Ben Olsen has been at the helm for DC UNITED for 9 years and has guided the club to a losing record of 95-108-69 in the regular season. As far as the post season, OLSEN and the Black and Red crew have not sniffed a shot at a MLS CHAMPIONSHIP in years. The closest they have come is an Eastern Conference finals in 2012 where they simply imploded.
Many are questioning the move. DC UNITED is a proud organization who dominated MLS competition with stars like Jaime Moreno and Olsen himself as a player back in the heyday. While there have been periods in Olsen’s time at the helm at DC UNITED where most clubs would have fired him for the results on the field, let’s be fair. Most years, Olsen has had to act more like a magician than a true MLS head coach. While he’s had some great players over the years, he’s also dealt with a payroll that has been consistently in the lowest echelon of all MLS teams year in and year out. He’s done far more with far less than most coaches could have done. The club has struggled financially and has been handicapped by their old venue, RFK stadium.
Fast forward to the present. The club has built a tremendous new stadium with a proper naming/endorsement deal from AUDI. Last season they made tremendous strides in acquiring talent like phenom Wayne Rooney and several Latin stars. Olsen took last years squad which was struggling at the start of the season before many key acquisitions and elevated them to a true threat, not only making the post season but playing relatively well until being eliminated. The club is building a tremendous training facility in Northern Virginia which rivals most other MLS clubs. So before you blast DC UNITED and trash their decision, he’s now working with an above average player pool and an organization that continues to finally spend money on team infrastructure and adding more quality players. I for one, am willing to see what Olsen does going forward. Remember, loyalty works both ways. If you don’t think Olsen himself has been frustrated over the years with the hurdles he’s faced with this club and the results on the field, you a truly incorrect. He too has had options and has chosen to see this thing out. He deserves the extension.
