D.C. United 2018 season review: Oniel Fisher

D.C. United traded for Oneil Fisher during the MLS preseason, acquiring him from the Seattle Sounders for $50,000 in General Allocation Money. He was expected to back up Nick DeLeon at the right back position, but the ongoing injury to Taylor Kemp saw him start the season at left back, until the team acquired Joseph Mora for that role. The early-season injury to DeLeon led to Fisher switching back to his preferred right back spot and starting 20 games over of the course of the year.

His defense early in the season was shaky, as was the defense overall; his speed, however, allowed him to cover for some defensive mistakes and allowed him to jump into the attack at a moment’s notice. The change to the 4-2-3-1, however, helped take Fisher’s game to the next level (as it did for many of the players on the team). Now armed with less defensive ground to cover, and with another passer ready to spring him, Fisher became a key part of the attack: his passing helped to keep possession recycling and helped pin back opposing defenses, allowing the the midfielders and Wayne Rooney the time and space to pick them apart.

However, as the season was reaching its peak, Fisher fell victim to injury himself, damaging almost all of the ligaments in his knee. Fisher won’t be ready to suit up for any team until after the start of the 2019 season, so United will need to find a solution whether or not they re-sign him. He is currently out of contract, so the choice is also up to him whether or not he wants to return, but United have shown themselves willing to wait for injured fullbacks to recover, both with Chris Korb (who did come back for a time) and Taylor Kemp (who has since retired).

After all of that, we come to the question: