Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

WASHINGTON – At 3 p.m. on Saturday, D.C. United defender Ethan White got some daunting news.

Starting centerback Perry Kitchen was out with the flu, so he would need to step in to make his MLS debut hours later against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

For White, it meant quickly wrapping his head around the idea of marking savvy veteran striker Juan Pablo Angel, defending set pieces from David Beckham's lethal right foot, and playing in front of the largest RFK Stadium crowd for a league match since 2008.

But White, who inked with United as a Homegrown Player signing after two seasons at the University of Maryland, didn't seem fazed by the bright lights and famed faces. Instead, the 20-year-old rookie enjoyed a stable evening in central defense, playing his part in the neutralization Los Angeles' front line as Galaxy strikers Angel and Miguel Lopez were essential nonfactors during the 1-1 draw.

"It's definitely a good feeling knowing I can match up with some of the better guys in the league," White said. "I still have a lot to learn, but I know I'm on my way there."

White's most significant contribution came in the 35th minute, when Galaxy right back A.J. DeLaGarza's skidding service from the right flank skipped by charging goalkeeper Bill Hamid and fell to Mike Magee at the far post.

The Galaxy winger, who scored the game's opener, seemed sure to double his strike total when he fired a shot at the gaping net, but White retreated to the goal line and made a sliding clearance to maintain D.C.'s 1-0 deficit.

"For the most part, he was a stud," United coach Ben Olsen said. "The guy is as athletic as you're going to see, and he seems to be a gamer. He seems to be a guy who when given a stage, he does pretty well."

The Galaxy tested White's athletic prowess by playing balls over the top for speedy right midfielder Sean Franklin to latch onto. White, however, halted several such attacks in their infancy, showing admirable recovery speed that allowed him to quickly push wide and beat Franklin to the ball.

"He's a great athlete, and there's not anybody who is going to run by him," said left back Marc Burch, who largely drew the assignment of containing Franklin. "He covered me well on a couple balls. He did well, he battled. He's got athleticism so he can fight, he can scrap, he can do everything he needs to. The technical side will come and he's only a rookie, so I think he'll be great."

Getting to this point required patience from White, who fought through a calf injury during the preseason and fell behind Kitchen, Rodrigo Brasesco and Daniel Woolard in the competition to partner with defensive staple Dejan Jakovic at centerback.

Going 120 minutes Wednesday in his first competitive match for United, a penalty kicks win in a U.S. Open Cup qualifier against the Philadelphia Union, White impressed Olsen enough to earn the start Saturday when Kitchen called in sick and Brasesco didn't dress due to a groin ailment.

"I was injured the first day of preseason and after that, I just worked my way up," White said. "You got to be patient, you know, being one of the younger guys. You got to learn and eventually get your chance like I did today."

When reigning Rookie of the Year Andy Najar entered at right back in the 72nd minute to join White and Hamid on the pitch, United fielded three Homegrown Player signings during a league contest for the first time.

"Ethan, I'm very proud of today, thinking about where he was a year ago, two years ago, being on the academy, with us playing together and him playing in front of me," Hamid said. "We had three academy players on the field today, and that speaks volumes for our academy team."

Saturday's experience was made all the more surreal for White by his also sharing the field with Beckham, who visited RFK Stadium in July 2008 when White, then a recent graduate of nearby Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland, was one of of the 35,979 who packed into the creaky venue to get a glimpse of the former England captain.

Saturday, he got a much closer look.

"Sitting in the stands watching Beckham play here three years ago and then playing on the field against him — I dreamed about it, but I didn't know if it was going to happen," White said. "But I worked hard, and now I'm here."