FC Dallas officially announced the addition of former Mexican international center back Duilio Davino to the club's roster on Wednesday, after he agreed to a two-year contract.
The 31-year-old native of Mexico City, who made 84 appearances for Mexico in international competition, came to Texas on Sunday to see his long-time former team, Club America, take on Toluca in InterLiga 2008. He remained in Frisco on Monday and Tuesday, meeting with FCD officials, before the sides came to terms.
"We're delighted to be able to announce the signing of (Duilio) Davino," said FCD head coach Steve Morrow. "After weeks of negotiations, we're delighted to finalize the contract. We're delighted to add a player of immense quality and experience to our defense and our team."
Davino's addition fills a big hole for FCD left after 2007 defender of the year Clarence Goodson was selected in the expansion draft by the San Jose Earthquakes.
"I think he (Davino) gives our back line a great deal of flexibility," Morrow said. "He's been brought in to help bring along some of the younger players and to show them how to become better leaders."
Morrow also expects Davino to be an organizer in the back, something FCD has lacked in recent history.
"I think this team certainly needs a leader in the back and he will certainly provide that," Morrow said.
Over the last decade, Davino has played in 323 regular season games for Club America and scored 11 goals. On the international level, he represented Mexico in such events as the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He served as America's captain for the 2007 season. He began his professional career with Tecos UAG in Mexico in 1994, moving to America in 1997.
But his long professional career has led some media outlets to report Davino is slowing down. It was a criticism Morrow quickly moved to quash.
"I don't know who has the concerns about his speed because I certainly don't," Morrow said. "I have watched him play a lot and know he's going to be a great fit not only for our team but for the league as well. I wouldn't say that he's a lightning-fast player, but he's a very smart and intelligent player who has the benefit of playing at a top level for many years. He knows the game very well and knows where to be at the right time."
Another asset that Morrow feels Davino will bring to his back line is some much needed -- toughness.
"That's always one of the qualities that I've been looking for (in a defender)," Morrow said. "He's got a lot of aggression in his game, reads the game well, times his tackles well and is a great one-on-one defender. I expect his style of play to bring stability to the back line."
Davino became available in November and from the start, FCD was interested.
"We've known about him for a long time and once we knew he was available, we went after him very hard," Morrow said. "I think the qualities he's got can benefit FC Dallas."
The Hoops will start preseason training Feb. 1 with fitness testing. FCD's first full day of practice will be three days later but Morrow expects Davino in town well before then so that he can get settled into his new surroundings and prepare for training.
FCD general manager Michael Hitchcock likes the fact that Davino is so popular among Mexican soccer fans.
"Without a doubt, he's probably one of the more popular Mexican soccer players in this marketplace," Hitchcock said. "Not only has he been a great player for Club America, but he's also played for the Mexican national team."
Hitchcock sees Davino's appeal as extending beyond the pitch. "He's almost got rock star-like status," he said. "He's got the look, the personality and it doesn't hurt that he's engaged to one of the most popular soap opera actresses in Mexico."
An integral part of getting Davino signed was the close relationship that Morrow has with his agent.
"I had a relationship with his agent, which certainly helped this situation," Morrow said. "It's not always easy to get these deals done and that relationship helped get it done. The most important thing is how we can fit the player into the team. We like what he can bring to the team."
Davino becomes the second ex-Club America player to make the jump to MLS. His former teammate Cuauhtemoc Blanco made his league debut with the Chicago Fire last season as their designated player and was a huge success both on and off the pitch. In addition, Davino was a fixture in central defense for many years with current Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
