Pick your poison when it comes to dissecting D.C. United’s lengthy list of ills.
The club-record 13 shutouts and league-worst 13 goals cast a glaring spotlight on D.C.’s woeful offense. But United (3-14-3) also has allowed more goals (35) than any other team in Major League Soccer, making it difficult for interim head coach Ben Olsen to choose where to put his emphasis.
“Our whole focus right now isn’t score, score, just putting more pressure on to score,” Olsen said. “To be fair, I put more pressure on the defense to deal with what they need to deal with so we get a 0-0. If that happened right now, could you live with it? Probably. We’re not going to play that way, but I’d love a clean sheet.”
Since Olsen took over for fired Curt Onalfo just under three weeks ago, D.C. has accelerated its role as aggressor. United dominated for most of the first half against Dallas last weekend, until a poor finish from Danny Allsopp and a counterattack the other way late in the half sent them into a tailspin. Andy Najar remains the only D.C. player to find the back of the net since before the World Cup started — a score against FC Dallas was an own goal.
Olsen plans to keep sending his men forward despite the fragile state of his defense.
“I think we’ve just pressured higher and trying to be more aggressive,” midfielder Santino Quaranta said, “taking the game to the other team instead of worrying so much about our shape, not being broken down and playing more freely.”
Some of that attacking spark was lost when D.C. traded Fred in the offseason to help re-acquire goalkeeper Troy Perkins. While United has searched for offensive inspiration ever since, the Brazilian midfielder will lead the expansion Union (4-10-5) into RFK Stadium for the first time. Fred has played the fifth-most minutes for Philadelphia in its inaugural campaign.
“I can’t see a team that’s been carried by one man in this league,” Quaranta said. “I don’t know if Fred could carry us. When you have breakdowns like we have, I don’t care who you have on the field. It’s impossible to win.”
