For the Black-and-Red, defense is critical. With captain and U.S. Men’s National Team defender Steve Birnbaum and MLS veteran Sean Franklin at the heart of the defense alongside United's first-ever Homegrown Player Bill Hamid providing cover in goal, the Black-and-Red are well-versed in defending. Leidos, the presenting partner of D.C. United, is a global science and technology leader in defense. Whether it's air, land, sea, space, or cyberspace, Leidos meets challenges and provides solutions. Sponsored by Leidos, this weekly feature delves into some of the defensive storylines for United's next match.
Jalen Robinson earned his fifth career start for the Black-and-Red on Wednesday against Atlanta United, but he played like a veteran.
During his 90 minutes on the pitch, Robinson committed no fouls and was solid with the ball at his feet, completing 70 percent of his passes and getting 31 touches en route to a shutout win over the Peach State side.
His performance didn’t go unnoticed by his fellow defender Kofi Opare.
“I thought Jalen did a really good job tonight,” he said. “You know, the kid can play. He’s shown it before and he just got in, he kept it simple, he did his job. Obviously, I’ve had reps with Jalen in the past, so I think that understanding is there. … Jalen did a really good job showing he has the ability to step in and play well.”
Robinson showed his understanding by combining with the midfield. He linked up with Jared Jeffrey and Russell Canouse 14 times during the match, showing that the young player is a confident passer and that his teammates believe in his decision making abilities.
But this wasn’t Robinson’s first career shutout. In June 2016, he played 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over this weekend’s opponent, the New England Revolution. In that game, he helped stifle New England’s leading goal scorers this year, Kei Kamara, Juan Agudelo and Lee Nguyen.
Head coach Ben Olsen is looking for his young academy product to do the same this time around.
