Chad Ashton strolled onto D.C. United’s training grounds Thursday morning, as he has done for 15 years as an assistant under four head coaches. For the second time, though, he was doing so as the interim boss, tasked with cleaning up the mess left by an abrupt firing.
In the wake of Hernán Losada’s dismissal Wednesday, Ashton will embrace two critical missions: getting the team back on track after four consecutive defeats in MLS play and restoring the joy that seemed to have been lost by some players during Losada’s 15-month tenure.
“I want them to come to work and have fun and look at it as an opportunity, not as a job,” Ashton said.