Even though he's only 20, FC Dallas rookie midfielder Eric Avila is the oldest of the club's top three picks from the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Avila, a Generation adidas player, was projected by many to be a first-round lock but slipped to early in the second round and FCD snapped him up with the 19th overall pick.
So far, Avila has started and played all four games for the FCD reserves with one goal and one assist so far. FCD coach Steve Morrow has been pleased with how quickly Avila is coming along in his rookie season.
"He's impressed all of us and has done very well," Morrow said. "He's done everything we've asked of him. He's really started stepping up in the reserve games. No matter where we play him, he does very well. Even in practice when we put him in with the main group, he doesn't look out of position."
The Hoops boss feels that should translate into time with the first team in the near future.
"It's up to us to try to get him some playing time as we move forward," Morrow said. "We want to try to get those young guys some experience and there will be plenty of opportunities as we go through the summer to get them good minutes in good, competitive games and for them to make good progress this year."
Avila is also pleased with how well his transition to the professional game is going.
"I'm really comfortable right now and feel great being here," he said. "I feel confident and love coming out here and play. I'm already settled in here and that makes it all comfortable. Now, I can just focus on coming out here and playing. It's fun."
Avila played three years at the University of California-Santa Barbara, finishing his career with 15 goals and 13 assists. Before that, Avila was in the U.S. under-17 residency program in Bradenton, Florida, where he met current FCD teammates Dax McCarty and Blake Wagner. Since then, he has been to camp with the U-17s and U-20s, and in January appeared at a camp for the U-23s.
All that experience has helped ease his transition to MLS.
"At first, I didn't know what position I was going to play," Avila said. "But they stuck me in the middle, which is somewhere that I haven't played in a long time. I have gotten used to it and am now at a comfortable level where I can be calm playing there."
Avila admitted that after he wasn't taken in the first round of the draft, he felt like he had something to prove.
"To myself, yes, I did (have something to prove) because there was a lot of hype before the draft and talk about me going in the first round, but coming in here, I had something to prove," he said. "During the reserve games, I want to prove something to the other coaches who didn't draft me."
And to say that Morrow was ecstatic when the Hoops' second-round pick rolled around and Avila's name was still on the board is an understatement.
"He's been very competitive from the very first day," Morrow said. "We had him rated very highly before the draft and we were surprised that he was still there when we got him in the second round. I think that was a bonus for us. The reputation that he had coming in, he's proven that everything was right. He's had a fantastic start."
Since he plays in the central midfield, Avila gets ample opportunity to learn from a number of FCD veterans who play there.
"Pablo Ricchetti is one of the guys that I respect and who I have learned a lot from," he said. "He plays my role on the field and has been guiding me with what to do and how to position myself on the field, which has been great because that helps me. I see him as a great leader who puts it all out on the field. He shows by example and then explains things to me, which is awesome because not a lot of people can do that. He explains the situation as it happens and that makes it easier for me. I respect him and that makes me want to work harder."
For now, Avila is content to bide his time because he knows that his opportunity will come with the first team in the coming months.
"I would love to (get in there with the first team)," he said. "I am confident and feel like I'm ready to go. But I know that it will take time but I think I'm ready. I'm trying to be patient and not too frustrated because I know that my time will come."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
