D.C. United have signed 17 new players to the club’s Special Olympics DC (SODC) Unified Soccer Team, presented by Brightspot, now set to return to action for two matches this summer. Returning for a third-straight season, the team will compete against another MLS-affiliated Special Olympics Unified Team later this year.
After participating in an open tryout earlier in the season, the 17 players were officially announced in a press conference that featured United head coach Ben Olsen, captain Steve Birnbaum and veteran forward Sébastien Le Toux. Following the announcement, the team trained on the RFK Stadium field in preparation for their first match.
The SODC Unified Team will kicks off their season at RFK stadium on July 22 with an intra-squad match immediately following the Black-and-Red's match against the Houston Dynamo. The team travel to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on August 19 to play against the Colorado Rapids Unified Team following United's away match against the Rapids.
Leveraging the power of sport, the Special Olympics Unified Exchange program is a partnership between MLS, ESPN and Special Olympics to promote an environment of social inclusion by uniting athletes with and without intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics Unified Sports.
For more information on D.C. United’s community programs and events, visit dcunited.com/community or follow on Twitter at @DCU_CR.
