D.C. United has removed Curt Onalfo as Coach of the team following a string of disappointing results. In his place, United has named Ben Olsen, the former D.C. United star, as interim coach.
The details, according to the team:
This decision is not about placing blame, but about looking forward. Recent performances have convinced us that we need to make a change at the top for the team to improve the remainder of this season, for 2011 and beyond. We wish Curt nothing but the best.
It had become obvious to most observers after the Real Salt Lake game that United were a team that was at best treading water. The growing concern had to be that if the team were to continue to play at the pace they had established, then several of the young players growth could be retarded.
The team press release continues:
There is no one better suited for that task than Ben Olsen. We've asked Ben to focus on three objectives for the balance of this season: prepare to win the next game, demand of our players the same commitment to the shirt that he displayed and determine which players demonstrate that they want to play for United next season.
The discussion of "respecting the shirt" indicates that Onalfo most likely lost his locker room amidst all the losing. Ben Olsen should be a good temporary fix for this problem, as he will command the respect of his former teammates and demand the same type of effort that he himself put into game preparation.