Soehn to Return As United Coach
Sources: 2009 Option to Be Exercised

By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 6, 2008

D.C. United will retain Tom Soehn as head coach, despite the club's failure to qualify for the MLS playoffs for the first time in six years and its repeated shortcomings in international competition.

According to sources close to the club, team management told Soehn in a meeting at RFK Stadium yesterday that the option on his contract will be exercised, allowing him to return in 2009 for a third season. MLS coaching salaries are rarely disclosed, but Soehn's deal is estimated to be between $150,000 and $200,000.

A formal announcement is expected within a week. Soehn, 42, did not return a phone message, and club officials said they had no comment.

The decision was hardly a surprise. In recent days, General Manager Dave Kasper came out in support of Soehn, and club president Kevin Payne expressed empathy for a coach who was undermanned much of the season because of injuries to key players. Both Kasper and Payne also stressed the importance of continuity after overhauling the roster last winter.

In years past, Payne would have had the final say on a coaching move, but with United's new investors, particularly Will Chang, taking an active role in club operations, this decision reached beyond the front office.

United (11-15-4) finished sixth in the seven-team Eastern Conference and fell one victory short of a playoff berth -- a substantial drop-off after winning the Supporters' Shield for finishing with the league's best regular season record the previous two years.

The club did not fare much better outside of MLS, getting eliminated in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup this past spring and going a combined 0-8-1 in the SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions League tournaments. It did, however, win the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in 12 years, a domestic title that earned the team a berth in the 2009-10 Champions League, which involves top clubs from MLS, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Argentine playmaker Marcelo Gallardo, whose $1.9 million deal is the largest in club history, appeared in only half of the 30 league games and five of 17 tournament matches because of an assortment of injuries. Star midfielder Ben Olsen (ankle) made just one appearance, and several other regulars missed significant time with various ailments.

Soehn "deserved to come back. He went through a lot," said a United player, who did not want to be identified because the decision has not been officially announced.