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Chris Pontius Rejoins DC United

The moment many DC United fans have anticipated for nearly a year has arrived; head coach Ben Olsen has put Chris Pontius on his match day 18-man roster for the final Atlantic Cup clash against the New York Red Bulls in Harrison, New Jersey. Pontius has plagued by injuries throughout his career, but is still considered one of Major League Soccer’s best. He was called up to the US Men’s National Team in 2009 for training and in 2011 for friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium. Since joining MLS in 2009, Pontius has netted 27 goals for DC in 123 appearances. He will be an invaluable addition to the club as they seek to create roster depth for the MLS postseason and continue play in the CONCACAF Champions League

Heading into the match against the Red Bulls tomorrow, Chris Pontius has an opportunity to come back with a bang against a familiar foe. Olsen will undoubtedly avoid starting him on his first day back in the lineup, but a mid- or late-game substitution is possible, if not likely. Pontius has historically been dangerous everywhere the Red Bulls defense has been vulnerable all season: on the counter-attack, from the outside of the penalty area, and deflected balls near the goal. He is dangerous because at peak health and skill, he has a world-class touch and is able to make runs at the heart of defense that seem nearly unthinkable for a league outside Europe.

For the past two seasons, United have been plagued by injuries to several key players. In 2013 is was Chris Pontius and Dwayne DeRosario whose absence most hurt the team in their crash and burn season of record-setting proportions. This year, DC United are at a critical crossroads as the schedule heats up and the injuries seem to keep piling up:

  • Forward Eddie Johnson is out with concussion symptoms
  • Forward Conor Doyle’s knee injury has him out for the rest of the season
  • Reserve forward Michael Seaton has a quadricep injury that will keep him out until October
  • Midfielder Chris Rolfe fractured his arm and will be out for six weeks
  • Defender Chris Korb is out for a couple more weeks with a hamstring injury
  • Defender Jeff Parke is recovering from a string of migraines that have kept him out of the lineup since late July
  • Goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra is out for the season after tearing his achilles tendon in a July friendly against Fulham

The acquisition of players like the attack-minded David Estrada, defender Kofi Opare, and the speedy Ghanan winger Samuel Inkoom are meant to bolster a roster that badly needs depth as the gauntlet of MLS and CCL matches grinds on into October. Should United make a playoff run it will be players like these, plus the reintroduction of Chris Pontius to the lineup, that will make a run for the cup possible. Especially when it comes to Pontius, his leadership and ability will be sorely needed should DC indeed win the Eastern conference and challenge (presumably) either the LA Galaxy or Seattle Sounders for the MLS Cup. At this point, any run in the postseason is speculation for any team, but it is almost certain that Ben Olsen and his coaching staff are preparing the final pieces of their roster for the illusive fifth star on the Black and Red’s jerseys.

 

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