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Ben Olsen: Branko Boskovic is the key to D.C. United's resurgence
The head coach of D.C. United believes a healthy Branko Boskovic can elevate the club to a contending status.
Feb 19, 2012 10:45:00 PM
By Mark Vincent Lincir
D.C. United is all about winning, or at least it used to be.
The club's players, staff and certainly fans want it and expect it. Its coach after all, won two MLS Cups as a player. Needless to say, patience as a virtue may be tough to uphold if the wins don’t come fast and furiously when the 2012 Major League Soccer season begins in just a few weeks.
After playing Real Salt Lake to a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, a bearded and bundled-up Ben Olsen waxed philosophically about his club’s chances of winning an MLS Cup in 2012.
“We’re not thinking about a championship right now. We just want to get the guys ready for the season and focus on playing well and winning the conference first,” he told Goal.com after the match in front of a 100 or so fans at the Reach 11 Complex.
“He was hurt most of the year last season, but we are counting on him to do well. We spent a lot of money on him to bring him in here and we are going to be expecting a lot out of him this season,” he said about the 31-year-old Montenegrin midfielder who sat out most of last season with a torn ACL.
Olsen said that being patient is the biggest challenge for him as a coach since he wasn’t really known as a very patient player. “I’m getting better about it. It takes time, but it’s important to be patient as a coach,” he stated.
Many former players struggle to come to grips with the harsh realities that coaching for a career can bring with it. When asked what the biggest upside to coaching was, Olsen responded bluntly but with a slight smirk.
“There is no upside.”
MARK VINCENT LINCIR is the author of A SOCCER LIFE IN SHORTS. He blogs daily here.
The club's players, staff and certainly fans want it and expect it. Its coach after all, won two MLS Cups as a player. Needless to say, patience as a virtue may be tough to uphold if the wins don’t come fast and furiously when the 2012 Major League Soccer season begins in just a few weeks.
After playing Real Salt Lake to a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, a bearded and bundled-up Ben Olsen waxed philosophically about his club’s chances of winning an MLS Cup in 2012.
“We’re not thinking about a championship right now. We just want to get the guys ready for the season and focus on playing well and winning the conference first,” he told Goal.com after the match in front of a 100 or so fans at the Reach 11 Complex.
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“He was hurt most of the year last season, but we are counting on him to do well. We spent a lot of money on him to bring him in here and we are going to be expecting a lot out of him this season,” he said about the 31-year-old Montenegrin midfielder who sat out most of last season with a torn ACL.
Olsen said that being patient is the biggest challenge for him as a coach since he wasn’t really known as a very patient player. “I’m getting better about it. It takes time, but it’s important to be patient as a coach,” he stated.
Many former players struggle to come to grips with the harsh realities that coaching for a career can bring with it. When asked what the biggest upside to coaching was, Olsen responded bluntly but with a slight smirk.
“There is no upside.”
MARK VINCENT LINCIR is the author of A SOCCER LIFE IN SHORTS. He blogs daily here.
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