D.C. United coach Ben Olsen is ready to oversee a spirited competition for the Black-and-Red’s starting goalkeeper and striker jobs in 2018, he told the Washington Post over the weekend.
United’s attack was one of the most anemic in MLS last season, scoring just 31 goals in 34 matches, tied with Colorado for the fewest in the league. Acquiring a top-class striker has thus been a major focus for D.C. this winter, but a showcase signing in that slot has yet to materialize.
That said, Olsen suggested that he’d be happy to have recent trade acquisition Darren Mattocks and incumbent forward Patrick Mullins vie for the starting role as part of a “goals by committee” approach should no new frontrunners arrive in the current transfer window.
D.C. have a similar mindset in the nets, where newcomer David Ousted will go toe to toe with Steve Clark for the top spot. That and plenty more insight on United's rebuilding project can be found in Steven Goff’s Post piece.
