Is Olsen On The Coaching Hot Seat?
When D.C. United lost 2-1 to the next worst team in Major League Soccer in mid-June, Toronto FC, Ben Olsen’s club dropped even deeper into the league cellar.
The Black & White let their most recent best chance at a victory slip away after taking an early 1-0 lead.
Sitting on only six points, D.C. United has won only one time (1-11-3) in their first 15 games of the 2013 season.[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] That came 1-0 at home on March 9 against Real Salt Lake.
Olsen has felt the pressure, and has unloaded several times, in both the locker room and in postgame press conferences. None of that seems to have helped.
Despite the lack of success on the field, club officials have declared their support of the third-year head coach, a longtime player for the club and All-America collegiate at the University of Virginia.
Last season the team reached the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Much more had been expected this season.
“We have five months of soccer ahead of us and we are very close to turning this around,” said General Manager Dave Kasper, who exercised the option on Olsen’s contract prior to the season opener. He’s guaranteed through the 2014 season.
Speaking to Steven Goff of The Washington Post, Kasper continued to support the coach, and when asked how the owners were dealing with the lack of wins, he said, “They are concerned, but our conversations were supportive and positive, and they want to provide the resources to get us back there.
“It’s a priority of ownership to turn this around.”
Of the owners, only Jason Levien is in the D.C. area. Will Chang is in the San Francisco area and Erik Thorhir lives in Indonesia.
Kasper indicated that the team expects to soon add some new players, and recently acquired Swiss left back Alain Rochat from Vancouver.
“We have some interesting options,” he said.
The Black & White let their most recent best chance at a victory slip away after taking an early 1-0 lead.
Sitting on only six points, D.C. United has won only one time (1-11-3) in their first 15 games of the 2013 season.[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] That came 1-0 at home on March 9 against Real Salt Lake.
Olsen has felt the pressure, and has unloaded several times, in both the locker room and in postgame press conferences. None of that seems to have helped.
Despite the lack of success on the field, club officials have declared their support of the third-year head coach, a longtime player for the club and All-America collegiate at the University of Virginia.
Last season the team reached the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Much more had been expected this season.
“We have five months of soccer ahead of us and we are very close to turning this around,” said General Manager Dave Kasper, who exercised the option on Olsen’s contract prior to the season opener. He’s guaranteed through the 2014 season.
Speaking to Steven Goff of The Washington Post, Kasper continued to support the coach, and when asked how the owners were dealing with the lack of wins, he said, “They are concerned, but our conversations were supportive and positive, and they want to provide the resources to get us back there.
“It’s a priority of ownership to turn this around.”
Of the owners, only Jason Levien is in the D.C. area. Will Chang is in the San Francisco area and Erik Thorhir lives in Indonesia.
Kasper indicated that the team expects to soon add some new players, and recently acquired Swiss left back Alain Rochat from Vancouver.
“We have some interesting options,” he said.
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