D.C. United will keep Tom Soehn as coach in 2009, Steven Goff reports, quoting “sources close to the club.” A formal announcement is expected within a week.
“The decision was hardly a surprise,” writes Goff. “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.”
United missed out on the playoffs and failed in three international competitions, but it did win the U.S. Open Cup, allowing it to qualify for the 2009-10 Concacaf Champions League. Soehn “deserved to come back. He went through a lot,” according to an anonymously quoted United player.