Defender Steven Birnbaum is two games away from finishing off his fifth regular season with D.C. United, in which time he has started 127 matches for the Black-and-Red and totaled more than 11,000 minutes with the club. While Birnbaum's impressive season has helped elevate United's performances and added his name to the mix of MLS Defender of the Year candidates, right now, the defender is focused on finishing off his fifth year with another trip to the postseason.
Since the club began their midseason turnaround, many have focused on the increase in offensive production, crediting the arrival of English striker Wayne Rooney and the uptick in play from Luciano Acosta, Paul Arriola, and Yamil Asad. But there has been a noticeable shift on the defensive side of the ball as well—something that has been aided by the return of Bill Hamid in early August, the likes of Russell Canouse and Nick DeLeon returning to health, and the steadfast presence and consistency of Birnbaum, who has helped anchor the back line from his center back spot all season.
“I think you’ve seen it in the last month or so that we haven’t given up that many goals," Birnbaum said of the defense's improvement. "I think it started as a group effort, starting from the forwards all the way down to Bill [Hamid], where everyone is committed to defending. And I think you see it especially in our box defending, where guys get to the right spots. We’re tough to break down. It’s a credit to our whole team—I think our backline has been awesome, as of late. We want to keep it going, we have a good understanding of each other right now.”
After a rocky 2017 season for the Black-and-Red, Birnbaum has reasserted himself as one of the league's best center backs this year, leading MLS in a number of key categories like headed clearances and aerial duels won. Despite his individual strengths, the defender remains focused on the group, not worrying about personal accolades but instead what he can do to help his team.
“My goal is to not let any goals in. If we get that, I’m happy,” Birnbaum said. “I don’t really think too much about what I’m doing, but how I can help the team. I think I’ve been pretty solid and consistent this year.”
There is no doubt that Birnbaum has been a key cog in United's success this season. He has played every minute (2,880) of the 2018 campaign, and has helped lead the team to three clean sheets in their last four games, allowing just one goal against the Chicago Fire. But where Birnbaum really stands out is in the air—using his physicality, vision, and timing to be one of MLS' strongest aerial defenders.
“It’s kind of been my thing, my whole life," Birnbaum said of his dominance in the air. "Ever since I played soccer, that's what I was really good at. That’s obviously carried over into me being at D.C. United. I’m aware of it and I take pride in winning every header."
Birnbaum also credits the fans with improving his play and the team’s overall performances since opening Audi Field on July 14. For a Black-and-Red veteran, getting to play in the club's own stadium, in the heart of the District, surrounded by the team's rowdy supporters, is a huge reward week after week.
“It’s awesome. Not just our fan section, but everyone around, they get the guys going. They pump me up. After we score, say the game is in a lull, they’ll start chanting and get us back into the game and make sure we’re on our toes. They’ve given us a ton of momentum and, credit to them, they’ve been awesome. I’m so thankful to have the stadium here in D.C., and how much support we’ve seen from the city has been great.”
The Black-and-Red's attack has been on fire as of late, but, as the old adage goes, "defenses win championships." Birnbaum has quietly continued to help grind out wins and clean sheets from the back, and his improvement in play has coincided with the Black-and-Red's overall rise. Now, just one step away from making his postseason hopes a reality, Birnbaum will strive to continue his renaissance, leading from the center back and proving why he's one of MLS' top defenders of 2018.
