF A license, and a UEFA B license.  He is currently representing D.C. United in Major League Soccer's partnership with the French Football Federation as a candidate in the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL), which will conclude in October 2016.

The 28-player team, comprised of United Academy alumni and top college prospects, will train in the morning alongside the Black-and-Red first team as part of the ongoing effort to strengthen the connection between the first team and the Academy.  Tryouts for the team, the dates of which are below, will be held on a Saturday or Sunday each week in April, followed by one day in May.  

While the full U-23 match schedule and roster will be available following the completion of tryouts, the team will compete against similar MLS clubs in the region as well as USL and NASL sides.  

Players wanting to attend tryouts are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes in advance, and individuals can participate in up to two sessions ($50 each).