United completed their preseason camp in Clearwater, Fla., on Thursday with high hopes for a bounce back season in 2018. With a number of new faces joining the squad, preseason was a valuable opportunity to come together and form a team identity before the regular season kicks off on March 3 against Orlando City.
The first week of camp was dedicated to building chemistry and integrating new faces into the system. New United defender Frédéric Brillant, who arrived to D.C. via a trade with NYCFC, noted that preseason is crucial for learning the intricacies of his new teammates and their styles of play.
“It’s very important because we didn’t play together last year—it’s crucial for us to be compact and work for each other,” Brillant said.
The Black-and-Red were then put to an early test when they opened their preseason schedule with a friendly against top-tier Swedish side Malmö FF. Though United ultimately fell 2-1, head coach Ben Olsen saw promise in his team’s first outing.
“I was pleased with the performance," Olsen said after the Malmö match. "There were two different teams out there—one played the first 60 minutes and the second played the final 30. I thought the first group started well in the first 25-30 minutes, then I think you could see the players’ legs get tired, the discipline went and it became a tough battle. We know we’re setting them up to fail at this point in preseason because they’re playing with heavy legs, but we’ve designed it that way in an effort to get them fit for the season."
Between the team’s two stints in Florida, United completed a deal for Atlanta United midfielder Yamil Asad, who starred for the expansion side in their inaugural season. Asad’s versatility and dynamic abilities promise to help revamp United’s attack moving into the 2018 season, and the team was eager to bring him into camp and start integrating him into play.
Asad made his debut with United during their second preseason game, a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. While Asad was getting up to speed, it was new United forward Darren Mattocks who impressed when he scored his second goal in as many games.
Mattocks hopes to be a major part of United’s attack, and he reaffirmed his ability during his time in Florida.
“[Being with D.C.] is good," Mattocks said following the match. "I am getting playing time which is what I’ve always wanted. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent D.C."
United closed camp in Florida with their second victory of the year after defeating Jacksonville Armada FC 2-1. The game served as another tuneup chance for United's new players, including recently-acquired defender Oniel Fisher, who has relished the opportunity to earn a starting role after arriving from Seattle.
"I think so far everything has been good. I’m getting to know the guys and we’re starting to gel together,” Fisher said. “I’m just enjoying the moment right now, I’m going to keep working and hopefully I can stay consistent and win a starting spot."
With their time in Florida over, and a final preseason match against USL side Las Vegas Lights FC remaining before the start of the MLS regular season, Olsen has been pleased so far with what he’s seen, but recognizes there's still plenty to focus on before March 3.
"There’s always work to do at this point especially with a few new faces on the team but I’ve been thrilled with the preseason camp here in Clearwater,” Olsen said. “The effort and focus over the last three weeks has been great and I think we’ve made huge strides as a group. Now we have one more chance to fine tune everything and get ready for Orlando."
