Markus Halsti is a positive person. It doesn’t take much interaction with the amiable Finn and his omnipresent grin to realize as much.
That optimism is apparent in Halsti’s approach to his first season in a D.C. United uniform. After spraining his right knee toward the end of preseason, United’s prized acquisition ended up missing the first 10 matches of his debut MLS campaign.
Tough timing, right? Well, maybe not.
“If you have an injury, maybe it’s better to have an injury in the early season,” Halsti said. “It’s been tough — it’s not nice to sit in the stadium. But I’ve still enjoyed watching the games.”
It’s a “glass half-full” approach that has its merits. While Halsti missed the first third of United’s season, including the club’s elimination in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, the 30-year-old still has plenty of time to get acclimated before the home stretch and playoffs roll around. In his absence, United still went a league-best 6-1-3.
The Finland national team midfielder made his long-awaited MLS debut on Sunday, logging 80 minutes in United’s 1-0 road loss to the Philadelphia Union. Although Halsti and central midfield partner Perry Kitchen weren’t overly influential on a day United lost the possession battle, there was promise.
“I thought he was exactly what we ordered — a guy that knows how to play the game,” coach Ben Olsen said. “His passing is good, calm. I thought we actually missed him a lot and bypassed him and Perry when we could have used them as outlets, and I think that could have helped out the game a little bit more.”
On paper, Kitchen and Halsti look like one of the top midfield duos in MLS. Kitchen, 23, has started 135 matches over five seasons and earned his first two U.S. national team appearances earlier this year.
Halsti, meanwhile, joined United this past offseason after seven years with Swedish club Malmo. This past fall, he started all six matches for Malmo in the illustrious UEFA Champions League.
With sharp wit and a welcoming persona, Halsti has had no problems fitting into the United locker room.
“He’s a very experienced guy, very calm on the ball, connects passes and reads the game well,” Kitchen said. “He’s fitting in very well — he’s a great guy, funny guy, talks with everybody. He’s definitely trying to integrate himself, and we all love him in there.”
Tactically speaking, Olsen acknowledged concern that defensive midfielders Halsti and Kitchen might be too similar. But the coach said he was pleased by their chemistry on Sunday, considering they never had a chance to partner together in preseason.
Of course, there is room for improvement. While Kitchen and usual partner Davy Arnaud have developed a keen understanding of how to share the central midfield responsibilities, Halsti knows that level of chemistry takes time.
“Sometimes it clicks, sometimes we’re both [going] in for the same ball,” said Halsti, who also can play center back. “Generally, with the ball, we still have a lot of work.”
After Halsti settled into his Old Town Alexandria apartment with his fiancee and 8-month-old daughter, getting back on the field has been a last step of sorts in his transition from Scandinavian life to this new stateside chapter.
When it came to maintaining a positive outlook throughout his early-season rehabilitation, Halsti naturally drew upon that family support system.
“I had been working inside a gym for almost 10 weeks only, so it helped to go home with the daughter and fiancee,” Halsti said. “When you’re in the stadium, that’s like my motto: When you do something, do it properly. Then you live your life.”
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