With J Hutcherson -- Sportswriters like to lean on cliches because it makes things easier. Rather than having to explain Ben Olsen pre-and-post ankle injury, you can just call him 'gritty' or 'tenacious.' What that means is more complicated.
Olsen had a step on most of his marks at college and then Major League Soccer level. It wasn't that he was the fastest player on the field. It was that he was normally the fastest against whoever was matched up against him. That put him in a position where he could rely on a first step, win more than his share of 50/50 balls, and basically be a pest in a distributing role.
Though he's done all the criticism necessary of his early professional play, saying yesterday that: "I watched the tape of when I was a rookie and it makes me sick," he also knew what he was doing. "At some point, I would tire the other guy out, flub and cross and Roy Lassiter would put it in."
For a too brief period of time, Olsen was exactly that at Nottingham Forest. What Olsen ended up looking at as tactical naivete is exactly what most English clubs were looking for. His game was a better fit there than it was ever going to be in the United States. Then his ankle gave way and he had to rebuild his career.
Another of Olsen's statements from yesterday: "I was never that great of a soccer player, but I fit in." He's wrong. On his day and at full strength, he was an exceptional soccer player. He did it with two contrasting styles, forced to give up speed for positioning.
That's where the 'gritty,' 'tenacious,' and whatever else gets stuck in that placeholder fail. Olsen had game. He proved that enough where it shouldn't even be a question, much less a jumping off point. He also was a smart enough player to realize that wide midfield is different from center midfield. He was a positional player post-injury, and that ended up allowing him to extend his career.
Had he actually been that one-dimensional player he criticizes from his early years, his career would've never recovered from that 2001 injury. He would've been constantly looking for that 1v1 beat that decided a game, and not finding it.
Instead, he became a player who would out-think the other guy in real time. It was a style tailored to Major League Soccer. It worked well enough to keep him in the conversation of players that could change any game they were in. Olsen as a player who saw a way forward and took control. That's not gritty or tenacious. It's smart, the defining characteristic of an exceptional soccer player.
On TV
Champions League on Fox Soccer Channel: Debreceni - Liverpool at 11am, Milan - Marseille at 2:30pm (5pm on Setanta), Real Madrid - Zurich at 5pm (2:30pm on Fox Sports en Espanol), and Manchester United - Besiktas at 7pm (2:40pm on Setanta). EPL on Setanta Xtra: Fulham - Blackburn at 3pm (6:45pm on Setanta) and Hull - Everton at 8pm on Setanta. Colombian League on GolTV: Medellin - Junior at 8:30pm. All Times Eastern
Europe
Ten Emerging World Cup Players -- from Forbes' Monte Burke: Never heard of him?
Liverpool's bread and butter looks stale as their rivals ice the cake -- from The Guardian's Paul Wilson: It's no big deal, surely?
Rafael Benitez must face up to his shortcomings, says Tony Barrett -- from The Times' Ben Smith: It is a measurement of how quickly they have slipped.
Smith: we were just not good enough -- from The Herald's Graeme Macpherson: "We’ve never looked that way at home."
Besiktas fans reveal united front -- from BBC Sport's John McManus: But this is more than an ordinary supporters' club trip.
Portsmouth timeline: from FA Cup glory to club in crisis -- from The Telegraph.
England World Cup bid hit by exit of Richards -- from The Independent's Nick Harris: Damage to the bid is likely to be minor.
Americas
At a 'crossroads,' United's Olsen decides it's time to step away -- from The Washington Post's Steven Goff: "It's damaged enough."
DC United's Olsen opts for retirement -- from The Washington Times' Drew Hansen: "I think I came to the right decision."
RSL fans celebrate club's first title -- from The Salt Lake Tribune's Rosemary Winters: "In our galaxy, these are the stars."
Union set to begin filling roster -- from The Philadelphia Daily News' Kerith Gabriel: "It's more likely just a serious attempt at secrecy."
This Beckham goodbye has different tone -- from Yahoo! Sports' Martin Rogers: He will never be just another player in this league.
Whitecaps lure 'Spur executive -- from The Vancouver Sun's Ian Walker: "It's the same impact we're going to see on the business side of the equation."
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
