D.C. United Expected to Announce Hernán Losada as Head Coach

D.C. United expected to announce Hernán Losada as head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

D.C. United is expected to announce its new head coach tomorrow, concluding a three-month search that included interviews with more than 25 candidates.

On Sunday, the club posted a cryptic tweet with a timer set to go off at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday. But the long-awaited announcement of Ben Olsen's successor seems to have already been spoiled - not by anyone in United's camp, but by Belgian topflight club Beerschot.

Beerschot announced on Sunday that second-year manager, Hernán Losada, would be departing the club midway through the season to take on the head coaching role at D.C. United, which opened up in October after the club fired longtime head coach Ben Olsen.

The Washington Post's Steven Goff first reported that United were interested in the former Argentine professional turned manager. Reports that he had accepted the job first came out in the Belgian press on Sunday

Losada's 15-year playing career began with Argentine club Independiente. But the Buenos Aires-native spent the bulk of his playing career in Belgium, enjoying multiple stints at Belgian First Division A side Beerchot where he established himself as an icon at the club before retiring in 2018 and joining the coaching staff as assistant manager.

The pipeline of managers from Argentina to the MLS has expanded in recent years, with former Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino paving the way as the first head coach from abroad to win the MLS Cup in 2018.

Losada, 38, will join fellow countrymen Matias Almeyda of the San Jose Earthquakes and newly appointed Atlanta head coach Gabriel Hinze in the MLS. But he'll do so with just 16 months of head coaching experience under his belt.

In his short tenure at Beerschot, he led the club to promotion from the second division back to the top tier. Losada will leave the club sitting in 10th place through 21 matches in the Belgian First Division A, well clear of relegation back to First Division B for the worst two of 18 clubs in the league.

On Sunday, Losada acknowledged to reporters in Antwerp that his move to the nation's capital was all but complete. 

"If I had been able to choose, I would of course, rather have said goodbye after the season. I don't like to get out of something in the middle, but there was no other way now," Losada said. "What made me choose? First and foremost, I think it is a dream for many coaches to work in MLS. I also have to realize that such an opportunity does not come every day."

Once the deal is finalized, Lozado will become the eighth manager in D.C. United's 25-year history and the first coach hired from overseas.

His South American roots could bode well with a United locker room that currently features seven players from the continent, including star midfielders Yamil Asad (Argentina), Junior Moreno (Venezuela), and Edison Flores (Peru).

General Manager Dave Kasper and longtime assistant coach Chad Ashton have been tasked with correcting the club's course this offseason, following a disappointing 2019-2020 campaign.

We will likely have a better understanding of how Losada fits into that plan once he is formally announced as manager.

D.C. United have the fourth overall pick in Thursday's MLS draft. Losada isn't expected to be involved, but will certainly have a say in acquiring additional players before training camp.

Details of the 2021 season have yet to be confirmed as the MLS and its Players Association continue to dispute the terms of their collective bargaining agreement.

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