D.C. United’s desperate times called for a risky decision, and so in the days preparing for Saturday’s match at Montreal, Coach Ben Olsen turned to a defensive midfielder just back from injury to play on the back line.
Russell Canouse had not played right back since he was employed in Germany three years ago. And because of a collapsed lung, he had been inactive the previous five matches.
But with United’s season turning sour and the playoffs no longer a sure thing, Canouse embraced the new position and helped end a three-game losing streak.
He went the distance in the 3-0 victory over the Impact, allaying concerns with a steady performance as United (11-10-9, 42 points) created a five-point gap with Montreal (11-15-4) and overtook the New York Red Bulls for fourth place in the congested Eastern Conference.