ORLANDO, Fla. — Ben Olsen admitted that D.C. United’s visit to Orlando was largely a mission of keeping key players healthy. But United's coach insisted he was still proud of the way his young team stuck to their task despite the 4-2 defeat Sunday in Camping World Stadium.
With a playoff place secured — but some jockeying for position still to be done — Olsen fielded a makeshift line-up that showed fully 10 changes from last week’s 3-1 win over New York City FC, and a very youthful starting XI struggled to get a grip on the game for long periods.
Yet the visitors were still in with a shout right up until Julio Baptista bagged the home side’s fourth goal in the 89th minute, and Olsen owned up to a difficult juggling act in sending them out on a night when Orlando was highly motivated to sign off at Camping World Stadium with a win.
“In some ways I set them up to fail tonight, but they showed they are a really gutsy group,” he insisted. “Individual players like [Julian] Buescher had a very good night. [Alvaro] Saborio came in and did well and there were good minutes for Jalen [Robinson] and Kofi [Opare]. Rob [Vincent] was steady, likewise [Luke] Mishu, and Collin Martin hadn’t had a game all year, so these were vital minutes.
“I am extremely proud of the way they went about that game. It was never going to be perfect and there were going to be some mishaps and problems in communication, but being a gutsy team, I never felt like we were out of that game. If they hadn’t got that goal at the end with a deflection, I felt like we had a chance to get a tie, which would have been a good result.”
Knowing the team faces a playoff game on Thursday (vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 pm ET, UniMás, MLS LIVE, RDS2), Olsen considered the main task to be keeping his core group intact for the Knockout Round.
“There is a lot of thought that goes into this,” he explained. “Knowing what physical state the players are in, playing the percentages a bit, knowing Montreal had to go away on turf, and wanting to be the fresher team. All in all, I would say it worked out.”
With the Impact also losing to preserve D.C.’s fourth place, and a home tie, Olsen could feel justifiably prescient in his team choice, and he insisted he now believes United are well set to make some noise in the playoffs.
“It’s obviously disappointing to lose, but I think the team understands that there is a very important game to come,” he said. “We always had a bunch of scenarios in mind. Montreal have been a bit hot and cold this year but we expect them to bring their best and we are certainly going to have to be at our best to get through this round.
“But I am happy that we are healthy going into it. We have been overachieving for quite a few years now, if you listen to outside reports, but we always have belief in our group as a playoff team. And now the next phase is, can we make a run deep into the playoffs? That’s the challenge, and I think we are primed for it.”
