D.C. United had the weekend off for the international break, but four Black-and-Red players were away representing their country in the meantime. Paul Arriola and Junior Moreno were with the senior teams for the USA and Venezuela, while Donovan Pines, a homegrown defender signed this year, was with the USA U-23 team, the age group that will attempt to qualify for next summer's Olympic games in Tokyo. And Chris Durkin was with the USA U-20 team ahead of the U-20 World Cup, which kicks off at the end of May in Poland.
All of the players are expected to arrive back in town this week and to be ready to go for the weekend. Pines will likely rejoin Loudoun United, where he has played the first two games of the club's inaugural season. Loudoun with travel to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday. Arriola, Moreno, and Durkin will also be heading to Florida for the weekend, as D.C. United will look to keep their hot start to the season going against Orlando City.
Here's a quick recap of how the four internationals got on during the break:
Paul Arriola
After starting both games against Ecuador and Chile, it's almost safe to say that the winger will be part of Gregg Berhalter's squad for the Gold Cup. Arriola started on the left wing for both games and almost got on the score sheet in the first half against Ecuador. In 77 minutes, Arriola was continuously active, while the U.S. struggled to break down a side that was content on sitting deep.
In Tuesday's friendly against Chile, the visitors pinned the hosts back for most of the game. That limited Arriola's involvement in the attacking phase over his 66 minutes, but the former Club Tijuana man made plenty of contributions on the defensive end, aiding the back line on several occasions. That's nothing new for Arriola, but something he'll have to continue to bring to be a part of Berhalter's squad.
Using these two games as a measuring stick, it seems that Arriola might be favored by Berhalter on the left for the Gold Cup. A lot can change between now and then, as the U.S. won't meet up again until the final squad has been determined. But if Arriola can keep up his strong performances in MLS, then there's a good chance he will be starting for the U.S. in the biennial Concacaf tournament.
Junior Moreno
All Moreno has done this year for United has been stand on his head next to Russell Canouse, capped off by his two-assist performance in the 5-0 demolition against Real Salt Lake. The Venezuelan is quickly becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, and that has carried over to his national team. Last week in Spain, Venezuela beat Argentina 3-1, as Lionel Messi returned to the national team for the first time since the World Cup disappointment last summer.
In 90 minutes, Moreno did just about everything for La Vinotinto, proving his MLS form was no fluke.
#DCU midfielder Júnior Moreno had strong performance for #Venezuela in 3-1 win vs Argentina.
— Joga Bonito (@Jasoninho10) March 23, 2019
54 touches
31/35 (88%) passes
3/4 long balls
8 recoveries
3 tackles
2 interceptions
He and Rincón did pretty well containing Messi and other dangerous attackers.#ARGVEN #Vinotinto ?? pic.twitter.com/a2vWddGmYw
On Monday, Moreno got another 90 minutes against Catalonia, a Spanish side that is unrecognized by FIFA. Venezuela dropped that game 2-1, but ahead of this summer's Copa America, the South American side will have built up some confidence with recent performances, with Moreno looking certain to be a starter when June rolls around.
Donovan Pines
The U.S. quickly threw together a U-23 camp and named Jason Kreis the head coach when the squad was announced. Pines, a towering center back who has started his career playing with United's USL side, was part of that squad that went over to Spain to play two friendlies. Pines got the start in the first game against Egypt, a 2-0 loss.
Pines started alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, who plays on loan at Swansea City from Tottenham and already has seven caps with the U.S. senior side. Pines got 45 minutes against Egypt, as Kreis changed out the entire squad at halftime. Pines was then a substitute in the second game, a scoreless draw against the Netherlands.
The U.S. men are trying to qualify for the Olympic games for the first time since 2008. Playing for Loudoun will help Pines get game minutes, but with the Black-and-Red facing a busier schedule in the near future, he might be making his MLS debut in no time.
Chris Durkin
Not but certainly not least, Durkin was also in Spain, with the USA U-20s. The USA faced off against two teams that will also be in the upcoming U-20 World Cup, France and Japan. Against France, Durkin got the start as the U.S. clawed back from two down to earn a 2-2 draw. And then Durkin came off the bench against Japan, as the U.S. won 2-1.
There was no streaming of these games, so information from them is a bit limited. However, this anecdote from MLSsoccer's Matt Doyle should not be much of a surprise for D.C. United fans:
'From a friend who was at the 2-2 draw between the U.S. U-20s and France's U-20s (an excellent friendly result for the U.S., and a game that was not broadcast or streamed): "Chris Durkin was the best player on the field for either team."'