World News – CA – Ben Olsen: DC United are ‘fragile’ and ‘not so good’ right now as losses mount

Media addressing after DC United’s 4-0 loss on Saturday night to Atlanta United – the club’s third straight loss, nothing less – there was a palpable sense of emotion on the part of the ‘head coach Ben Olsen

It was the club’s biggest defeat margin in the 2020 season, leaving them rooted in the basement of the standings It also included a red card from Frederic Brillant in the 85th minute and a bizarre streak just after half-time where Russell Canouse was forced out of the game minutes after initially entering as an illegal substitute (not featured on the list of the day)

« We are fragile, we are an emotionally fragile group at the moment and we are not, from a football point of view, very good either, » Olsen said neutrally. « So that’s a bad combination. What we can do now is be a better defensive group and be harder to play against tonight, and we can stay together. I’ve been down this road a couple of times during of my 10 years It’s not an easy thing to get out, but it is possible « 

DC have now lost three in a row and are winless in six, although they end the night just six points off the last place in the Audi MLS Cup Eastern Conference playoffs The Top 10 teams in The East are making all the playoffs this year, an expanded area that was developed after a schedule imbalance amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Still, Olsen would be in the ‘hot seat’, according to a Steven Goff article in the Washington Post.A result like this could add pressure, even if Olsen optimistically waits, placing some of the blame on his shoulders

« We have to start acting and playing in a better way, on both sides of the ball, being tougher mentally, being more combative and frankly having more quality, and of course better coaching », said said Olsen « It’s always part of that so it’s also up to the staff and myself to put the right group there. We make a lot of changes, be it staff due to injuries, a lot of changes in structure « 

Veteran center-back Steve Birnbaum also addressed DC’s state of mind, calling it one of the worst losses he’s been a part of He described a kind of snowball effect, where an early goal like Jon Gallagher’s strike in the 4th minute is made worse by how they’ve only scored 11 times in 15 games

« If you look at our past games, I think we’re a little bit mentally soft that way because we don’t score a ton of goals, » said Birnbaum « So we have a feeling that if we get a goal scored against us, it’s difficult because the goals are not following us at the moment We have trouble scoring and obviously tonight we struggled to defend but I think it costs us a lot as a group when we can’t score a ton of goals and you go in and out. then we continue the game – And it’s already hard at the start if we haven’t scored a ton « 

So where is DC from here? They’ll have a quick rotation on their trip to take on New York City FC on Wednesday, and Olsen knows which direction needs to emerge (8 p.m. ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN in the US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)

“It hasn’t been the easiest year for the guys,” said Olsen, “but I’m confident they’ll stick together and we’ll lick our wounds and try not to feel sorry for each other. themselves and come back there and try to change course here « 

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