VANCOUVER, B.C. - For some time now, Union manager Jim Curtin has preached the gospel of how important it is to play young players in Major League Soccer.
On Sunday, Curtin put his money where his mouth is, and he reaped a big reward from it.
In the Union's scoreless draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps, midfielder Derrick Jones became the first product of the academy to start a MLS game. Though the senior roster has had homegrown players, Jones is the first player with that designation who is a product of the full-fledged academy program the Union launched in 2013.