Griffin Yow signed with D.C. United a couple months ago, and he hadn’t yet played meaningful minutes for the club. He’s 16 years old and still can’t drive. Yet, just after halftime at Audi Field on Wednesday, Yow leaped into the air as his teammates swarmed toward him.
Friendlies are largely meaningless, and the 5-2 loss to Real Betis, a Spanish club, won’t have any effect the club’s MLS aspirations. But for a youngster who scored for the first time in a United jersey, the moment matters.
“It’s huge for me, not just to get my first goal, but it’s a confidence-builder,” Yow said, “so when that first game, more than 10 minutes does come around in the MLS season or maybe something bigger, I’ll be ready for it, I’ll be confident and I’ll be able to maybe get another goal.