Early in the second half of Saturday’s match against the Montreal Impact, defender Oniel Fisher went down with an injury. He tried to stay in the game after receiving treatment on the field, but left the match a few minutes later. On Tuesday, it was announced that Fisher suffered damage to his ACL, MCL, and PCL, which will require surgery and end Fisher’s season.
Fisher ascended to the starting lineup after injuries to Taylor Kemp and Nick DeLeon sidelined the defenders earlier this year. Now, the Black-and-Red defense must move forward with a 'next man up' mentality, and another player will have to step up and make their own impact.
DeLeon is one candidate to fill Fisher’s shoes—after a four-month recovery, he is approaching a possible return in the coming weeks. Other candidates could include Kevin Ellis, an MLS veteran who joined United in September and subbed into Saturday’s match against Montreal, or Jalen Robinson, the Homegrown defender who has started four matches this year. Midfielder Paul Arriola has also dropped into the backline when necessary, using his speed and scrappiness to interrupt opposing build-up play and still working his way into the attack up the flank.
It remains to be seen who head coach Ben Olsen and the United coaching staff will call upon in Fisher's absence, but when asked about DeLeon's possible return this October, Olsen noted that it will not solely be about one player—the entirety of United's depth chart will be called upon and put to the test during the final month of the regular season, and, the Black-and-Red hope, in the playoffs.
“[DeLeon] is going to play a part in this down the stretch if he continues to train, in particular with the Fisher situation,” Olsen said at training on Tuesday. “He’s going to play a role in this. Jalen [Robinson], [Kevin] Ellis, and Paul [Arriola] who we’ve used there as well, will too. So, we’ll have to figure out who can best fit that spot.”
All four players aforementioned have shown they can be called upon during such a crucial stretch of the season. When Fisher was recently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Robinson stepped in, and the Homegrown was in the starting XI versus New England, LA, NYCFC, and the Red Bulls. Olsen knows that Arriola can be effective on the backline as well, and has praised the usual-midfielder for his versatility and ability to fill in a variety of spots depending on the team's needs. Ellis is new to the Black-and-Red, but has played in MLS since 2011, and picked up important match minutes in United's friendly versus Olimpia, and at the end of the NYCFC and Montreal games. DeLeon, the second longest-tenured member of United, is no stranger to the high-pressure nature of a playoff push, and helped propel D.C. to the postseason in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
D.C. United have been on a hot streak, undefeated in their last five matches and just two points out of a playoff spot, making Fisher's injury a tough loss. But the Black-and-Red have handled such situations before, and have strong depth and plenty of talented candidates to step in for the remainder of the regular season. Regardless of who gets the starting nod this weekend, one thing is certain—United are prepared to do whatever it takes to move forward, and each player is ready to step up for their club.
