Fresh off a 5-0 dismantling of Real Salt Lake, four D.C. United players have departed to represent their respective nations in the first official international break of 2019. Each has a chance to stake a claim as to why they belong in the picture in an important summer for both the United States and Venezuela.
D.C. United nor Loudoun United have a game this weekend, so none of the four players are expected to miss time with their clubs upon their return from international duty.
Paul Arriola
2019 appears to be Paul Arriola’s year for club and country and he is looking to build on strong performances in Gregg Berhalter’s first two matches at the helm in January. The fact that Arriola has been called into consecutive camps bodes well for his chances of making the roster for this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, the Stars and Stripes’ first competitive fixtures under their new tactician.
Berhalter’s men face off against two South American outfits in Ecuador and Chile. I see Arriola starting and getting significant playing time in both high-profile affairs. The manager’s emphasis on strong wing play paves the way for the 24-year-old to make an impact, and Arriola has already found success for D.C. through implementing what he learned in the previous U.S. camp.
Chris Durkin
D.C.’s homegrown midfielder is eager to prove his worth for the Stars and Stripes at the Under-20 level. The 19-year-old is a familiar face in the U.S. youth system, appearing for the Under-17 side at the 2017 Concacaf Championship and the 2017 World Cup. Strong play for D.C. in 2018 garnered plenty of attention, and this could be the year the rising star takes the next step toward becoming an integral piece for the U.S. into the future.
Coach Tab Ramos has called in 20 players to convene in Spain, the final camp before the U-20 World Cup in Poland. Tune up matches against France on Friday and Japan on Monday provide the chance to get a clear picture of who will line up in the summer. Durkin is surrounded by plenty of talent in Ramos’ midfield unit, so seeing action in at least one of the friendlies would be a welcome sign that he will make the World Cup roster.
Donovan Pines
The Summer Olympics are over a year away, but after missing the last two tournaments, US Soccer put together a men's U-23 camp, to start to prep for qualifications. Jason Kreis was named as the manager of the team, and 23 players were called into a camp in Spain. That included Pines, who United signed as a homegrown player in January.
Fresh off of winning the NCAA national championship with Maryland in December, the towering center back has played twice for D.C.'s new USL side, Loudoun United, to start the season. Pines has played well to start his professional career, and Ben Olsen and his staff think highly of the 21-year-old. Pines will have a chance to compete for minutes against Egypt and the Netherlands, on March 22 and March 24.
Junior Moreno
Junior has had a bright start to the 2019 campaign and his latest performance earned a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. The final D.C. player reporting for international duty will be hoping to see the field for his native Venezuela against the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina on Friday, followed by a meeting with Catalonia on Monday.
Moreno has 10 caps to his name since debuting for his country in 2017 in a friendly against the United States. The defensive midfielder can certainly become a mainstay moving forward, but for now he looks to be stuck behind Torino’s Tomás Rincón in the pecking order for Venezuela. Keep an eye out for him to potentially earn minutes late on against Argentina or perhaps get a start against Catalonia. Moreno will be hoping to be a part of Venezuela's squad for this summer's Copa America, which kicks off in Brazil on June 14.