White is latest defender to reach the pro ranks
It’s a great time to be a former Maryland defender.
Five days after D.C. United rookie center back Ethan White started at Portland against fellow Terrapins alumni Rodney Wallace and Jeremy Hall, he’ll meet up with a few more ex-Maryland players Friday when United (4-4-3) visits MLS-leading Los Angeles (8-2-5).
The Galaxy remain unbeaten at home (4-0-2) thanks in large part to Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza, whose partnership in Southern California the last two and a half years has been as formidable as it was when they won an NCAA title together in College Park in 2008.
| Up next |
| D.C. United at Galaxy |
| When » Friday, 11 p.m. |
| Where » Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif. |
| TV » Fox Soccer |
| D.C. United will wear its red uniform for the first time. The team is donating $5 from each jersey sold on its website to Red Card Cancer, a fundraising initiative for cancer research in partnership with Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. |
On Saturday, the U.S. national team will take on Spain in Foxborough, Mass., a match likely to see the services of Maurice Edu, who has become one of the country’s best defensive midfielders, and Clarence Goodson, who has made a name for himself in Scandinavia and has followed Philadelphia center back Danny Califf as the latest ex-Terps player on the U.S. back line.
Watching proudly, of course, will be Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski, who has helped mold them all.
“Center back is a position of great humility and discipline because you’re not going to be a playmaker,” Cirovski said. “You’re a very important organizer, and the risk/reward decisions that you make are crucial.”
White, who is closest geographically to Cirovski, has gotten advice in person this spring, leaning on his former coach as he was thrust unexpectedly into United’s starting lineup against Los Angeles on April?9. Appropriately, his career ascent has been at full speed ever since.
“I think the best athlete of that whole group is Ethan White,” Cirovski said. “I think he has incredible potential, but they’ve all had things that they’ve had to overcome and work on. I think the most important thing for Ethan is to stay humble and not relax and take unnecessary risks in his development.”
Compared with Gonzalez, Cirovski said White actually started his Maryland career further ahead because of his athleticism and familiarity with being a defender. Gonzalez had been a midfielder and forward before college. As a defender he was named 2009 MLS rookie of the year and is on the bubble for the U.S. roster this summer.
“I always looked up to Omar,” White said. “He played my position. I took his number [4] at Maryland. When I first got to Maryland, they had an article comparing us, so I always had to live up to the hype. I’ll try to follow in his footsteps.”
As for who follows White? London Woodberry played in the back for the Terps this spring, but Cirovski said, “There’s no shortage of people fighting for that spot.”
As one of the best legacies in American soccer, it’s worth it.
