WASHINGTON -- For several weeks now, D.C. United's injury crisis has pushed the club into an unenviable cycle where more attention is paid to those absent from the gameday roster than those on it.
The continued absence of starters like Marcelo Gallardo, Santino Quaranta and Gonzalo Peralta has left head coach Tom Soehn with little choice but to turn to rookies and reserves, and the results have been unmistakable as an eight-game unbeaten streak has given way to a four-game losing skid highlighted by an underperformance in SuperLiga play.
Those struggles have certainly not flattered the United bench and after D.C.'s latest setback, a 2-0 loss to Houston last Wednesday, Soehn vowed to bring in midseason acquisitions to improve the squad.
"I think the results speak for themselves. It's four losses in a row and obviously that has something to do with it," said assistant coach Chad Ashton on Wednesday, in reference to the team's recent shorthandedness. "At the end of the day you gauge everything by results and we haven't gotten the job done. It's as simple as that."
Ashton was handling the normal post-training media duties at RFK Stadium on account of Soehn's engagement in a meeting with team president Kevin Payne and general manager Dave Kasper, the sort of conference that would suggest moves are imminent. But while fans wait on news of trialists, trades and signings, not to mention progress reports on mainstays like Gallardo, the existing group has little choice but to work with the status quo and apply itself towards steady improvement.
"We're a little bit unfocused right now, just because we have so many different lineups going on," said Brazilian midfielder Fred. "But we're working every day to get better and get that team that can win."
Beyond any potential newcomers, Soehn and his colleagues are anxious to work several sidelined players back into action over the next two weeks. Nonetheless, they remain keen to inspire the rest of their charges to pick up the slack.
"You have to approach it the right way and say, 'This is my time. They're not here. It's my time to do a good job,' and as far as the coaching staff is concerned, we don't have any other players at the moment," said Ashton. "So our job is to get the most out of what we do have and do a good job with what we have. If other guys come, they come, but now is your time to have an opportunity and you do really well with that opportunity, it doesn't matter who shows up."
The coaching staff is surely hoping that message will sink in sooner rather than later, with a home match against Kansas City this weekend kicking off an important spell in United's schedule. But the harsh reality is that the Black-and-Red reserves have yet to provide the expected relief for a tired group of starters who still face many key games ahead.
"Most of them, it's their first year. A lot of rookies, so it's tough," said midfielder Clyde Simms, one of the few constants in the D.C. lineup this summer. "I know it's easier when you're coming in and expectations aren't so high, but because we need some wins here shortly and in this stretch, at this point in the season when they're having to fill those shoes, it's a tall task. ... There's going to be mistakes made."
So United is left in an infuriatingly delicate position. The club needs timely contributions from their bench, but remains all too aware of the danger such pressure can pose to a youngster's fragile confidence.
"I think this team believes in the reserves and players that haven't gotten much time, but with that comes a loss of cohesiveness," said veteran Ben Olsen, who continues to recover from his latest ankle surgery. "You bring three, four guys into the lineup that haven't been consistent all year, it's a tough thing. They've got to do better, the reserves -- they know that -- and make a statement to Tommy and the coaching staff that they're able to be a player for this team down the line."
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