If this whole coaching thing doesn't work out, Dominic Kinnear and Steve Nicol could always explore careers in group therapy.
The highly successful pair of MLS Cup coaches has certainly demonstrated a handy ability to solve problems and calmly maneuver their charges through potentially troublesome patches.
Both managers have done remarkable jobs this year of holding things together when matters could easily have spun wildly out of control.
In Houston, Kinnear never looked ruffled as the club rode out tremendous personal upheaval for players and much of the staff. Obviously, all the principals handled the challenges with aplomb, which is why Dynamo landed in Frisco for Sunday's final.
In New England, Nicol steered nimbly through a completely different set of obstacles. The Revolution manager had two unhappy campers during the season. Both were critical pieces of the Revolution plan.
Reigning league MVP Taylor Twellman expressed disappointment at midseason over his salary. And that came after family tragedy and the disappointment of not making Bruce Arena's U.S. World Cup team. Not long afterward, firebrand forward Clint Dempsey expressed public disappointment at his own contract status.
Either situation could have undermined or divided the locker room, especially as injuries to key players subtracted even more firepower from the field. Instead of sinking in the choppy waters, Nicol's men accelerated smoothly and glided into their second consecutive final.
That Nicol would know how to handle an agitated star is no big surprise. He saw it all as a player in the salad days at Liverpool. Plus, the even-handed Scotsman has that splendid British trait working for him: he knows the value of keeping that stiff upper lip and moving relentless forward in the face of hardship.
"Our guys are hungry, they have a strong mentality," Nicol said. "It's an unshakable thing; whatever is thrown at them, I get the impression they can handle it."
That's probably true. But where did they learn to do so? Where did they discover and cultivate their capacity to block out, or even laugh off, the obstructions and get the job done?
Probably from Nicol. He's a master at the art of diffusing. He understands that players are going to vent every now and then. He lets 'em blow off a little steam and doesn't make a whole federal case about it.
The situation with Twellman and Dempsey, on a low boil for much of the summer, came to a roiling head in mid-August. Twellman lashed out about his contract situation, presenting his case publicly for being underpaid.
About the same time, reports swirled around Dempsey, who dramatically drove up his stock on the international market with that fearless performance at World Cup 2006. Reports circulated of a rejected offer from Europe for Dempsey's contract. (Both players are under contract to MLS until December 2007.)
"It completely affects the team, in all honesty," Twellman told The Boston Globe at the time. "Because how do players know they will be compensated for what they have done? ... [Dempsey] has voiced his opinion and he deserves to go to England or wherever he wants to go. He is at his highest point and he is getting decent offers, so let the kid go."
Nicol, a true players' coach, probably wanted to see both players satisfied personally. But placating an individual's career aspirations is not his top priority. Rather, his job is to produce a winning soccer team.
And he did just that -- although it took him a short time to get things sorted out. The Revs lost two of three MLS matches after Twellman's public comments and also were eliiminated from the U.S. Open Cup.
But Nicol's men regained their feet on Sept. 9 with a win against the New York Red Bulls, and the late charge (that has become so common under Nicol) was on. The Revs blasted through their final 10 games on a 7-1-2 tear.
Even more impressive about that late push: Nicol was missing some key men. Pat Noonan, Daniel Hernandez and Shalrie Joseph, the midfield rock of the team, all missed significant time. Nicol shrugged off the achievement, mostly attributing the deeds to collective passion and desire of a tight locker room.
"We are in a strong place physically and mentally because of the run we put together," he said.
While Nicol calmly presided over matters, Kinnear was applying his own calm assertiveness over a far longer stretch. His big window of showing grace under pressure actually started last December, as long-rumored fears of San Jose's relocation came to fruition.
The successful Bay Area club was moving to Houston, Kinnear and his men were told. They would have to relocate halfway across the country. For many of the players, that meant selling one house and buying another. It meant changing schools for children. It meant that even the most mundane chores -- buying insurance or going to the dentist -- became an exercise in research and finding someone you liked.
Midfielder and league MVP finalist Dwayne De Rosario admitted all that could have easily devolved into an untenable situation. He credited Kinnear for helping everybody nimbly negotiate the troublesome potholes.
"He had everything to do with it," De Rosario said. "He knew how to make our jobs as easy as possible, so all we had to do was worry about things on the field."
The roster remained largely unchanged as the team moved from San Jose to south Texas. But internally, the team support staff was in an unsteadying flux.
"You usually lose three or four guys after the season, but this was really difficult," Kinnear said, "We lost the team administrator, an assistant coach, the equipment manager, then we lost a goalkeeper coach halfway through the season. Guys were all relocating, they were closing on houses at different times."
If it was difficult, you couldn't tell it. Dynamo were 4-2-1 by mid-May, on its way to a second place finish in the Western Conference, and eventually on its way up I-45 to face New England in Sunday's final.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
