Steven Goff reports in Soccer Insider that Ben Olsen's career could be in jeopardy due to ankle problems.
Ben Olsen has been a great leader for D.C. United both on the field and off the field. On the field no one works harder than Ben. Off the field he's been involved in many charitable activities for D.C. United. He's scored several clutch goals for D.C and at times also played tough by taking on the role of enforcer when needed.
One of the best D.C. United memories I have is Ben's goal in MLS Cup 1999 vs the L.A. Galaxy in Foxboro, MA. I took a road trip up with the Screaming Eagles and Olsen intercepted a terrible clearance by Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and scored the second goal in their 2-0 victory. His hustle that day earned him MLS Cup Most Valuable Player.
Another memory I have was watching him on TV score his first career hat trick against New York in a 4-2 win last June. His play that day earned him Player of the Week and Goal of the Week honors.
Check out the 2005 article my friend Dave wrote for D.C. United.
Here's hoping Ben can come back. He's been down this road before, being injured, missing a lot of time and he rebounded and made the 2006 USA World Cup team. He's got a lot of heart, guts and determination, so maybe it is too early to retire him just yet.
A D.C. United legend when he does retire, he will be on the Tradition of Excellence banner that currently hangs in RFK Stadium.
1 comment:
The only silver lining for me is the fact that he had the season of his life last year. At least Benny went out with a bang.
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