Two days before an early-season matchup against the Colorado Rapids in April, D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen posted the team's starting XI in the locker room. In the center of the defensive backline were the initials "D.P."
When rookie defender Donovan Pines saw the team sheet, he said, "Who is D.P.?"
"Oh, wait," he thought. "That's me."
Pines, a towering 6-foot-5 defender, was exceptional against Colorado during his debut. He earned an assist on a deflected cross into the box that allowed speedy midfielder Luciano Acosta to pounce on the ball and rocket it into the net to tie the game.
