At midpoint, questions remain for Olsen’s team
With last weekend’s shutout victory at New York, D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) hit the midway point of its 34-game season with the same number of points it had in all of 2010. But United isn’t yet in playoff contention, and many of the same questions first-year coach Ben Olsen faced six months ago when training camp opened still apply. Here’s how D.C. United has answered them so far:
Asked in January: How will D.C. United handle goalkeeper Bill Hamid?
When backup Steve Cronin broke his wrist early in training camp, assistant coach Pat Onstad was forced out of retirement and took on a dual role until Hamid returned in April. The 20-year-old has been a commanding presence but has often been let down by the young and inconsistent D.C. United back line.
Asked in January: Can Perry Kitchen take over right away in central defense?
Along with fellow rookie Ethan White, the 19-year-old Kitchen has started nearly every game. Letdowns have been far too frequent, leading to the third-most goals against in the league. Injuries (Dejan Jakovic, Marc Burch, Jed Zayner) have been numerous, and Rodrigo Brasesco was yet another South American bust. The recent acquisition of center back Brandon McDonald from San Jose added much needed vocal leadership, but United has almost no margin for giving points away if it is to make a late-season surge.
Asked in January: What will the midfield rotation look like?
Prized offseason trade acquisition Dax McCarty rotated himself right out of town in a swap for one of MLS’ all-time best in 33-year-old Dwayne De Rosario. Andy Najar fought off a sophomore slump, and Santino Quaranta has missed time because of a concussion. By the time Ben Olsen figured out how to use Branko Boskovic, the pricey playmaker was lost to a season-ending knee injury. However, the addition of De Rosario in the central midfield — who has one goal and one assist after two matches — means all the offense no longer needs to be generated on the wing by Najar and Chris Pontius.
Asked in January: Where will the goals come from?
The equation changed with the February arrival of Charlie Davies, whose road to recovery and redemption began in dramatic fashion with two goals in his debut. But his superb scoring total (eight goals) is inflated by the number of penalty kicks, and he’s not yet the dangerous striker he was before his accident. Josh Wolff’s speed also isn’t what it once was, but he’s made up for it with savvy and guile, racking up four goals and five assists. The more they play together with De Rosario, the more potent D.C. United will be.
Asked in January: What is reasonable progress?
Essentially starting over, Olsen expected a rocky road this season, and he got one. But he also has maintained from the start of the season that the playoffs were the ultimate objective. The arrival of De Rosario, who has been in MLS for more than a decade, changes the urgency. It won’t take much for D.C. United’s postseason dreams to slip completely away. But string a few victories together and the question then becomes how far can D.C. United go in the playoffs?
