D.C. United has fired head coach Hernán Losada, multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic. Losada has been replaced by assistant coach Chad Ashton on an interim basis, those sources said.
The club has dropped four consecutive league matches, including a disastrous collapse at home against Austin FC on Saturday in which the team conceded three times in the final 10 minutes to lose 3-2. United bounced back last night with a 3-0 victory over NISA side Flower City Union in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
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A member of the D.C. coaching staff since 2007, Ashton oversaw United on an interim basis after Losada’s predecessor Ben Olsen was dismissed during the 2020 season.
Losada, who was United’s first new non-interim manager in a decade, arrived last January to much fanfare after a lengthy coaching search, promising to rejuvenate United’s attack and install a forward-thinking system. His fitness-first mentality and high-pressing tactics were an adjustment for United’s players, some of whom struggled to adapt to the increased workload. Sources indicated that Losada has had a tenuous relationship with some players as well as members of the club’s front office, including sporting director Dave Kasper and GM Lucy Rushton, as well as with ownership.
He went 14-15-5 in his first campaign and narrowly missed the playoffs. D.C. showed promise at times but were forced to deal with an injury-depleted roster in the season’s latter stages. Throughout the campaign, Losada publicly called on United’s front office to increase their investment in the club’s roster and facilities. Losada will leave the club with a final regular season record of 16-19-5.
United overhauled their roster after the 2021 season, bringing in 15 new players but moving a pair of high-profile pieces in midfielders Kevin Paredes and Paul Arriola, selling the former for $7.35 million to Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and trading the latter to FC Dallas for a record $2 million in guaranteed general allocation money. The club has looked disjointed at times through the early stages of their 2022 campaign, beating Charlotte and Cincinnati in their first two matches before losing to Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta and Austin.
Prior to his time at United, Losada, a former player, coached Belgian first-division side Beerschot AC, compiling a 20-14-8 record over two seasons.
(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)
GO DEEPER
Why D.C. United fired Hernán Losada: 'It was about the whole package'
How far is D.C. United from contention?
Sam Stejskal, staff writer: From contending for an MLS Cup title? A long way off. The roster is in a strange, transitionary phase following the offseason departures of Arriola and Paredes and, though new signings deserve some time to get acclimated, there isn't really enough talent for D.C. to realistically challenge the best teams in the league.
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They do have enough pieces to make a run at the playoffs, however. They're obviously not off to the best start, but six points through six matches isn't a disaster, either. If Ashton can keep the locker room engaged, they could very easily end up around the bubble by the time the regular season winds down.
Where could they look for their next coach?
Stejskal: Ashton will finish out the year, according to The Washington Post's Steven Goff. If he posts good results, there's no reason to think he wouldn't be in contention for the full-time job, but D.C. will undoubtedly consider a slew of other candidates.
The search that ended with D.C. hiring Losada ahead of last season was protracted and included numerous obstacles; the club was close to hiring current Manchester United assistant Chris Armas, but he ultimately walked away from their offer and ended up in Toronto, who fired him after just 11 matches. They'll no doubt want to run a smoother process this time around.
Some MLS-experienced names to keep in mind: Luchi Gonzalez, Dave van den Bergh, Freddy Juarez, Davy Arnaud, Marc dos Santos, Kerry Zavagnin and Jason Bent. El Salvador manager and former USMNT midfielder Hugo Pérez is also a potential candidate.