In a normal season, patience with a high-priced summer signing like Branko Boskovic would be much easier.
But this isn’t a normal season for D.C. United (4-14-3), which despite last weekend’s win over Philadelphia still has a difficult path ahead to avoid finishing the year with the fewest victories in franchise history.
Boskovic, who arrived in early July, has started D.C.’s last four league matches, but he still doesn’t have a goal or an assist. The lack of production is even harder to digest after the Major League Soccer Players Union released the players’ salaries earlier this month, showing his guaranteed $516,000 Designated Player salary at the top of the United roster.
“Eleven players play,” Boskovic said. “It’s not only me, especially when I come here not physically good and in the middle of the season, in the middle of a difficult situation for the club. Everybody expects that I make something alone, and I’m not this type of player. When the team plays good, I can play good. I think our time’s coming.”
The oppressive North American summer weather, a significant departure from Boskovic’s former cooler tenure in Austria, shares blame for his struggles, and he’s lasted a full 90 minutes for D.C. only once. With depth on the wings, United has also used Boskovic in an unfamiliar central playmaking role.
“All my life I play on the left side,” said Boskovic. “It doesn’t matter if it is the middle or the front line. But I’m here to listen to where the coach wants to put me. I try to give my best and maximum.”
Boskovic is expected to start against Chivas USA (5-11-4). On Monday he’ll fly from Los Angeles to Europe for the Montenegro national team’s first two 2012 European championship qualifiers, which will force him to miss United’s crucial U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Columbus on Wednesday.
“I think he understands that we want more from him, and that’s all you can ask for,” United interim head coach Ben Olsen said. “He’s going to be a good player in this league. He’s just going through a little adjustment period. He certainly hasn’t been bad, but sometimes, when you get big salaries and the dreaded ‘DP’ next to your name, people go a little bit bonkers about it.”
