Steve Birnbaum and Kyle Porter to be loaned to the Richmond Kickers?

Well, here is something interesting. According to the official USL PRO roster site for the Richmond Kickers, both Steve Birnbaum and Kyle Porter are on the roster for the team and have been assigned numbers. These loans would be for this weekend only, and both players would return to D.C. for the next game. They would join the regular contingent of loanees in Richmond, with the status of Collin Martin still currently up in the air.

The loan for Birnbaum is especially interesting, after two weeks of not making the 18 for D.C. United. A loan, even for one game, would allow him to get some playing time on the weekend while practicing with the team during the week. As Olsen said to Steve Goff:

"Guys should be knocking down my door to go down to Richmond because if they are not playing here [in league matches], where are they playing?" Olsen said. "Where else are you going to prove you are ready to go into an 18 here?"

Obviously, a loan to Richmond will help Birnbaum in his overall development, but with the play of D.C. United's starting centerbacks so far, it is also possible that he might be putting this experience to use in MLS sooner rather than later.