Olsen and DCU
Excerpts from Ben Olsen's news conference: The decision to retire..... "This season was great getting back. I didn't think it was going to happen, but to get back and get through this year, I got through it - let's say - through modern medicine. It was definitely with help of anti-inflammatories and shots and things I don't know how long you want to keep doing. As the season ended, I wanted to cleanse myself from a lot of that stuff and then the reality hit. The ankle showed itself. It spooked me a little bit, it spooked my wife, the way I couldn't carry my child down the stairs at times. You come to a crossroads: At what cost do you come back and play? Anybody who knows me, I think about t

Olsen Retirement Is Official
Ben Olsen, D.C. United's tenacious midfielder who was an integral part of two MLS Cup championships and overcame serious ankle injuries to resurrect his career and become perhaps the most popular player in club history, announced his retirement Tuesday at RFK Stadium. Olsen, 32, is likely to remain with the club as an assistant coach once a head coaching position is filled in the coming weeks. "He has defined what United is all about, and he has set a high bar for professional soccer players in the United States," General Manager Dave Kasper said. "In his 12 years at D.C. United, he brought us heart, character, personality, intelligence and championships. Olsen, a native of Middletown, Pa.,

Olsen's Retirement
Ben Olsen's news conference announcing his retirement today at RFK Stadium is closed to the public, but live streaming video will be available beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on D.C. United's Web site. Tonight at Verizon Center, the Washington Wizards will salute Olsen -- a big hoops fan -- at the end of the third quarter. In honor of No. 14, tickets to the Wizards-76ers game are available for $14. When news of Olsen's retirement began to circulate, I received an e-mail from Dave Brown, chair and secretary for the South West & M5 branch of the Nottingham Forest Supporters Club in England. (Olsen was on loan at Forest in 2000-01.) "He is and will always remain a part of Nottingham Forest," Brown w

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Tuesday Kickaround
*Ahead of the MLS expansion draft Wednesday to supply Philadelphia with 10 players from current clubs, D.C. United protected defenders Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic, Julius James and Bryan Namoff; midfielders Fred, Clyde Simms, Danny Szetela and Rodney Wallace; midfielder-forwards Chris Pontius and Santino Quaranta; and forward Jaime Moreno. (Wallace graduated from the Generation Adidas program over the weekend and is no longer exempt from the protection process). Available for selection: Luciano Emilio (giant salary, age), Christian Gomez (big salary, age), Andrew Jacobson (promising central MF), Boyzzz Khumalo (energetic wing), Devon McTavish (versatile MF-D) and rookie MF Brandon Barklage (w