He was named an all-American in high school by Parade magazine. Soccer America made him collegiate player of the year. In 1998 he was named MLS rookie of the year with DC United. The following year he was named MLS Cup MVP, as DC United secured their third MLS Cup trophy in four years. He was a regular starter for the national team and many thought he'd be instrumental in leading the U.S. to international respectability on the World Stage.
But then came his third season in MLS, the collision with 'the beast' Zach Thornton and a series of ankle injuries that would continue to haunt this once promising player. And now it looks like Ben Olsen's most recent ankle injury will be the straw that broke the camel's back.
According to an interview on Steven Goff's Soccer Insider, Olsen's most recent injury to his ankle, an injury that Olsen says will require surgery, could force him to call it quits after 10 years in the league.
"Everything is so gray. They don't know how it is going to play out, they really don't. They have been candid with me, which has been very nice. They said, 'Look, the percentages of you playing again are not good. There's a possibility you won't play again. So just prepare yourself for that.' But if that's the case, I will deal with it. It's not the end of the world."
It's a sad circumstance for such a gifted player to have to endure such an injury-plagued career. To only have a handful of healthy seasons in the 10 years that you've played, to know that if you had been healthy you might have figured more permanently in representing your country -- it has to be the toughest thing for an athlete to go through. Because if this is the end for Olsen, he won't be able to say he left on his own terms, that he was ready to go and made the conscious decision to hang the cleats up. It's enough to make even the most hardened, bitter fan weep.
Better days for Ben -- A hat-trick against rivals New York.
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