D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell keeps a collection of Ben Olsen action shots on his computer.
“I think the camera people, whether they’re video or especially still shots, they love goofy pictures of Ben Olsen,” Boswell said. “The way he presents himself and plays with his facial expressions, they just come out even more when a picture’s taken.”
Often called United’s heart and soul, Olsen is one of Major League Soccer’s most animated players, a gangly, 5-foot-8 midfielder with an unorthodox playing style … He’s a hardened eight-year veteran who, at 29, has enjoyed success at every level of soccer. “He’ll make you laugh when you’re down. He’ll make sure you don’t get too up,” said Boswell. “The things he does behind the scenes are the reasons that he’s so successful and has everyone’s respect.”
Yet Olsen missed much of D.C.’s best stretch of the season. United was 7-1-3 while he was with the U.S. national team for the 2006 World Cup.
“The way they reacted was fantastic, but it didn’t surprise me because of the way we play,” said Olsen. “I’m a guy who can be replaced, especially when you have a guy like Clyde Simms who will step right in there and do a similar job to what I do.”
Ever humble, Olsen aimed to win his spot back once he returned from Germany, but paid the price.
“I’d blow it out for the games, and I couldn’t really recover until Wednesday,” Olsen said. “It would start compounding because I wasn’t fit. The World Cup got me out of shape because you don’t play games, you just practice and prepare for games like you might be able to play.”
Now healthy, Olsen is playing a major playoff role, throwing around his wiry frame with reckless abandon to disrupt the opposition — such as riling New York midfielder Amado Guevara, as he did last weekend — and create offense. Olsen’s nifty chip freed Christian Gomez for United’s only goal in a 1-0 win over the Red Bulls.
“You have your veterans who have been there before in the playoffs when every play counts,” said United head coach Peter Nowak. “Benny’s one of the guys who can set the tone and set the rhythm for the whole team.”
