This article originally appeared on April 16, 2021, published by WUSA9.
United will host New York City in its home opener Saturday night at Audi Field. For the first time in more than a year, they won’t be playing in a silent stadium.
Five thousand lucky fans will be allowed inside — and that’s much-welcomed news to the players.
“Yeah, it brings us back to what should be normal as professional athletes to have fans and spectators watching us on a weekly basis and that’s a great thing here. It’s a new experience for me as well, as it’s my first time playing in the stadium, and now with the fans, I would say it’s the perfect debut,” D.C. United defender, Brendan Hines-Ike said.
Hines-Ike is one of several new faces with D.C. United this season. Adrien Perez joins the team from Los Angeles and is also eager to make his home debut in front of D.C.’s die-hard fanbase.
“I feel like soccer is meant to be played with fans and the joy of them cheering us on,” D.C. United forward Adrien Perez said.