Veteran puts best foot forward as a reserve
Santino Quaranta has good reason to be frustrated with the way this season has gone after a stretch of banner years. But when D.C. United lost both of its starting forwards to injury in the first half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, Quaranta had no choice but to accept the role he was forced into on short notice, one that called for plenty of guts and not much glory.
His hard work didn’t result in any goals, but in replacing Charlie Davies (hamstring), Quaranta’s efforts in an improved second half didn’t go unnoticed.
“I’ve been around long enough where one minute you’re sitting having a Gatorade and the next minute you’re chasing defenders down 50 yards,” said Quaranta, who hopped off the bench in the 34th minute.
Despite being pegged almost exclusively as a wide midfielder in recent seasons, he jumped in at forward, a position where he’s comfortable even if he’s not used there often.
“You just come on, bring energy and just try to do whatever you can to help the team,” he said.
Quaranta has just a single goal and two starts after leading D.C. United (3-4-3) in minutes played last season. After starting and picking up two yellow cards in D.C. United’s 1-1 draw with Los Angeles last month, Quaranta lost one game to suspension but ultimately lost his place in the lineup altogether.
“It hasn’t been an easy transition for him, being on the bench,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “But I was really proud of him coming in and doing a good job.”
Three years ago, Olsen the player helped convince United to bring Quaranta back into the fold in 2008 after his recovery from addiction. Having Olsen the coach take his playing time away has been a difficult adjustment for Quaranta, who was once on the fringes of the U.S. national team.
Quaranta’s game and his role have changed but are no less important. The 26-year-old is expected to lead by example in a young locker room, provide a spark on the field when necessary and give unwavering support to Olsen always.
“He knows that he can count me no matter what,” Quaranta said. “I’ll never go behind him and do anything to jeopardize our relationship. Am I a competitor? Do I get [angry] sometimes? Absolutely. I’m sure he knows that. We have talks every once in a while. I’ll always help him and do whatever I can.”
