

Bill Hamid and D.C. United have points in mind. (By Tony Quinn)

With the season proceeding nicely, D.C. United Coach Ben Olsen is not looking to shake up the lineup. Why change a good thing? United is unbeaten in seven straight and, with a victory or draw Wednesday against Orlando City at RFK Stadium, sole possession of first place belongs to the boys in black and red at the 10-match mark.

However, Olsen also wants to reincorporate players into the system after lengthy absences and, amid three games over nine days, avoid fatiguing some of the regulars ahead of a congested period.

“I don’t need to” make any switches, Olsen said, “but looking ahead to what we are going to face over not only the month and a half but the year, there will be at least one change.”

Olsen declined say what he has in mind, but the options are plentiful. Defender Steve Birnbaum has recovered from a sprained ankle. Forward Luis Silva is eager to start after six substitute appearances. Midfielder Michael Farfan has demonstrated a creative touch in spot duty. And Taylor Kemp hopes to regain the job at left back.

So Olsen could go in several different directions with a D.C. squad (5-1-3) that, after hosting Orlando (2-4-3), will visit Philadelphia (1-7-3) on Sunday.

“We’ve got to understand that guys are going to come in fresh and it’s not because they are replacing guys who have done poorly,” Olsen said. “That is a strange concept for players to get. We have guys who can do the job, and we want to produce 18 players who are all 90 minutes’ fit and capable of putting on good performances over the course of the season.”

Olsen was definitive on two fronts. Fabian Espindola is “inching along” in his recovery from an ailing knee and almost certainly won’t be in uniform for the second straight match, and midfielder-defender Markus Halsti will suit up for the first time this season.

The most intriguing option is Birnbaum, a U.S. national team prospect who has not played since March 28 but returned to active duty last weekend. In Birnbaum’s absence, Kofi Opare has partnered effectively with captain Bobby Boswell at center back. In that time, United has conceded five goals in seven matches and not lost.

“The team is doing well right now,” Birnbaum said. “They have a good rhythm. I don’t think there is a need to disrupt it right now.”

Despite Birnbaum’s inactivity, Olsen said he would not hesitate to toss him into the starting lineup without a reserve appearance first.

“Center back is a little bit of a different animal” because the fitness requirements are not as demanding as for midfielders and forwards, Olsen said. “I would prefer to start him at some point in the near future and get him back up to speed.”

Said Boswell: “I know [Birnbaum] is hungry. Our team is so deep, you can’t be the guy off the field when the team does well because you might not find yourself back on there for a while.”

Regardless of who is in the field, Olsen will demand a better performance than in the first meeting with Orlando last month at the Citrus Bowl. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid’s splendid work, Orlando’s cockeyed finishing and Silva’s stoppage-time free kick in his first appearance of the year allowed United to steal a 1-0 victory. “We certainly can’t rely on Bill like we did in that game,” Olsen said.

Orlando is seeking a repeat performance, albeit with a goal or two.

“I would certainly settle for the same performance we gave them last time,” Orlando Coach Adrian Heath said, “because we were excellent on the day and missed probably seven or eight glorious opportunities.”

While United has ridden home-field advantage to a 17-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, Wednesday’s attendance will not help the cause. Mid-week matches are always a box-office challenge for the club and, with Capitals and Wizards playoff games on TV, the club is bracing for a small turnout. At 14,115, United’s average attendance is next to last among 20 teams, ahead of only Colorado (13,878) and more than 6,000 below the league clip.

Soccer notes: United did not offer a contract to Oumar Ballo, a rookie center back from UMBC who had been on trial for two weeks. “I thought he did well and we liked him,” Olsen said. “With the roster, we just couldn’t fit him in.” …

El Salvador will play Honduras in a May 31 friendly at RFK, promoter Elias Polio said. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. The Salvadoran squad, which visits the Washington area regularly, faced Argentina on March 28 at FedEx Field.

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D.C. United vs. Orlando City

Where: RFK Stadium.

When: Wednesday at 8 p.m.

TV: ESPN2.

Records: United 5-1-3, 18 points; Orlando 2-4-3, 9 points.

D.C. probable starters: GK Bill Hamid; Ds Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Kofi Opare, Chris Korb; MFs Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, Michael Farfan, Chris Pontius; Fs Chris Rolfe, Jairo Arrieta.

Orlando probable starters: GK Donovan Ricketts; Ds Rafael Ramos, Aurelien Collin, Seb Hines, Luke Boden; MFs Darwin Ceren, Cristian Higuita, Eric Avila, Kaka, Brek Shea; F Cyle Larin.