At no point in Steven Birnbaum’s pregame routine did the retiring defender let on that D.C. United’s 4-0 loss to Scottish power Celtic on Saturday night at Audi Field would be the final appearance of a decorated 11-year career in the nation’s capital.
Birnbaum led United out of the tunnel, walking hand in hand with his 4-year-old daughter, Colette, and his 3-year-old son, Brooks. He stayed on his toes during the national anthem, bobbing and swaying to loosen his legs. The 33-year-old greeted Celtic captain Matt O’Riley for the coin toss, then stripped off the white No. 15 T-shirt that every D.