Ben Olsen speaks to the assembled media at training today. (Photo By Pablo Maurer)

In just his second full season as a head coach, D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen will be coaching the MLS All-Stars as they face English Premier League heavyweights Chelsea F.C. on July 25 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Olsen replaces Peter Nowak, the former Philadelphia Union Head Coach who was relieved of his duties last week.

“Apparently they ran out of candidates for this All-Star thing,” Olsen said to the assembled media at today’s training session. “So, they chose the closest guy. Saves them money on train tickets and things.”

Sure, Olsen’s abode in Shaw may only be two hours from PPL Park, but his proximity has little to do with his selection. Olsen has quickly become one of the more respected coaches in MLS, guiding the Black and Red to the top of the Eastern Conference. He’s shown the maturity level of a much more experienced leader in his decision making, and has always been a fan favorite throughout MLS. He’s quickly gained a reputation as a player’s coach, and should be a good fit for the match against Chelsea.

United’s skipper was asked last week about the the possibility of filling the All-Star coaching vacancy. “I don’t think that’ll be an issue,” Olsen said with a laugh. “They should let [Union interim coach] John [Hackworth] do it. He’s there; he’s closest, make the least amount of time in commute. Why complicate it?”

Though Olsen may have previously joked about the opening, it’s importance wasn’t lost on him today. “Obviously, it’s an honor,” he said. “This league has been a huge part of my life, both playing and coaching. To represent them on a big stage like this is a real honor for me. But ultimately, this recognition comes from this group of guys and doing a pretty good job up to this point. It’s recognition to my staff, who’ve done a great job, always helping out a young coach.”

This may be Olsen’s first All-Star game as a coach, but he’s played in two of them. Six United players are nominated for All-Star selection: Bill Hamid, Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen, Dwayne De Rosario, Nick DeLeon and Maicon Santos. While DeRo seems like a shoe-in, we’ll have to wait and see on the other five players. United didn’t have a single player on the roster for last year’s match against Manchester United—Robbie Keane (who hasn’t scored a single goal for the L.A. Galaxy this year) is among the leaders in All-Star voting at the moment, and the gameday roster for these games has typically been more glitz and less grit. That doesn’t bode well for a workhorse like Perry Kitchen or Maicon Santos. You can vote for your selections right here.

Team Notes: United’s much-hyped friendly against Serie A giants Juventus on July 28 has been cancelled. The team is said to be in talks with another major European club to fill the date … United retained it’s hold on the Eastern Conference lead last night, as Sporting K.C. and New York both drew their respective matches. United faces the Red Bulls on Sunday in a nationally televised match (7 p.m., NBC Sports Network) with first place on the line … United academy product Collin Martin was training with the club today. Martin—who’s trained abroad with Manchester United and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany—kept up well with the senior side, despite the heat.