Ben Olsen

Ben Olsen
Personnel
Surname	Benjamin Robert Olsen
birthday	May 3, 1977
place of birth	Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ,  USA
size	173 cm
position	Right midfield
Juniors
Years	station
1994-1997	Virginia Cavaliers
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
1998-2009	DC United	221 (29)
2000-2001	→  Nottingham Forest  (loan)	18 0(2)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals)
1998-2007	United States	37 0(6)
Stations as a trainer
Years	station
2010–	DC United
1 Only league games are given.

Benjamin Robert "Ben" Olsen (born May 3, 1977 in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ) is a former American soccer player and current soccer coach . He played for DC United in Major League Soccer for over 10 years before announcing his retirement in October 2009.

The physically strong Olsen, known for his running workload during his playing days, initially played in the right midfield position and later moved to the center of the midfield.

Athletic career

After successfully playing football in high school and being the best player in Pennsylvania in a year, Olsen played college football for three years at the University of Virginia , where he scored 34 goals with another 41 assists . He was named best college player of the year in 1997 ("Soccer America Collegiate Player of the Year"). He joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as a player in the Project-40 program , a Nike- sponsored joint venture between the MLS and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), which promotes talented young footballers Wanted to help development, and was assigned to DC United on December 27, 1997.

At DC United, he immediately exceeded all expectations in the right midfield position, immediately earned himself a regular place in the 1998 season and was named " MLS Rookie of the Year " after four goals and eight assists as the best newcomer . He also won the CONCACAF Champions Cup with his team . In the following season, Olsen was able to further improve his performance, scored five goals in 26 games in addition to 11 assists and helped his team to win the third MLS Cup in the club's history and was awarded the title of Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) in the final . His third season in the capital began promisingly until after a collision with Zach Thornton , the keeper of Chicago Fire missed the ankle broke, characterized much of the second half of the season and therefore was only 13 missions.

After the injury had healed, Olsen was loaned by DC United to the English club Nottingham Forest in the First Division , impressed those responsible there very quickly and became a crowd favorite. Shortly before a long-term commitment from the traditional English club, he injured his ankle again and this comparatively much more serious injury prematurely ended Olsen's ambitions for a career in Europe . After the full season in 2001, he missed almost half of the season of 2002 during his convalescence before he could celebrate his comeback after 18 months . He made ten missions for the rest of the season and proved in 2003 that he had not lost touch. Since the protracted ankle injury cost him much of his speed, which had always distinguished him as a winger, he moved to central midfield, where he succeeded quickly due to his above-average game intelligence. In this position he made 25 appearances in the 2004 season , scored three goals and won his second championship. In the following year he also played 23 championship games and scored two goals.

In the following season he was able to keep his regular seat and was deputy captain of the team. On October 20, 2009, he announced his retirement from professional football.

National team

In the national team, after his debut on November 6, 1998 against Australia , Olsen was long regarded as the ideal cast for the right midfield position and was a key player for the United States in 1999. In 2000 he also won the US Cup and was part of the Olympic selection that came fourth in Sydney . The numerous injuries then destroyed not only his club career but also his ambitions in the national team.

After his retreat to the center of midfield, Olsen succeeded - after only sporadic appearances - then through his participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005 , when he played in four games, the comeback in the selection of Bruce Arena and he was against in 2006 after goals Guatemala and Jamaica appointed to the squad for the soccer World Cup in Germany.

Coaching career

Shortly after retiring as an active footballer, he became assistant coach under Curt Onalfo at DC United on January 5, 2010. In August 2010 he took over the post of head coach after Onalfo was fired as an interim solution. On November 29, 2010 he was confirmed as the official trainer.

Trivia

• Olsen paints in his spare time and is mainly concerned with modern art . His brother Jeremy Olsen is also active in modern art.
• He is also a licensed priest and presided over the wedding of his former teammate Nick Rimando .
• Olsen has been married to Megan Schoen, a teacher at Takoma Park Middle School, since December 2006.

successes

• MLS Cup Winner : 1999, 2004
• CONCACAF Champions Cup winner: 1998
• US Open Cup Winner: 2008

Web links

• Ben Olsen in the MLSSoccer.com database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Olsen to Retire