Sometime in the past eight months, Ben Olsen thought his career might be over.
After having perhaps his finest season with D.C. United in 2007, the midfielder underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his left ankle. The pain endured while he continued running, and the 10-year veteran’s future was in doubt.
But on Sunday, with Olsen’s injuries improving and with a week of training under his belt, he was back out on the pitch. Olsen entered as a substitute in the 75th minute of United’s 4-1 win over David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy for his season debut.
“I told the guys to get me a big lead so I could go in the game, and they did that for me,” Olsen said.
While there was a noticeable limp in the midfielder’s step and his pace on the flank was far from what it had been, one of United’s on-field leaders and most recognizable faces had returned. The pain was still there, but Olsen just wanted to see how well he could play through the soreness.
“[Coach Tom Soehn] just said be ready for a couple minutes if things go according to plan, and they did,” Olsen said. “It felt good to get out there, but the game was fast, and it’s been a long time. My brain is there; it’s just physically it’s going to be a long road back.”
When Olsen stood up to enter, he received one of the loudest ovations of the day from a crowd of 35,979 (no small feat when Beckham is in attendance). He replaced team captain Jaime Moreno, United’s longest tenured player and MLS’ all-time leading scorer. The two shared a hug, and then Moreno handed him the captain’s armband.
“I choked up a little there,” Olsen said. “The support these fans have given me over the years, I can’t explain how much it means to me. It makes me want to get better and give this organization and these fans something for sticking by me.”
Before kickoff, the Barra Brava, one of United’s supporter groups, raised a multitude of banners in support of Olsen, including one that read, “Heart of a lion.”
“I don’t understand it,” he said. “These people here are so supportive. All I do is play hard, but it’s not because I have this great heart. I like to play soccer. I like to play for this team, and I guess they really appreciate it.”
Olsen’s grit and tenacity had been sorely missed by United, which weathered a 2-7 start in league play before reeling off a six-game unbeaten streak. While Olsen hasn’t done anything on the playing field to add to United’s turnaround, his presence hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“We’ve been missing Benny,” defender Devon McTavish said. “His charisma on the field, his style of play, the energy he brings, his passion - there’s no player in the league that brings that to the field like he does. We’ve had him in the locker room, but this week having him out on the field has really picked everyone’s game up a little bit.”
How often Olsen will play the remainder of the season is uncertain. The midfielder said he will wait and see how he feels Monday before deciding along with the coaching staff what the next step might be. He knows his road back is far from over, but for Sunday at least, that first major step was made.
“It’s important to get Ben back in to the mix,” Soehn said. “Everyone knows what Ben brings to us, and we just want to keep bringing him along slowly and surely.”
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