Ben Olsen

Olsen entered the league as a Project-40 player, and was allocated to D.C. United on December 27, 1997, shortly after finishing his junior season at UVA. In 1998 Olsen excelled as a right midfielder with United. During his inaugural season he earned a starting spot and scored 4 goals and made 8 assists. These accomplishments earned him the 1998 MLS Rookie of the Year Award and supported the team as it won the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup and 1998 InterAmerican Cup. During Olsen's second season with United he scored 5 goals and made 11 assists over 26 games, which contributed to United earning the 1999 Supporters' Shield on the way to winning MLS Cup '99. It was United's third MLS Cup victory in the first four years of the league. Olsen, the game's MVP, was especially happy to win the championship game after losing MLS Cup '98 to the Chicago Fire.

This is real special to me to get this monkey off my back. It's nice to get the goal. I didn't think that I played that particularly well. Believe me. I'm not the MVP of this game. Olsen's third season began well, but a collision with Chicago Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton caused an ankle injury that kept Ben out of much of the second half of the season, limiting him to 13 starts and only 1 goal and 3 assists on the year. After he recovered from the ankle injury in late 2000, Olsen was loaned by United to Nottingham Forest of the English First Division, where he immediately impressed and soon became a fan favorite. As a transfer…

Olsen at one time seemed like the right midfielder of the future for the U.S. national team, as he received his first cap soon after his Rookie of the Year season, on November 6, 1998, against Australia, and he was a significant player for the team in the 1999 season. He scored his first international goal during his first international start, which was against Chile on February 21, 1999. As the youngest player on the team. He received a cross from Brian McBride during the 58th minute. He then hit a side volley past goalie Marcelo Ramirez into the left corner of the goal. In 1999, he earned the U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year award. However, the injuries that kept him out of club play also seriously damaged his aspirations for the national team. Despite those injuries he was able to compete in the 2000 Summer Olympics for the United States, which placed fourth overall in the competition. Olsen's third career international goal earned the United States a tie with Tunisia during an international friendly in preparation for World Cup qualifying. He scored in injury time when John O'Brien passed him the ball after a corner kick. After moving to a controlling midfield position, Olsen was one of the selections on Bruce Arena's 2006 FIFA World Cup roster, having scored goals in the U.S. team's early 2006 win over Guatemala and in an April tie with Jamaica. Olsen earned 35 caps in all, scoring 6 goals for the United States. Olsen made his lone World Cup appearance against…

On January 5, 2010, United announced that Olsen would continue to work for United as an assistant coach under head coach Curt Onalfo. On August 5, following a league-worst 3–12–3 start to the season, head coach Curt Onlafo was fired. Subsequently, Olsen was named interim head coach and completed the season with a 3–8–1 record. Although United officials interviewed at least seven candidates, including Hertha Berlin manager Lucien Favre, the club appointed Olsen to the head coaching position. United made a public announcement on November 29, 2010, and held a press conference in the same room Olsen had announced his retirement one year and one month earlier. Olsen signed a three-year guaranteed contract that made him United's seventh head coach in club history and youngest full-time head coach in the league's 15-year history. This occurred despite the fact that United President and CEO Kevin Payne had continuously ruled him out during the months leading up to the decision.

I don't think he's ready. ... It's been a great learning experience for Ben and I am sure he will learn a great deal over the next couple of years. I fully expect Ben will be our head coach someday.

In a promotion for the upcoming 2011 season, United gave away free half-smokes in conjunction with Ben's Chili Bowl, which was renamed "Ben Olsen's Chili Bowl" for one hour on March 17, 2011 . In a largely disappointing 2013 season where United was last in the Eastern Division, Olsen led the team to the 2013…

Olsen is a licensed minister and presided over the nuptials of his then-teammate, Nick Rimando, in 2005. He is married to Megan Schoen, a teacher at Takoma Park Middle School. The two wed in Negril, Jamaica in December 2006. Their wedding was featured in Brides magazine. Megan gave birth to their daughter, Ruby, on September 30, 2008. The couple later featured in a popular TV commercial for Dick's Sporting Goods, in which Olsen enjoys an impromptu soccer skills exhibition with fellow MLS players Brian Ching, Duilio Davino and Christian Gómez, before he and Megan chase their screen son, "Dawson", out of the store when he has the temerity to ask for a David Beckham jersey. Olsen has rented out the apartment below his Northwest, Washington, D.C. town house to numerous teammates, including to D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells during the 2008 season. He was featured on the North American cover of FIFA 2001.