ORLANDO — Ben Olsen gambled in D.C. United‘s regular season finale Sunday, and while he lost in the short term with a 4-2 defeat to Orlando City, he achieved the broader aim of resting regulars and securing home-field advantage in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
With the postseason days away, Olsen decided the fitness of his starters outweighed the risk of having to play on the road in a single knockout game. In the end, Olsen’s decision worked out nicely — except for a setback that ended a four-game winning streak.
Only two of the starters who have fueled United’s late-season surge stepped onto the field: Rob Vincent for the first 72 minutes and Jared Jeffrey for the last 18.