D.C. United working on a turnaround

D.C. Unitedcoach Tom Soehn doesn’t do vacations well, especially the ones smack in the middle of the season. It’s a condition common in his profession and among other restless, driven, ultra-competitive types.

“I’d say it lasts about two days, and then work starts to get into my head,” he said.

With a gap in the schedule, Soehn spent an extended holiday weekend at his lakeside house in northwest Wisconsin. He fished for walleyes, crappies and bass and pretty much got away from it all. It was time well spent with his family and a brief respite from a taxing season. But then he felt the itch, and it wasn’t the mosquitoes.

“He works as hard as any coach in the league, that’s for sure,” said Ben Olsen, the veteran United midfielder. “He’s not gonna be outworked as a coach.”

Soehn’s work ethic is rooted in his parents, Gisela and Joe, German immigrants who came to Chicago with little “and lived the American dream by working hard,” he said.

Joe Soehn learned a trade and ended up owning a machine shop.

“Good, old-fashioned, hard work,” said Tommy, as he is called by those who know him.

Tommy Soehn (pronounced “Sone”) was immersed in soccer at an early age - Joe and Gisela met at a German soccer club - and nothing has changed. His is a dedicated soccer family. Jean, his wife, played at the University of Denver. Their son, T.J., 11, the oldest of four children, is a left-footed left middle back who loves to help his father break down tapes.

A Chicagoan to the core, Soehn idolized Walter Payton as a child. He even ran up and down the same hill on which Payton used to torture himself.

As a player, he was a tough, gritty defender. If an opposing forward got by him, Soehn at least would leave an elbow to remind him he was there. He played in a couple of indoor leagues and outdoor leagues and spent four years in MLS before retiring in 2000.

“I wasn’t as talented [as other players], but I made sure I outworked them,” he said. “There were a lot of kids more talented than I was in the Chicago area who should have made it but didn’t have the heart.”

Even now, Soehn, 42, sometimes practices with his players.

“He doesn’t have the mobility that he used to have, but he still brings a passion to the game,” defender Devon McTavish said. “He’s not afraid to get stuck into tackles.”

Between last season, his first in charge, and this one, Soehn said he worked “harder than ever” to reshape the roster. Mission accomplished: Only seven players remain from the end of the 2006 season.

“Unfortunately, it took a little longer than I hoped to find their chemistry,” he said.

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