As was previously stated here (okay, I was off by a little bit), it looks like Ben Olsen is going to hang up his boots. Although it could have been easily guessed that his time was running out, Olsen has decided that either pain or other considerations have made it undesirable to continue his career.

His contributions to the club cannot be understated, as Benny went from being a young and energetic kid, to a skillful young American player, an injured older player, and a tenacious, aggressive and professional veteran. It was easy to see what Ben still brought to the table last season, but it was also evident to those who watched that Ben wasn’t close to his old self most of the time. The thing that saddens me is what his last kick was for DC, a stupid, petulant red card. Similar to Zidane, albeit on a tremendously smaller and more insignificant scale, you never want a legend to go out in a negative way. Of course his legacy is much deeper than that, and Goff said that its likely he stays with the club in some capacity.

I hope that in the coming year or two, the club throws Benny a testimonial at RFK, giving all of his fans a chance to see him play one more time, and send him off with the love and loyalty that DCU fans have shown to him in the past.

“We don’t want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball. How many people go to watch Colorado or New England play? That’s a problem for our league. We can’t play like we’re a team desperately trying to remain in 14th place in the Premiership.”

AND

Given a choice, we would rather attack than cynically defend. You look at the way Real Salt Lake played when they came here [a 0-0 tie in May] and sat 10 guys behind the ball. You don’t have to do that. Sometimes that is the best way to get a result — if you don’t care about the product, if you don’t care about advertising your league. Long term, who wants to watch that?”

One more…

“There are a lot of games in our league that I can’t watch. The problem in our league isn’t who is or isn’t in the playoffs; it’s that not enough people want to watch our league yet, and we have to convince them that our league is worth watching. I don’t think [playing conservatively] is the way to do it. I recognize there is more than one way to skin a cat. I’m not saying that everyone has to play an attacking style, but that is our style and identity, and we have to be honest with ourselves and say there are sometimes liabilities [such as missing the playoffs] that come with it.
“We still have a lot more trophies in our case than everybody else, so I think in the long run, it’s the right thing to do. This league is changing [a smaller percentage of teams will make the playoffs as MLS expands by three over the next two seasons] and we are going to see more of that kind of [defensive] approach: results at any cost.”

Making Friends and Influencing People, by Kevin Payne. Needless to say these comments have not been taken well across the league, and the fact that DCU have missed the playoffs twice in a row, along with the fact that DCU tied RSL in goals scored makes the comments ring a little hollow.

Meanwhile, Tom Soehn waits for his future to be sorted as his contract expires this month. This could also be read as, Tom Soehn starts to clear his office as the Front Office searches for his replacement and waits for his contract to expire so they don’t have to pay a guy they fired.

Looks like Moreno and Olsen would like to come back, with Moreno making a here or elsewhere-I’m playing statement, and Olsen saying that his future will be decided by the front office in the coming weeks. For both, it’ll be a necessary pay cut that they’ll have to accept to stay with the club. The team is stronger if they’re able to keep them, but in a reserve capacity. We will soon see how that shakes out, and the new CBA agreement may have a lot to do with it.

Lastly, and kind of interestingly, Fred is a wanted man, somewhere. Looks like Melborne would like to bring back Fred in a CAM role, AKA the role in which he’s a productive player that we never played him in. DC has an option for him in 2010, but I see him moving on.

More as it develops.

The breadth of this experience was on display Sunday afternoon. After a solid performance last Thursday against Marathon at home, DC came out against a team that hadn’t won at home in eons, in a game that HAD to be won. The first half, I turned to my fiance, saying that the team hasn’t looked this good in a while. They were working triangles, making smart runs, and generally showing some sorely missed flair. We were hard done to not have scored in the first half, but I dismissed the poor finishing as par for the course, and hoped we’d figure it out.

Then the dark cloud (figuratively and literally) moved over RFK and sat there.

Josh Wicks came out aggressively (for a change) and made contact with Ryan Johnson instead of the ball, dislocating his shoulder and spraining his knee.

Now, would the team react with fire and battle to keep the lead? Or would they fold like a lawn chair? Guess which one happened.

The team fell apart, with a free kick goal that was hard to be stopped and a Marc Burch disaster that led to goal number two. (To be fair, Soehn threw Burch to the wolves after not playing for weeks). They threw the kitchen sink at San Jose after Soehn finally brought in Christian Gomez with 10 minutes remaining, but too little too late.

No heart. No strength. No playoffs.

I’m in the same position as I was one year ago where I thought not getting in the playoffs may be better for the team in the future. The front office was able to hold off the fans, by promising greater accountability and better results. We got neither, and this year looks to be another year without playoff soccer. If we don’t make it this year, we’ve forced some changes.

The only thing to get out of the rest of this season is to advance in Champions League (which is doable) and to see what we have with the rest of this roster for the rest of the MLS season. By default, we get to see what Milos Kocic is made of, and I want to see players like Shipalane, Habarugira, Szetela, Jacobson (and N’Silu at Toluca). If these guys can’t make the best of their opportunities, then they need to be cut loose. Going into the close season, changes will need to be made, and the new CBA agreement will have a lot to do with it. Higher salary cap, DP’s not counting against the cap, and higher pay minimums mean a restructuring will be necessary and possible.

I’ll do what everyone else is seemingly doing and give me thoughts about the roster, and what we should do with them.

Goalies
Wicks- Keep him. He’s shown that he’s capable, and is an affordable option. The reason we suck is not Josh Wicks.
Kocic- Here’s his opportunity. Run with it Milos, and you’ll be here next year. Be horrible, the picture is less clear.
Hamid- Keep obviously. Maybe loan him out?

Defence
John- Adios, buddy. Coaching maybe in TnT?
Habarugira- If he gets a runout for the rest of the season, we should be able to see what we have. If we don’t play him, we should keep him until we figure it out.
James- I’m torn on James. I’m not impressed all the way, and I think what has been said about him before holds true. Athleticism only gets you so far, and he seems to have some mind lapses that you can’t have in that part of the field. I’ll go with cut him.
Vaughan- Keep him. Valuable backup, and with more experience in the team, will be a good asset.
Burch- If you can find a better LB in the offseason, trade him. He’ll have value somewhere, but he gets burned too often and he isn’t dangerous enough going forward to look past that.
Jakovic- Lock him up. Throw away the key.
Janicki- Reserve. Too slow, nice guy, but not cut out for MLS.
McTavish- Useful as a guy off the bench, but should not be relied on for major minutes. If a better option can be found for his spot at an increased salary, make it happen.
Namoff- Concussion news is scary, as we’ve seen in the past. Hopefully, the prognosis is good and he’ll return to the same form. Keep, but watch out for problems.
Wallace- Keep.

Midfield
DiRaimondo- Waive. Not good enough.
Szetela- Who knows? Hopefully we get to find out, particularly if Olsen retires, he’ll be necessary.
Allen- Waive.
Shipalane- Keep, has something that the team lacks, speed and the ability to attack defenders. Needs to be coached more, but that’s the easy part.
Barklage- Keep. Looked good before injury, and is a good option.
Fred- Ah, Fred. He who has so much talent, but produces so little. As much as it’s hard to say, Fred needs to go. Can’t finish, gives the ball away, and isn’t good enough at crossing the ball to be retained as a pure winger.
Gomez- Keep for one more year. With more speed around him, Gomez can still be dangerous. He also steps his game up internationally, which we’ll need next year.
Jacobson- Play him for the rest of the season, flashes of talent, but may be able to find someone better at his salary.
Ben Olsen- Pay cut, and keep. He still has aggressiveness and bite, shown against Marathon, but can also turn in stinkers like San Jose. Has a role to play, but not at 200k plus.
Pontius and Tino- KEEP.
Simms- I don’t love Simms, but he’s consistent. No more CB, and I see him as value, but he needs to level out his play and try to get forward occasionally.

Forwards

Emilio- Reduce salary, find him a suitable strike partner, and keep. If he isn’t willing to take a pay cut, then let him go. Too inconsistent, and too reliant on others to score.
Moreno- Not a 90 minute player any more. If he can accept that, keep him. If he can’t, offer him a job in the organization.
Khumalo- Keep. Needs work on his finishing, but he’s a talent, and cheap.
N’Silu- Sorry buddy. Waive.

What do you think about all this? Want to see DC make the playoffs? Care about Champions League? Fire Soehn?

DC United got back in this thing called CONCACAF Champions League. With a 7-0 walloping of Marathon by Toluca, DCU is tied on goal differential with Marathon and a win on Thursday would put them in a strong position. The way the rest of the CL schedule works out, a win Thursday, coupled with a Win against San Juan at home and an away draw with Toluca would see them through. Based on the fact that the next league game is San Jose on Sunday, DC SHOULD be able to get 3 points in that game at home without throwing out their best 11. My hope is that they take the next two CONCACAF games seriously, and then put 11 behind the ball away at Toluca on October 20th.

Other News:
Goff says that we MIGHT be opening away at FC Dallas, home opener against New England, and then we will plays Philadelphia’s home opener (most likely at the Link).

By my math, we should be seeing both Marc Burch and Dejan Jakovic back from surgery soon. This should help matters, if only because it means we won’t see anymore Avery John.

Also, in somewhat old news, DCU roster moves have put Ely Allen, Ange N’Silu, and Greg Janicki on the inactive list, which means they are only available for CONCACAF play. Out of those there, I’d only like to see N’Silu get another run out, perhaps at Toluca. Boyzzz Khumalo is also activated, though he’s not ready for game action.

Also, I probably forgot to mention this too, but the team signed Lawson Vaughn, formerly of Chivas USA. This move is a cover pickup, with our centerback situation being so bad lately that Clyde Simms has started three games in the middle.

DCUMD does the first of his Benny Awards, this time for the most underrated player on the team this year.

I should be in attendance on Thursday, despite a night class and a pending assignment that will be explained in said class. Never question my dedication (to United. To Graduate School….I guess that’s debatable).

As originally reported here (in The Offside’s First official scoop), Bill Hamid, Annandale native and academy product, has signed with MLS and will be on DCU’s roster as the third goalkeeper. As a result of this and other additions like Shipalane, Habarugira, and James, someone on the current roster will have to be cut.
Based on recent comments and the type of players brought in, I would wager Greg Janicki is the one let go. It’s a shame for him, because I think he could be a very serviceable CB in MLS. He’s had a number of shockers that just looked like a temporary loss in concentration that resulted in goals.

Also, the Szetela situation has to be resolved soon, as its becoming preposterous. DCU used a very valuable allocation spot on this player, and even though DCU has done an impressive job at keeping the source of the problem in house, you’d have to imagine that the FO would like Soehn let bygones be bygones and get him on the field. Szetela has had problems at every team he’s played on, and at this point, MLS is the last chance saloon. Get it together, Danny.

The team is headed to Chicago to get a needed three points. The Fire haven’t been great at home this season, but DC has been awful away. A sissyfight, if you will. I’ll have a real preview up tomorrow.

For more about Hamid, check out this Washington Post article about him.

The Deal
Avery John to DC United
Conditional Draft Pick to NE Revolution
Francis Doe to the unemployment office

Senior roster (20 spots)
1.Burch
2.Crayton
3.Doe
4.Emilio
5.Fred
6.Gomez
7.Jacobson
8.Jakovic
9.Janicki
10.Khumalo
11.McTavish
12.Moreno
13.N’Silu
14.Namoff
15.Olsen
16.Peters
17.Pontius
18.Quaranta
19.Simms
20. ?

Developmentals
21.Wallace
22.Barklage
23.Miller
24.Kocic

Now, there is one final battlemodo to go on here. The choice is between James Thorpe and Nic Platter. The team has to decide if they think Thorpe is worth a senior roster spot (maybe), or if they’d rather go with Platter. The team appears destined to carry three keepers because of their uncertainty with Crayton’s contract situation. This team does not look like an MLS champion, but I would have said the same about Columbus last year.

What do you think of the way the roster has shaken out?

First, coming in. DCU has signed Dejan Jakovic from Red Star Belgrade, in a real, honest to god transfer. It’s like MLS is a real league and everything!
Some info about Mr. Jakovic:

All of this according to Wiki and Goff, Jakovic, who was born in Croatia, and has been capped by the Canadian National Team (as a side note, we’ve replaced our quota of one real National Team player since Guerrero was shown the exit). He made three appearances for Red Star, but following a coaching change, he had struggled to find any playing time. It appears that Kasper envisions him as the starting CB, with the commanding presence that the team missed last year. At 23, that’s a curious statement. But what it most certainly does is relegate either McTavish or Janecki to the bench. That’s something to watch for as the season draws closer.

A player that I enjoyed watching, Mike Zaher, was released. Largely a victim of the numbers game and the depth at left back, Zaher looks to find a USL team on the west coast to latch on to. I liked Zaher’s crossing ability, and general stability in the LB spot. He had some shaky moments last year, especially in CONCACAF, but it would have been nice to have had the luxury of having a player like him in the reserves. One can only hope that a new collective bargaining agreement will both increase the salary cap, as well as restore the roster sizes and reinstate the reserve division.

Apparently, Milos Kocic has received European offers and he is considering them. The team has decided that Nic Platter, from USL1 Minnesota, will be the backup, with Kocic and Thorpe battling it out for a poverty contract. Personally, if I were Kocic, I’d be outtie 5000. If he does, DC should keep an eye on him. What this also appears to state is that Crayton will be extended, because I have a hard time believing that Nic Platter will start for DC United in late season games.

Ryan Miller signed a developmental contract. He played in two CONCACAF games, and I don’t remember being impressed. He looks to be depth at RB and MF filler. Good luck to him.

This reminds me. After watching the Houston and Montreal CONCACAF games, it made me think about CONCACAF Champions League.

I really want to win it. Badly. I know its a new tournament with no history, but I gotta tell you, compared to the US Open Cup or Superliga, CONCACAF is a lot more exciting. Also, Montreal needs a team yesterday. That was phenomenal. I hope next year we aren’t playing our scrubs in these important games.

Snap judgement?

I’m with everyone, I think. This is a move backwards. Guerrero busted his ass, and played hurt last year. I respected his style of play, and he was one of the few remaining DC players who played internationally. We gave up a DP slot….that, is alright. We obviously weren’t going to get another player that would positively influence ticket sales, and be worth the hit on the salary cap.
The main positive aspect is the salary cap room. Depending on how much of Gomez’s salary that Colorado is covering, and the cost of Guerrero, which as I recall is substantial for a midfielder who scores 1 goal a year ($147,000). So, if DC spends their money wisely here, brings in some help in the back since Roger is splitsville, and a real left winger, we did alright.

Otherwise, we took a trip in the way back machine, and all us STH just threw our 2008 money in a fiery pit.