2006年VOA标准英语-DC United Veteran Olsen Aiming for Success

By Teresa Sullivan
Washington
09 May 2006

The U.S. men's soccer team is making final preparations for its opening World Cup match June 12 against the Czech Republic in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. One player looking to make a contribution this year is Ben Olsen of U.S. Major League Soccer's DC United. Olsen is excited to make his first appearance in the World Cup.

---------------------------------------------------

 
USA's Ben Olsen (14) reaches out for a loose ball during friendly soccer match in Frisco, Texas,  Feb. 19, 2006  
  

Ben Olsen has played on the U.S. national team 33 times in his career and came close to making the World Cup before, but he still could not contain his joy when he got the call in early May from U.S. head coach Bruce Arena¹.

"My reaction was I ran around like an idiot for 20 minutes because I was so excited," he said.

An eight-year veteran of DC United, Olsen missed the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan because he was still recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the entire 2001 season.

But the 29-year-old Pennsylvania native has put those days behind him.

After a solid Major League Soccer (MLS) season and several national team appearances in 2003, Olsen helped lead DC United to a fourth MLS championship in 2004. He made the national team's Gold Cup roster² in 2005, and remains³ an integral part of DC United's central midfield.

Olsen's appointment to the World Cup team reunites him with Arena. Coach and player share a long history. Arena and Olsen first worked together at the University of Virginia, and again in Arena's final year as head coach of DC United in 1998 - Olsen's rookie season with MLS.

Arena says Olsen's performance at the international and club levels convinced him that Ben could help the World Cup team.

He has had success throughout his career. In 1998, he won MLS Rookie of the Year honors and helped Washington clinch⁴ the regional CONCACAF Champions Cup and the InterAmerican Cup in a stunning⁵ upset over the Brazilian powerhouse club, Vasco de Gama.

The following year he won Most Valuable Player honors and scored a goal in DC United's (2-0) MLS championship win over the Los Angeles Galaxy⁶.

Despite his success, Olsen is realistic about what his likely role will be with the U.S. soccer team in Germany.

"There's a very small chance that I'll be starting and being a big player in this tournament unless things happen," he said. "Hopefully I will get some time at some point, and it will be remarkable⁷, it's going to be great."

Olsen is one of 11 MLS players on the 23-man U.S. roster, and the only DC United player to make the World Cup team.

He says he is looking forward to representing the United States.

"It's an honor, it really is," he said. "Unexpected for sure. I've played this game a long time and this is what you play for. To get an opportunity to like this, and it's a special time for me, for sure."

Ben Olsen has made himself a vital part of the MLS and DC United, and is seeking his chance to make an impact at the 2006 World Cup.

The U.S. men begin their pre-World Cup training camp on Wednesday,May 10 in Cary, North Carolina. They play warm-up matches against Morocco, Venezuela and Latvia.

The team departs for Germany on June 1, and its first World Cup match of the tournament is June 12 against the Czech Republic, followed by contests with Italy and Ghana.

1 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

2 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

5 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

6 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

7 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。