It might not have been a league match, but at least D.C. United didn’t cough up another one on Friday night at RFK Stadium. United welcomed Chivas Guadalajara, from Mexico’s Liga MX, in for a friendly match in front of a crowd of about 13,000.

And while the encounter ended in 1-1 draw, it offered United the chance to show off some of the talent that may one day improve this year’s anemic roster. In particular, the game featured the on-field debut of Michael Seaton, a 17-year-old who grew up in Prince George’s County and was signed by United in January. Seaton, who is on loan to the third-tier Richmond Kickers, used his first touch with an MLS team to tip a pass to forward Carlos Ruiz, who scored United’s lone goal of the night in the 73rd minute.

Ruiz, for what it’s worth, has been playing professionally longer than Seaton has been alive. Moreover, Seaton is even younger than Major League Soccer itself, and is the first player born after the start of the league’s first season to sign with one of its teams. But United head coach Ben Olsen seemed encouraged by what he saw on Friday night.

“He has got a long way to go, but that play sums up why he is scoring goals,” Olsen told The Washington Post. He has something about him. He doesn’t have a lot of fear in his mind. He goes hard. He is competitive.”

Basement-dwelling United, which resumes its league schedule on Wednesday with a match with the Chicago Fire, could probably use some of Seaton’s gusto.