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Ben Olsen out as head coach of DC United

By Dave Johnson
FILE — D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen, right, walks off the field with defender Steve Birnbaum (15) after an MLS soccer match against the New York Red Bulls, at RFK Stadium, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Ben Olsen will no longer serve as head coach of D.C. United, but will stay on in another role with the club he first joined as a player in 1998.

D.C. United said in a statement Thursday, “Assistant coach Chad Ashton will assume the role of interim manager. While Olsen will no longer move forward as the head coach of D.C. United, he and the club are working together to determine a new role for him within the organization.”

The decision to end Olsen’s run as head coach, which started in 2010, was made a day after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to NYFC at Yankees Stadium.

The Black and Red is bottom of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference and has the worst record in the league. D.C. United conceded four goals in each of its last two games, and the club was winless in its last six matches.

Olsen was the second-longest tenured coach in MLS, but he understood the pressure he was facing with a club struggling to perform even with a playoff position within reach.

“We have sharp owners, and they know what’s best for this club,” Olsen said after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Atlanta. “And when my time is done, it’ll be done. It’s as simple as that.”

Olsen’s time is done as head coach, but included in his contract was stipulation that he would continue with the team in another role. It would be hard to imagine D.C. United without some connection to Olsen.

As a player, Olsen, who originally hails from central Pennsylvania, embraced D.C., and he and his wife Megan are raising their three kids in the District.

Back in 1998, Olsen joined D.C. United from the University of Virginia and he went on to make more than 200 appearances for the club over 12 seasons. Olsen was part of league championship winning teams in 1999 and 2004 before retiring as a player after the 2009 season.

In 2010, Olsen switched to coaching and was an assistant on Curt Onalfo’s staff, but ended up in charge on an interim basis after Onalfo was fired in September of that year. D.C. United President Kevin Payne had faith in Olsen and made him permanent head coach before the 2011 season.

Olsen had success as coach. He led D.C. United to a U.S. Open Cup title in 2013 and was named MLS coach of the year in 2014. D.C. United did make the playoffs five of the last six seasons Olsen was in charge, but they had not won a postseason game since 2015.

Editor’s note: Dave Johnson does the play-by-play for D.C. United. 

D.C. United approved to host 2,000 fans at Audi Field for opening game vs. New York City FC

By Julius Long
D.C. United approved to host 2,000 fans at opening game vs. NYCFC originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonOn April 17, Audi Field will play host to D.C. United's Major League Soccer home opener versus New York City F.C. With approval from the Mayor's Office and DC Health on Monday, it'll also host up to 2,000 fans.In a press conference, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that local professional sports teams are eligible to apply for a waiver that grants them the ability to host fans in a limited capacity. A copy of the March 15 approval letter stated that D.C. United's waiver application to operate Audi Field at 10% capacity, or 2,000 fans, was approved, with HSEMA and DC Health set to monitor the club's compliance "with the hope that we will be able to expand the stadium's capacity in the near future."The letter from the Mayor's Office also outlined the club's proposed protocols, underscoring four key components, including "the importance of controlling and directing fans' ingress and egress from the stadium; minimizing any congregation around restrooms and other outdoor gathering areas; prioritizing, to the greatest extent possible, contactless and in-seat food and beverage service to mitigate contraction; and enforcing COVID-19 protocols derived from CDC and DC Health recommendations, especially mask-wearing and social distancing."The club released a statement on the return of fans following the press conference, thanking the Mayor's Office and DC Health and affirming that they plan to host fans starting on April 17."D.C. United are encouraged by today's update from the Mayor's Office and DC Health approving professional sports teams to welcome fans back into their venues," the statement reads. "The Club applaud Mayor Muriel Bowser for her leadership during the pandemic, as well as DC Health and all of our first responders and frontline workers who have made this possible."The club also stated that it would have additional details on the protocols and ticketing procedures for fans returning to Audi Field in advance of the match against New York City FC.
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