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name: Ben Olsen
position: M height: 5-8 weight:156 Birthdate: May 03, 1977 Hometown: Middletown, PA last club: |
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| Regular Season Stats | full bio l year-by-year stats l video highlights |
| year | club | gp | gs | min | g | a | sht | sog | fc | fs | c | ej |
| 2009 | D.C. United | 20 | 18 | 1,371 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 9 | 36 | 35 | 7 | 1 |
| Career | 221 | 200 | 17,098 | 29 | 49 | 283 | 155 | 436 | 474 | 45 | 2 | |
| Most Recent Video Highlights |
| date | clubs | video description |
| 04/17/09 | Revolution @ United |
 Ben Olsen fights to make it even
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| 08/30/08 | Red Bulls @ United |
Ben Olsen talks before the match
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| 09/26/07 | West Ham United @ United |
Ben Olsen Goal
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MLS Experience
2008: After one of the most outstanding seasons of his career, 2008 turned out to be one of extreme frustration for Ben Olsen. After off-season surgery on both ankles, the midfielder had another three procedures throughout 2008 - including one to put screws in an ankle - as he faced continued setbacks in recovery. The team's fiery leader did make one League appearance, coming on as a 75th minute sub in the club's 4-1 win over Los Angeles on 6/29, but 2008 will largely be a year to forget for Olsen.2007: Olsen had perhaps the finest season of his career in 2007, despite having to adjust to a position he hadn’t regularly played in nearly eight years. After Tom Soehn moved D.C. from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 formation, Olsen was asked to move from a defensive midfield spot to that of a right winger. The 10th year veteran responded with a career best seven goals to go along with seven assists. He tallied his first career hat trick against New York in a 4-2 D.C. win on 6/10, earning both Player of the Week and Goal of the Week honors. He earned a second Player of the Week honor for his two-goal performance in United’s 4-0 thrashing of FC Dallas on 9/1. His three game-winning goals were second most on the team. For his impressive season, he was named to the MLS Best XI for the first time in his career.
2006: Save for his trip to Germany to compete in the World Cup, Olsen was a mainstay in the D.C. United starting lineup. The hard-working midfielder started 18 of the 20 games that he appeared in and scored two goals - including the game-winner against the Columbus Crew on 7/15. Olsen also logged three assists for the Black-and-Red.
2005: Though he was pulled away from United to compete in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the U.S. National Team in July, Olsen was again the heart of the Black-and-Red midfield. The crafty central midfielder started 22 of the 23 games he played in, notching two goals and four assists. Both of Olsen's goals came in an important late-season victory over the team's Atlantic Cup rivals, the MetroStars. The two-goal performance was the first of his MLS career and helped United earn a 4-1 road victory.
2004: Olsen continued his strong form in 2004, as he made the move to center midfield. He started all 25 of the games he saw time in, while notching three goals and four assists. He also continued his dedication to the community off the pitch, as he was elected to the Board of Directors of United for D.C., the charitable arm of D.C. United.
2003: In 2003, Olsen started each of the 26 games he played in. Serving as the heart and soul of the United midfield, he showed tremendous effort during the season, regaining the form that helped him earn MLS Cup MVP honors in 1999. Olsen's season was cut short when he suffered a third degree MCL sprain in his left knee in the sixth minute of a match against the MetroStars on 9/28. The injury prevented Olsen from competing in the final four games of the season, though he still finished second in scoring for United (tied with Hristo Stoitchkov) with four goals, all game-winners, and seven assists. Olsen's work was not limited to the pitch, as the hard-working midfielder was awarded United's U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award at season's end.
2002: Olsen made his much-awaited return to the Black-and-Red on 7/27 against the New England Revolution after missing the first portion of the season due to a fractured ankle he suffered before the start of the 2001 season. After undergoing his fourth operation on his right ankle on 6/11, Olsen worked on his fitness level over the course of the summer and was able to establish himself as a fixture in the starting 11. His first start of the season, on 8/17 against the San Jose Earthquakes, came almost two years to the day after his last appearance in an MLS game (8/19/00 against San Jose). Olsen finished the abbreviated year by notching his lone assist of the season on a Henry Zambrano goal in United's 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Burn on 9/19.
2001: Olsen missed the entire season after fracturing his ankle while on loan to Nottingham Forest in March.
2000: Olsen started all 13 games he played in and was used primarily on the right flank, though he shifted to the left when asked to do so. He scored his first and only goal of the season versus the Chicago Fire (4/8) in injury time to win the match. For his efforts, Olsen garnered MLS Player of the Week honors for the week of 4/9. Olsen injured his ankle in a clash with Fire keeper Zach Thornton (6/17) and missed over forty days following the injury. The midfielder concluded the 2000 season on loan to Nottingham Forest after being sought after by Forest manager David Platt in October.
1999: Olsen surpassed his scoring totals from his rookie season with five goals and 11 assists in 28 appearances (26 as a starter). He started the season in fine fashion, grabbing a pair of assists in United's season-opening 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny. In the MLS Cup final, Olsen intercepted a poor clearance and netted United's second goal in the 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, earning him the match's Most Valuable Player honors.
1998: The club's first developmental allocation, Olsen won League Rookie of the Year honors following an impressive season. He played in 43 of United's 44 matches in all competitions, scoring six goals. Olsen scored his first professional goal against the Fire (5/2), netting United's third in the 3-1 victory. He recorded the first multiple-goal game of his career in the quarterfinal of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, bagging a pair of goals and adding two assists in United's 8-0 hammering of Joe Public FC.
International
2006: Olsen represented the U.S. Men's National Team at the World Cup in Germany, playing 51 minutes in the team's final match against Ghana. All told, Olsen played in eight matches (four starts) for the national team in 2006, scoring goals against Guatemala on 2/19 and against Jamaica on 4/11.2005: Olsen returned to National Team duty playing in four matches for the U.S. during a run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup championship. Olsen was in the first XI for victory against Cuba on 7/7 and played the full 90 minutes in a scoreless draw against Costa Rica on 7/12.
2003: Olsen made two National Team appearances, coming off of the bench vs. Canada on 1/18 and starting a match against Argentina on 2/8. 2002: Olsen made his return to the U.S. Men's National Team in the USA's final game of the year, a 2-0 victory over El Salvador at RFK Stadium on 11/17. Olsen scored the game-winner in the 31st minute and was named the Chevrolet Man of the Match.
2001: Despite missing the entire MLS season, Olsen managed to earn one cap with the U.S. team in the Americans' first match of the year. He started and played 85 minutes in a 2-1 win over China on 1/27 in Oakland, CA.
2000: Olsen made 10 appearances for the national team in 2000. He began the year with the squad at the Rose Bowl for an international friendly against Iran (1/16), entering as a substitute in the 62nd minute of the 1-1 draw. Olsen then made the journey to Chile for the U.S.'s second friendly, playing the first 70 minutes of the 2-1 win. He spent February at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Miami, playing the full 90 minutes in the opener against Haiti and coming off the substitute's bench against Peru and the quarterfinal penalty shoot-out loss to Colombia. In March, Olsen came on as a substitute in the USA's friendly against North African side Tunisia and netted the equalizer in injury time. A member of Arena's winning U.S. Nike Cup team, Olsen was also a key part of the U.S. U-23 national team. After United's 2000 MLS campaign, he helped Clive Charles' Olympic side reach the bronze medal game of the Sydney Olympics in Australia before falling to Chile 2-0.
1999: Olsen scored two goals in seven international appearances, including the first in a 2-0 victory against Germany in the Confederations Cup, the USA's second victory against the two-time World Champions in 1999.
1998: Olsen made his full international debut on 11/16 in the USA's 0-0 draw with Australia. He scored his first international goal in his next appearance, the USA's 2-1 victory against Chile on 2/21.
1997: A regular on the U.S. National Team at the youth level, Olsen played in the World Youth Championships in Malaysia.
College
At the University of Virginia, Olsen scored 34 goals and contributed 41 assists during his career. During three seasons with the Cavaliers, the team posted a 56-8-8 record. He was named the 1997 Soccer America collegiate player of the year.
Honors
Acquired
Allocated to D.C. United on 12/27/97.
