Assistant coach turns time in goal into lesson
Ben Olsen’s options at goalkeeper have increased by one.
With Steve Cronin coming off the injured reserve list for the first time since breaking his wrist early in preseason, the D.C. United coach now has four players available when New England visits Tuesday for a U.S. Open Cup qualifying match at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds.
Though it might seem like a good time to phase goalkeeper/assistant coach Pat Onstad back into a purely sideline function, United isn’t likely to remove him from the playing roster any time soon. Olsen said the 43-year-old will start against the Revolution.
“He understands his role right now with this club, and he’s ready to go,” Olsen said. “But he’s also ready to teach, and he’s actually doing both at the same time. … He’s been fantastic, and he’s helped me out. He’s a very honest guy. He’s got that Canadian honesty, and he keeps me on my toes, too.”
Cronin still needs time to regain his form, rookie Joe Willis isn’t quite ready and regular starter Bill Hamid will be back in goal Friday when United visits Houston in league play.
| U.S. OPEN CUP QUALIFYING |
| Revolution at D.C. United |
| Where » Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds |
| When » Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. |
“I got hired to be a coach here, so my number one priority is to make sure that I’m trying to get these three guys as ready as possible for MLS action,” Onstad said. “The nice thing is actually being on the field and trying to show by example what I’m expecting and what I want.”
Olsen’s management of playing time hasn’t been as easy with his rotation in the field. Reigning rookie of the year Andy Najar has missed the last two league matches. The first was because of sickness, but his omission by coach’s decision against New York was a surprise for United’s best player last season.
“I’m not worried about him being too fragile,” Olsen said. “I have no doubt in my mind that Andy’s going to be a great player for us, and he’s going to be a great player again this year. His job right now is to use the games he has to show me that he’s ready to go and be called on.”
The winner of Tuesday’s match will play at Kansas City in late May, with the winner being awarded a spot in the U.S. Open Cup tournament itself.
