2015
Halsti provided a veteran presence in the central midfield in his first MLS season, finding his way into the starting lineup over the latter part of the regular season. The Finnish international was sidelined for the first two-and-a- half months of the regular season with a knee injury suffered during preseason before making his debut as a starter against Philadelphia on May 17. He made two starts in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and then made three appearances (two starts) in the 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, including as team captain for D.C. United’s 1-0 win on the road against Árabe Unido in Panama. Halsti also made multiple appearances during the season for Finland for 2016 European Championship qualifying matches.
Halsti, a Finland international, arrived after seven seasons with Malmö FF in the Allsvenskan, the top Swedish division, where he appeared in 115 games and scored six goals. The midfielder/defender helped Malmö to three league championships in five seasons, including the 2014 campaign in which he started 21 of 26 games. In 2014, Halsti was named to the Allsvenskan Team of the Year. On the international stage, Halsti has represented the Finland national team 20 times since his debut in 2008. He also has experience as a member of Finland's U21 National Team, appearing in 15 games.
ACQUIRED
Signed on Jan. 12, 2015
Halsti has represented the Finland national team 20 times since his debut in 2008. He also has experience as a member of Finland's U21 National Team, appearing in 15 games.
